The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1847-02-16

valuable 10 Mexico. il ia directly the opposite 7,
lie IN the first place. exceedingly remote from h.
California Ia as remote from Mexico as il is Trou,
New Orleans. and not much less distant than il i
from Washington CITY. New Mexico IL nea,o,
tn ns than It IL :" the senled parts Of Mexco
IL IL snnrc" "f ANNOYANCE to her II sare
markabls fact in the history or this con,inen,
that ter The ire, time The aborgines Of the cuun
try press upon the European occupants Of tho
country. The Indians actually encYoscbino
npon the frontier Of Mexico; M, but tb,t ,ba
Span'ards are brave. and capable Of defendino
themselves with arms. hut the jealousy IF the
central government has disarDed them. and thew
are n The mercy Of the savage understand
THAI not less than three fur thousand cap,iyes
at Now Mexico are in tho hands of the Canaan.
"h%S .at"e. Well. then we gain most tlesira.
HE acq"siti0D and one of the mast striking re
Communications is. that take not from Mexc,
what drPtiveS her ct any resources, either or
men or tneans. worthy of heing named. whilst We
give I, prosperity, which il never bad since tho
day ut the revolution of Mexeo to the present
time. The next consideration is that the line
shonld be snch. If established. a. wonld he tho
t"nnda,h'n OF permanent peace between MS and
Mexico. '
Now hold. that in this respect, il has re
mnrkabe advantages. IN the nature of ,bings
we cannot keep onr growing population from PASS
ing into aninhabited country, where the power Of
the owners is not sufficient to keep them Oh,
ihey VIII go in. fon may pass all the laws
y"n choose. You NAV heap mp penalty nn,n
penalty. bnt our pioneers will rush in the country
unless the party in possession ca pahle of keen
ing them ont. Experience proves that all tho
i"Tcr ~ THIS government was moi ca pahle of keen
ing onr intruders out of the Indian country. We
had I" abandon the eff,rt. and from time 10 time
remedy The evil ny purchasing The lands from the
Indians. If we make peace with Mexico. and
no provision he made for this natural tendency rs
our growing population. IN a few years we will
he invuived M another war. Another war would
be most undesirable, any war with Mexico ;0
undesirable. And finally. Mr. President, fu the
purpose OF coercion. il possesses aso sufficient adj
vantage. II gives MS ample means 10 be secured
IN what we have m orr possession of the line. if
Mexico herself shond mt be disposed to agree
While ] wnnid recommend this as = defensive
liae. other. if better ca he fnnnd xyonId
be very far from holding il absolutely woul6
recommend it to be held as the neans of neoo,ia.
ton. W. ought Ia say to Mexico tina, we hold
II subject Ia negotiation that if she is ready to
negotiate. we are ready and no, only 10 neoota,.
and settle. hut To settle justly. berally and fair
ly-to establish line which shall preserve peace
On both sides If possible. Aud is any excess IN
our part. we are willing to meet IL as we onph,.
by the necessary payment tn Mexico, Bui !
Of Mexico we have in possessina, which could he
held without fo0 great sacrifice Of money and
men. would hold them subject to the same
condiIons az the territory which propose to be
covered by the line suggested. woald Law
high rate of duty which should fail Hpon al. and
supply the means for holding possession nf tbs
country. | have consulted with tire proper ou
thnrty on that point and end that, for thar mr.
pose. $500 600 duties would suffice. That
could he collected with advantage, not only To US
but To the whole civilized world, who ought TO bs
admitted freely and readily a small rate of duty
into Mexico. Sir, these measures combined in
my opinion. world give us The means of ENFORCING
settlement at 10 distant day. Now, Z think
have shown tina, we may certainly maintain this
line, and bring HE war To successful conclusion
by maintaining i,--that IL wonld he at no cost
scarcely of men money. mt above oar ordinary
peace esahIishmept-that IL involves no hazard
or loss OF reputation to Us as peopfe-aDd NAV
add. would lay the foundation, / trust, when we
would come TO final settlement, if we ac, in the
spirit IN which we ought to act. of permanent
peace between and Mexico
What will he the finits Of this pulley 2 I'm.
medately large portion of the way expenses will
be cut off. The whole of the volunteers mich,
be dismissed in the eourse of few months. as
soon as the position is occupied. II would be
saving OF fifteen or twenty millions during he war;
further taxes would not he required; our credls
would be Immediately restored. 'Yhe measure
which many of us on this side have so much at
heart would he resened--the measure Of free
trade-which in this dark period of It's expert
ence--l mean not mach by our legislation as
by that of Great Britajn--has shown itself to he
the most fruitful source Of opnlence and pyosperi
~ that can possibly he devised. But ii may be
said that Mexico will buh ont. J think mott
think not. What reason wouM she have to hold
out2 She wonld see Thai we had undertaken
task which we could peTnrm---Io which our
strength is quite adequaie-which we eoa;d 20
through with without hazard and without diff
Guilty. She would see that she was great looser.
and she would See also, that If she obsiinaieIy
persisted, instead of having general settlement
and compensation, she might lose The whole for
nothing. But In addition, Mr.. President, The
whole feeling Of the people of Mexico VIII be
| turned. II is Row. in their mind war Of races
and religion. They are excited to the highes,
point. Every nerve is brsced every arm is
strengthened The res0lution of The whole cuun-
try is united in stern resistance 10 us, so far as
we have information. H this defensive attitude
he assumed, we viii show that mr. object is not
To sObjugate the cOuDtry--tbat it's races and re.
ligion are not to be oveTthrOwn. The Datnrl
currents of feeling will take their cOurse The
people will hecnme more interested in the result
They will become more reRardful Of their inter
nal affairs than Of their external affairs In
short time. state Of things would be brought
about which would. ! think. terminate in a happy
peace between the Two countries and that nf the
most permanent character. But suppose in all
this ! am mistaken. Suppose thai Mexico still
holds ouI With obsIBaey Wb;.i have wei We
have peace without the expense of war. We
| have population pouring in. ultimately enabling
US to dispense with The small military establish
ment necessary in the FIRST instance Sir, it
would 90 further. II would put Us at once again
on terra tir,nI 1t would enable ns to see light
" wonId enable MS To see our way to the vista
hefoTe us. over " bich there now hangs an impen-