The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-10-28


the absolute necessity of subjugating and annex
ing her whole territory.
In the event that Mexico will indefinitely pro-
tract the struggle, this government wi'l be COM
PEELED to adopt one of two courses-either to re-
tire from the country which is now in possession
of our arms-surrender all the advantages we
have BOUGHT AT an enormous sacrifice OF life and
treasure. and assume not only the expenses OF
the war but also the debts due our citizens from
Mexico. or TO retain possession of what we have,
seize and convert to our own use all the revenues
oftbe country, establish over our conquests laws
combining the strictness Of military discipline
with, as far as possible, the mildness of terrific
rial Jurisdiction, and continue this system 80
long as Mexico shall prove refractory, or until
circumstances effect change.
The former course it Is impossible to adopt,
because it would be disgraceful to the United
States, and would be aught but beneficial to
Mexico. II woul6 be, besides, shameful dere-
LECTION of duty on the part of our government
Our citizens have claims on Mexico that have
never been denied by the latter 1t is the duty
of our government to insist on the liquidation of
those claims. 1t would be chimerical to expect
satisfaction to be voluntarily made by Mexico,
should we surrender all the advantages we have
ed their blood in putting our government in
position to compel Mexico to do Justice and it is
bound to avail itself of advantages obtained at
such cost. Besides, we cannot expected, after
what has passed, to pay the expenses of the war.
Mexico must be mulcted in the full amount
But she has no means ofindemnifying us for the
losses of our citizens, for the expenses of the
war, except by cession of territory Silver or
gold she has not, and she is without credit. If,
then, we have claims upon her for payment of
money, and she has no money wherewith to pay, |
nor security to give, have we not q right to take |
her land instead
The right of indemnity being once admitted,
the right of indemnity in the shape Of territory,
when the peculiar circumstances of Mexico are
taken into consideration, must necessarily fol-
low. But the right of territorial indemnity
being admitted, the principle cannot be confined
10 any particular amount of indebtedness, or to
any particular portion of territory. If we have
the right of taking certain portion of territory
IN extinguishment of certain amount of indebt-
edness, we are justified in taking larger por-
ton for a larger amount. In other words, the
extent of territory we will have right to claim,
will increase in proportion to the increase of
Mexico's indebtedness. This will in its turn
II, them the war should continne Gas it will con-
tinue unless Mexico shall sue for peace) until
her whole domain shall be covered by our claim,
her total absorption will become inevitable.
The principle of territorial indemnity being
once admitted, if but to the extent of square
rood, it can be extended as the amount of our |
claims increases, until it shall embrace the |
whole country.
e. IL II.
believing we do that Mexico never will |
make peace on terms admissible by this govern
ment-that we shall, in the end, be obliged, in
justice TO ourselves to seize and annex the whole
country. The admission into the Union, on an
equality with the other States, of any Mexican
State in whose population Mexican blood pre-
ponderates. must be after years Of patient proba-
ton; but once the fiat goes forth for the subju-
cation of the whole country, our citizens will
pour into it in such numbers that very few
years will elapse before they will have the pre-
ponderance. Then, by slow degrees, we can ad-
nit the States, az each qualities for that privi-
leg, by a sufficient admlxture Of our own blood
Meantime, let every avenue to the interior be
opened; and wherever resistance rears its
head, let it be crushed. We must no longer feel
our way cautiously, with handful of men; but
pour in an overwhelming force that will render
the enemy entirely powerless. We would ex-
tend the American tariff on imports to the Next
can ports, and admit our own goods free of duty.
Thus we would not only obtain large revenue,
but would also open a market of eight millions
of people, for our breadstuffs and our manufac-
lures. But we should seize the internal, as well
as external revenues. The federal government
has been supported by its duties on imports, by
the farming of its mines, and by its tobacco mo-
nopoly, which alone yielded an annual revenue
of million of dollars. Let all these be seized
The individual States betrayed the expenses of
their several governments by internal taxation.
Let those taxes be still levied, and the proceeds
be added TO the other sources of revenue for the
support Of the army. This will, at the same
time, bring large sum into our treasury, and
also prevent the organization of any more Mexi
can armies When they have no money they
can make no war.
But in order to effect these objects, large
force will be necessary-such force as can be
detached into several divisions and sent in seve-
raj directions, to overthrow the State governments
and keep them PROSTATE. For this purpose, force
of sixty thousand men will be suffcient-twenty
thousand under the immediate command of the
General in Chief, and four other divisions of ten
thousand men each, to be commanded by gene
rails Of approved skill and experience. Each
might have a centre of operations round which
his force might act in radial attachments. One
of these centres might be the city of Mexico
another San Luis Potosi another Guadalaxara
another Monterey, and so on. The radii of these
several centres might be so extended as to be in
close approximation to those of the next division
so that IT one division were at any time threat
ened with an attack, information could be
promptly. conveyed Ito the next, and reinforce
ments might be at once procured. Each divi-
sion could keep three or four States in order.
We have said we look upon the immediate
annexation Of Mexico as an evil. But as we are
forced to encounter it, we should grapple with
this evil manfully,. vigorously, and as becomes a