Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1847-12-25

| A'NNA'A'@ ft tt" f'sA"AN f"H At1tih tt#t " hHE StS
rotary Of War N cause it to be transmitted to The
commander of the Mexican forces, with u requesl
that 1t might be communicated to his government.
The commissioner did not reach tho h~gadquar
tTrH of the army until alter another brilliant victory
had crowned our arms Mt Cerro Gordo.
The dispatch which no bore from the Secretary
of War TO the General in commend of the army
was received by that officer, then at Jalapa, on the
seventh day Of May. 1S4T, together with the dispatch
from the Secretary of State to the Minister Of
Foreign Affairs of Mexico. having been transmitted
to him from Vera Cruz. The commissioner arrived
at the headquarters Of the army q few days after.
wards. His presence with the army and his dinlo
naltc character were made known TO the Mexican
government. from PuGbla, on tho 18th June, 1847
by the transmission Of the dispatch from the Score.
tary of State to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Of
Mexico.
Many weeks elapsed after its receipt. and no over
turo were made, nor was any desire expressed by
the Mexican government to enter into negotiations
Tor peace,
Our army pursued its march upon the capital, and,
az It approached It. was met by formidable resig.
lance. OurforGos first encountered the enemy, and
achieved signnl victories In the severely contested
bnttloE Of Cpn.reraB md EhurnbusCO. II was not
until after these actions had resulted in decisive
victories, and the capital Of the enemy was within
our power, That The Mexican government manifested
any disposition 10 enter iuto negotiations Tor peace ;
and even then, AZ events have proved. there is too
much reason to believe they were insineefe, and
that in agreeing 10 go through tho forms Of negDtia.
ton, the object WIS to ghin tine to strengthen the
dcfences Of their capital, and TO prepare for fresh
resistance.
The General IN command Of the army deemed il
eSpedient 10 suspend h0stilitiea temporarily. by en-.
tcring into an ariniatice with n view to the opening
Of nng0tiatinns, Commissioner were appointed on
tho part of McxiCn TO meet the commissioner on the
part Of tlc'Uuitcd States. The result Of the confer
cncos which took place between these functionnrios
Of the two governments. was n failure to conclude n
treaty of peace.
Tho commissioner of the United States took with
him the project OF a treaty already prepared, by the
terms of which the indemnity required by the
United Stnteg was q CossiOn Of territory.
tits well known that the only indemnity which IL
is in the power of Mexico TO make in satisfaction of
tho just and long deferred Clnin1s Of our citizens
agaiBnt her, and the only means by which che can
reimburse The United States for tho expenses Of the
war, Ia n cesstOn to tho United StHteE Of u portion of
her territory. Mexico has no money 10 pay, and no
other mnaua OF making the required indemnity. If
we refuse this, we can obtain nothing ulsc. To reject
indemnity, by refusing 10 accept a ccHsion OF terri.
tory, would be to abandon all our just demands, and
to wage the war, bearing all lis expenses, without a
purpose or definite object.
A state of war a~brGgates treaties previously exist.
ny betweee the belligerants, and n treaty of peace
ciuta an end to all claims for indGmnity-fOr ]tortiOua
apis committed, under the authority Of one govern.
ment against the citizGnH or subjects Of another,
unless they are provided for in it, stipulalionR. a
treaty Of peace which would terminate the existing
war, without providing for indemnity, would enable
NeNlGD-lNe hCkiDWleuREu utoIOT, ana neTsgtl the
agnreasor in the war--to rclisve herself from her
just liabilities. BY such a treaty, our citizens, who
hold Just demands against her, would have no re-
mCdy either against Mexico or their own govern.
mont. Our duty to these citizens must forever pre-
vent such n pence, and no treaty which does not
provide ample means of disChargiDg these demands
can receive my sanction,
Atreaty Of peace should settle all existing differ.
ences between the two countries # an adequate
ccssion oFterritory should be made by such a treaty.
tho United States should release Mexico from all
her liabilities, and assume their paymenttO our own
citizons. II, instead Of this, the United States were
to consent to AtreHty by which Mexico should again
engage to pay the heavy amount OF Indebtedness
which a just indemnity TO our government ami our
citizens would impose on her, tits notorious thai she
does not possess the means 10 meet such m uuder.
taking. From such a treaty no result could be anti.
cipated, but the Same irritating disapruinttnents
which have heretofore attended the violations Of
similar treaty BtipulationB on tho part OF Mexico.
