Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-12-04
PEACE WITH MEXICO.
" ALBERT GALLATIN.
|. The La,c Of Nations.

terms peace the United states shall dictate hetero
gencous population of millions, with very limited
and credit; distracted by internal dssenons and
by the ambition Of its chiefs prey by to anarchy and
ITO military uupes occupying among the nations OF the civil
lied woj either physically mentally, whether in political
education, social state any other respect, but inferior
position, contend successfully with energetic,
elseu enlightened, and united nation of twenty millions
possessed Of unlimited and credit and enjoying all
the benefits Of regular, strong, and free Government All
this anticipated but the extraordinary of the
Americans have exceeded the sanguine expectations All
tina ayanceJp,ss of the enemy New Mexico, California, the
line Of the lower Rio Noe and all the seapors which It was
o, a.s,rv II, - have been subdued. And small
force apparently incompetent to the object, has penetrated
near three hundred miles into the interior and is in quiet
possession of the far-amed metropolis of the Mexican domi
Mons The superior skill and talents of distinguished
generals and the unparalleled bravery Of troops have
mounted all obstacles by wAomsoeyer commanded either
side however strong the positions and Qualifications OF the
McXcan and with Tremendous numerical superiority, there
has not been single engagement in which they have not
been completely defeated. The remarkable and
pected feature Of that warfare is that volunteers wholly
disciplined every sense of word have We'd in devoted
and bravery with the regular forces and lave proved
themselves in every instance superior in the open field to the
best regular forces of Mexico These forces are now annhat
ed dispersed and the Mexcans reduced to petty
fare of gueras which, however annoying cannot be produc
tive of any important results.
1t is true that these splendid been purchased
at price far exceeding their 1t is true that neither
he glory of these military Deeds the ultimate utility
conquest compensate the amenabe loss of the many
thousand valuable lives sacrificed in the field the still greater
number who have met with obscure DEATH been disabled
by disease and fatigue II true that their relatives their
PARENTS their wives and Children find consolation for the
misery inflicted upon them in the still greater losses expert
enced by the Mexcans. But if dsegardng private caami-
ties and all the evils Of general nature the necessary
quences OF this revert solely the relative position
the two countries the impotence of the Mexicans and their
total inability to continue the war, with any appearance Of
success, still manifest.
The question then What are the terms which the
United States have right TO impose Mexico All agree
that must be honorable peace " but the true meaning
OF this word must in the first place be ascertaned.
The notion that thing be truly honorable which
contrary to justice will abstract proposition, be repud
aed by every citizen Of the United States Win any one dare
assert that peace be honorable which does not con-
form with justice
There is no difficulty in discovering the principles by which
the relations between civilized and Christian nations should
be regulated and the reciprocal duties which they owe to each
other These principles, these duties, have long since been
proclaimed and the law of nations nothing else than
the conformity to the sublime pecepts Of the Gospel morality
appHClpie 10 The relations between
man, and TO the Intercourse between nation and nation
"Thou shalt love thy neighbor myself" Love YOU,
enemies " As you would that men should do you, do
ye also to them likewise The sancty Of these commands
acknowledged, without single exception by every denom
nation Of Christians Of protesting to be such The
kePica philosopher admits and admres the pecept To this
holy rule should Lexby adhere when debating the terms
oieace The United States, though they have the power
have no night to impose terms inconsistent with Justice. Ii
would be shameful derccon of principle on the part OF
those who We're arerse the annexation of Texas counte
nance any attempt TO claim acquisition OF territory other
advantage, on account Of the Of our arms.
But III Judging the acts of Government il must be ad
med that statesmen thuka conformity usages which
constitute the law Of nations should be- hut as it
practically, sufficient justify their conduct And by tina
Inferior standard those acts and duties relation to Mex
ico will be tested.
/ ll.-hadenHties TO Citi7ens ofhs United States
The United States had and continue to have, an ndub
table night to demand full indemnity any wrongs inf cel
on our citizens by the Government of Mexico in violation o.
treaties of the acknowledged laws of nations The nero
tatons Tor satisfying those demands had been
by the annexation of Texas When an ATTEMPT was subse
qncnty made to hcm therefore lust and proper
that both subjects should be discussed AT the same time and
i Is now absolutely necessary that those just csms should be
FULLY provided for treaty of peace that may be opco
ed and that the payment should be secured against any
sble contingency take for granted that no claims have
been shall be sustained by Government but ch ~ are
founded treaties the acknowledged law of nations
Whenever nation becomes involved in war; the nantes.
toes and every other public issued for the purpose of
tying It's conduct always embrace every ground of complaint
which possibly be alleged But admitting that the re-
fusa to satisfy the claims for indemnity Of our citizens might
have been just of war, it certain that those
claims not the of that in which we are now in
voyed
may be proper, in the first place. to observe that the re-
usa OF doing JUSTICE Of this kind the long davs
IN providing for them, have generally produced actual
war Almost always long protracted negotiations have been
alone resoued to- This Has been strngy the case with tho
United States. The claims of Great Britain for British sl
secured by the treaty Of 1888, settled and paid I'M
the year 1903 and only subsequent that wear that
the claims of the United States for dcpredaons committed in
1J3, satisfied. The very plain question Of lavcs cav,
RED away by the British forces in Is open violation Of
The treaty Of 1914, settled and the indemnity naid
W the year s26 The claims against France for deureda
tons committed in the years 1906 TO 1913 were not settled
ana paid for tall the year 1884 In all those cases peace was
preserved by patience and forbearance.
WIN respect to the Mexican indenncs the suhec, had
Oeeh laid than before Congress- not without
gesions that strong should be resorled TO- Bnt
congress N whom alone is vested the power Of DECLARING
war, uniformly declined doing it,
a Convention entered into the llh Of April 1899
between The ncd States and Mexico, by virtue OF which
on1 commission appointed for the examination and set
emeht Of those claims The powers Of the Commissioner.
terminated according the convention in February 1912
he total amount Of the American claims presented 10 tho
commission amounted to Sc 90, Cos Ofthesc, So n26 10
were allowed by the commission further sum Of 1929 G24
were allowed 10y the commissioners Of the United States re-
eccd by the Mexican commissioners and left undecided y
The umpire and claims amounting 10 So 1885, s37 had not
been examined.
A dat OF Ipi