The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1847-12-11

for tho Same purposc-thnt no indemnity was
to be obtained from Mexico at the conclusion
of the war; and yet it was certain That, u no
Mexican territory was acquired, no indemnity
could be obtained,
IL is further manifest that Congress contcm
plated territorial indemnity, from the fact that
nt their last session, an act was passed, upon
the Executive recommendation, npproprlntng
three millions of dollars with that express OBJ
icct Instrumentation was made "to enable
the President to conclude a treaty of peace,
limits and boundaries with the republic of
Mexico, TO be used by him in the event that
ssid treaty, whom signed by the authorized a.
gents of the two governments, ana duIy raul
fed by Mexico, shall call for the expenditure
of the same, or any part thereof The object
of asking this appropriation was distinctly sta
ted in the several messages on the subject
which | communicated to Congress. similar
appropriations made in 1908 and 1870, winch
were referred TO, were intended to be applied
in part consideration for the cession OF Louis
lana and the Floridas, In like manner IL was
anticipated that, in settling the terms Of trea-
ty of"limits and boundaries with Mexico, n
ccssion of territory estimated TO be OF greater
value than the amount of our demands against
her mis- ht be Obtained; and that the prompt
payment of this sum--in part consideration Tor
the territory coded-on the conclusion OF
treaty, and its ratification on her part, might
be an inducemcnt with her to make such
ccssion of territory as would be satisfactory 10
the United States. And although the failure
to conclude such treaty has rendered II UNI
necessary TO use any part of the three millions
of dollars appropriated by that act, aud The en-
tire sum remains in the treasury 1t ~ stu Rp-
plicablc to that object, should the contingency
occur of makin such Application proper
The doctrine Of no territory is the doctrine
ONO indemnitj and, If sanctioned, Woulu pe
a public acknowledgment that our country was
wrong and that the war declared by Congress
with Extraordinary ununimtY, was unjust, ana
should be abandoned; and an admission I'M
founded in fact, and degrading tothe national
character .
The terms Of the treaty proposed by the u
| States were not only Just TO Mexico, but, con-
sidcring the character and amount oi our
claims, the uniustiliablc and unProvoked COM
! mcnccmcnt Of hostiiiies by her, The expenses
I of the war to which we have becl subjected,
and the success which have attended our
arms, were deemed to he of most liberal char
actcr
The commissioner Of tho United States, was
authorized to agree to the establishment OF
/ the Rio Grandc Us the boundary, from It's en-
| trance into the Cuff to its intersection "iih
/ the southern boundary OF New McN'co' III
north latitude about thirty two degrees, and to
obtain a crssion to the United States of the
provinces Of New Me XicO md the CalhOrn'as,
and the privilege of the right OF way across inc
/ isthmus of Tchauntcpcc. The boundary OF
! the Rio Grandc, and the cession to INC Chi-
! ted Statcs of New Mexico and Upper IaIllor-
MIA. constituted an ultimatum which our COM
missioner was under no circumstances, to
yield , Nv
| leo, but to all other nations that the uh'lea
States were not disposed ia take advantage OF
| n feeble power, by insisting upon wrestling
from her all the other provinces, including
many of hcr principal towns and cities, winch
we had conquered and held in our mi lary oc-
Gupation, but were willing TO conclude trca-
/ q. "a a spirit of liberalty, our commissioner
wyosnu. horizcd to stipulate for the restoration
| 70 McYi,,o IF all our other conquesis
AZ tho territory 90 be acquired by the boun-
d,r,, nrnroscd n, i~ht be estimated to be OF
grc1trr value than fair equivalent lot our
! inst demands our Commissioners was Iutnu.-
lied to stipuate for the payeHI VI SUI. u.,,l,,
| tional pccunary consideration 10 W."
| reasonable. 49,. NJ;
The terms of treaty proposed by thG N.eNl-
cnn commissioners were wholly nadmissloie'
They ncrotiatiated as if Mexico were the VIC
torious, and not the vanquishcd party. They
| must have known that their ultimatum could
never be accepted. 1t requires tho United
! States TO dismembcr Texas, by surrenderng
=, Mexico that part of territory OF that STATE
| Iy;rr between the Nucccs and tho 100 Grande,
iig,ni66do5 within her limitsby her laws when
! she was an independent republic ana Wheh
she was annexed TO Che United states, ana al
! n,;ttod Inv Conrrcss hs one OF the states oil our
|
mcnt by Mexico of the just c.alE!s OF our CIV
zens. II requires indemnity TO Mexican citi-
zcus for injuries they may have susta'He" ~
our troops in the prosecution OF inc war ~
demanded the right for Mexico TO levy ana
collect the Mexican tariff of duties ON goods
innortcd into her ports while in our military
occupation during the war, and the owners oil
which had paid to officers OF the On!ted Sta'es
the military contributions which had oeeh leN-
led upon them; and it offered TO cedc TO inc
! United States, for n pccunlary consoernt'on,
that part of Upper California, lying north OF
| latitude thirtv-seycn degrees. Such were the
unreasonable terms proposed by the Mexican
| commissioners.
The cession to the United States by MeXi-
co. of the provinces ofNcw Mexico and the
CALIFORNIA;, as proposed by the COMMISSION
ers of the United States, 1t was believed,
would be more in accordance with tie con-
von;eIce and interests of both nations, than
INV other c.sson of territory which it was
probable Mexico could be induced to make.
1t is manifest to all who nave observed inc
actual condition of the Mexican government,
for some years past, and at present, that if
these provinces should be retained by her,
she could not long continue TO hold and gov
ern them. Mexico is too feeble power to
govern those provinces, lying as they do at a
distance of more than thousand miles from
her capital, and if attempted to be restrained
by her, thy would constitute but for short
time, even nominally,a part of her domn-
ions.
This would be especially the case with Up
per California. The sagacity Of powerful
European nations has long since directed
their attention to the commercial importance
, of that province, and there can be little doubt
| that the moment the United Suites shall re-
linuuish their present occupation OF 1t, and
= their claim to itas indemnity,an effort would