The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1847-04-01

. luihl llltms and here agasn. IN nj prrpa.
! aed L. prnnsunre ie6nilively. II rrguilss
mare easel knowledge Of The esaunlry
Than ! possess Or can derive rom any Of
: The maps, all VI which. lhese j. Ieasan 10
. believe, are moEe or less imperfect; bui
! while ! do moi feel mysell prepsErd In
pronounce dedniliye.y. am prepared IN
: suggest line. Which. in my opinion. H.
ssry great extent. will fulfil most III
: these considerations aud whaI Ieean..
mends il more slaongly 10 NE is lie lsrl.
IllaI u i substantially the one which The
l Exreusise themselves. = infer from The
! derlaralion nl the chairman Of the tom
, snlslee On Furrign Relations. contemplate
! establishing even IL lie event Of sue
/. Ieessinl offensive war. The lime 10 whirh
! | refer j. the following: beginning At The
mouth III lie Rio del Marie. and cnnsin.
! ming up The same Ia the Pass del Nolle.
ar southern boundary Of New Mexico.
about tie ihiuy-secani degree Of n"rlh
latitude. and theme due west 10 the Gulf
nj California. which il would sIrike, sr.
eoT.'lng In the maps, nearly 81 lis head.
and thence down the Gull In tie nrean.
l now propose 10 turn back antlt0mpare
this line, with the considerations which
have laid down. rs thase which Ought
TO govern In selecting defensive line.
II will secure all the objects fur which the
war was declared. In will establish lhe
Del Anrie Is ihe western boundary Of
Texas throughout its whole extent. from it,
mouth 10 its source ii will give us ample
means III indemnify, even il the cost ol the
war itself should be deemed proper To he
included in the indemnify. whirh. as at
present advised, ! am far from being dis
posed To counlenance. The next ronsid.
Grafton is. that the line should he such as
would involve in is maintenance the least
lsarrilice Of men and money. In reference
Ito this the one suggested has great alsan.
Iages. In the iirsI place, on its east side,
the Del NnTte would constitute the line.
a broad, rapid, and nayigable stream, Of
which we would have the entire command,
and in the next il would be near 10 the
settled parts of Texas. from whence. in an
emergency, the forces aud the means ol
supply necessary for its defence NAV be
promptly derived. The whole extent Of
this portion Of The line is less than four
hundred miles, measured ON The man.
have cniisullcd the optnions oil military
men Of Judgment and experience, in refer
Ienee 10 It's defence, and they inform me
that three forts properly located, one not
far from the mouth oil the Del Norle, an.
other somewhere near camargo, and a
third al the Pass del ,Norte. properly con-
slruc,ed. aud garrisnned with suitable
force, would he sufficient for its defence.
The fort at the Pass del Norte would. from
its position. not only defend the river itself,
but protect New Mexico. by commanding
the only passage though which the Mex.
irans could invade il. -Four regiments
would he ample to garrison the forts, after
the first year, when they would be com
pleted.
The other portion Of the line, extend.
ing from the Pass del Norlc to the Gull of
California. aud thence through the gulf 10
the Pacific Ocean. would be still more
easily defended. The part whIrh extends
from the mountains that border New Mex
leo on the west, aud which separates the
waters ol the Del Norte from those whir h
fall into the Colorado and the Gulf of ali
lornia, passes through a country inhabited
on both sides by Indian tribes through It's
whole extent, aud requires neither men
nor forts for its defence. II is in length
about three hundred and fifty miles. The
residue is covered by the Gull of Calllor-
mia. A few small vessels, which could
be furnished under the peace establish
meni, with single regiment, would he
ample for its tlefence, and the protection
of California. Hence, five regiments, with
a small naval force, supportedby The con-
iIguous population, would be sufficient loE
the defence of the whole line against any
force which Mexico could bring against ii.
The next point 10 consider is. what
"o"'" Nv Wv IA iEhSU wv idth'"'h'"t9 '''"
force. in addition TO what the.pcace estab-
lishment would require. On this, too. !
have consulted officers of experience, and
they are oil opinion that two and a hall
millions of dollars annually would be SUI
iicieni.
The next consideration is, thatthe coun-
try 10 he covered should be convenient and
desirable To be held by us, il, az has been
stated, on the settlement Of our differences
with Mexico, the line should be establish
ed as the permanent boundary. And here
again it possesses striking advantages. 1t
is contiguous In us. II has on its eastern
side the Rio Del Noue as the boundary
between il and Texas, and on its northern,
the southern boundary of Oregon, through
its whole extent. But wha, makes it still
more desirable, and what is Of vastly more
importance 10 us, is the very circumstance
which makes IL Of little value 10 Mexico,
as itregards its strength or resources; and
that is that il is almost literally an unin-
!. habited country. II covers an area of