Such d treaty would be but a temporary cessation
of hostilitiCs, without the restoration of the friend
ship and good understanding which should charaC-
terise the future intercourse between the two couu.
tries.
That Congress contemplated the acquisition of
territorial indemnity when that body made prOvi.
sion tor the prosecution ofthC war, Ia obvious. Con
rgcss could not have meant-when, in May, 1876.
they appropriated ten millions Of dollars, and autho-
rizod the President to employ the militia and naval
and military forces of the United States, and to nc
Copt the services Of fifty Thousand volunteers, TO en-
able MIN 10 prosecute the war; ana WhGn, at their
last session, and after our army had invaded Mexico,
they made additional appropriations and authorized
the raising Of additional troops for the same pur-
pose-thut no indemnity was to be obtained from
Mexico ut the conclusion Of the war; and yet it was
certain that. If no Mexican territory was acquired,
no indemnity could be obtaincd.
1t 10 further manifest, that Congress contemplated
territorial indemnity, from the fact that, at their
Inst session, an act was passed, upon the Executive
recommendation appropriating three millions of
IIllara with thpt pyUrHss object. This nnDTtfTFia.
ton was made to enable the Presidentto conclude
a treaty Of peace. limits and boundaries with the
Republic of Mexico, to be used by him in the event
that said treaty, when signed by the authorized
agents, of the two governments, and duly ratified by
Mexico, shall call for the expenditure Of the same,
or any part thereof The object o fasking this ap-
preparation was distinctly stated in the several ines
sages on the subject which | communicated to Con
gress. Similar appropriations made in 1903 and
1906. which were referred to, were intended to be
applied in part consideration for the CessiOn Of
Louisiana and the Florida& In like manner it was
anticipated that, in settling the terms OF atreaty of
'limits and boundaries with Mexico, a Cession Of
territory estimated to be of greater value than the
amount of our demands against her might be OBJ.
tanned; and that the prompt payment of this sum
in part consideration for the territory ceded-on
the conclusion OF a treaty, and its ratification on her
part, might be an in~ducement with her to make
such a cession of territory as would be satisfactory
to the United States. And although the failure to
conclude such Il treaty has rendered 1t unnecessary
to use any part of the three millions OF dollars ap.
propriatcd bv that act, and the entire sum remains
in the treasury. ii is still applicable TO that object,
should the contingency occur making such applica-
ton proper.
The doctrine of no territory is the doctrine Of no
indemnity; and, if sanctioned, would be n public
acknowledgment that our country was wrong, and
that the war declared by Congress with eXtraordi-
nary unanimity, was unjust, and. should be aban-
doned an admission unfounded in fact, and de-
grading to the national character.
Thn N,p,,a Of tho tran%a prn7apga1 hU fhp TInifnm
States were not only just to Mexico, but, consider
ing the character and amount Of our claims, the un-
justitable and unproyoked commencement OF hosti-
lities by her, the expenses of the war to which we
have been subjected, and the success which has at
tended our arms, were deemed to be of a most
liberal character.
The commissioner of the United States was au-
thurised to agree to the establishment Of the Rio
Grande as the boundary, from its entrance into the
Cult to its intersection with the Southern boundary
of New Mexico, in north latitude about thirty-two
degrees, and to obtain a cession to the United States
of the provinces ofNew Mexico and the CALIFORNIA;,
and the privileges OF the right OF way across the
Isthmus of TehuRntepec. The boundary of the Rio
Grande, and the cession to the United States Of New
Mexico and Upper California, constituted an ultima
tum which our commissioner wac, under II cir
Gu { stances, to yiefd,
That il might be manifest not only TO McXic. but
to all other nations, that the United States were not
disposed to take advantage off feeble power, by in
sisting udon wrestling from her all the other proVin-
ces, including many finer principal towns and cities
which we had conquered and held in military occu-
patton, but were willing to conclude a treaty in a
spirit oflEberality, our commissioner was authorised
to ~stipulate for the restoration to Mexico of all our
other conquests.
AS the territory to be acquired by the boundary
proposed might be estimated to be of greater value
than a fair equivalent for our just demands, our com
missioner was authorised to stipnlate for the pay
meut OF such additional phcuniary consideration as
wasdeemed reasonable.
The terms of a treaty proposed by the Mexican