Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1847-12-16

Gull to Its intersection Win tue southern uouu"ly
of New, Mexico, isnotth latitude about thlrty-two
degrees, and to obtain cesslon to the United
States of the provinces of New Mexico and the
Californias ard the privilege of the right of way
across the isthrnus of Tehuantepec. The boun-
darv of the Rio Grande, and the cession to the
United States of New Mexico and Upper Callfor-
MIA, constituted an ultimatum which our commits
sioner was, under no circumstances to yield
That it might be manifest not only to Mexico.
but to all other nations, that the United States
were not disposed to take advantage cf a feeble
power, by insisting upon wrestling from her all
the other provinces, including many OF her prln-
cipal towns and Cities which we have conquered
and held in our military occupation, but were
willing to conclude treatyin spirit OF liberal
ity our commissioner was authorized to stpuiate
for the restoration to Mexico of all our other con-
quests. =: ,..s.s. q.
AS the territory to be acquired by the boundary
proposed might be estimated to be Of greater val
ue than affair equivalent for our just demands, our
| commissioner was authorized to stipulate for the
payment of such additional pecuniary consldera-
| tons as was deemed reasonable.
! ] he terms of treaty proposed by the Mexican
commissioners were wholly unadmissible, They
negotiated as if Mexico were the victorious, and
not the vanquished party. They must have
known that their ultimatum could never be ac-
cepted. It required the United States to dlsnem-
Der Texas, by surrenderng to Mexico that part
of the territory of that State lying between the
Nueces and the Rio Grande, included within her
limits by her laws when she was an Independent
republic, and when she was annexed to the Uni
ted States, and admitted by Congress as one of
the States of our Union.
1t contained no provision for the payment by
Mexico of the just claims. of our citizens. 1t re-
quired indemnity to Mexican citizens for injuries
they may have sustained by our troops IN the
prosecution of the war; 1t demanded the right
for Mexico to levy and collect the Mexican tariff
of duties on goods imported into her ports while
in our military occupation during the war, and
the owners of which had paid to officers of the
United States the military contributions which
had been levied upon them and it offered to cede
to the United States, for a. pecuniary consldcra-
tion, that part of California lying north of lati-
tude thirty-seeen degrees. Such were the un-
reasonable terms proposed by the Mexican COM
fnissioners. -: =,
:, The cession to the United States by Mexico, of
provinces of New Mexico and the Californias, as
proposed to the commissioner of the United States,
! it was believed, would be more in accordance
with the convenience: and interests Of both ila-
TONS than any other cesslon of territory which 1t
was probable, Mexico could be induced to make.
It is manifest to all who have observed the ac-
some years past, and at present, that If these
provinces should be retained by her, she could
not long. continue to hold and govern them.-
Mexico is too feeble power to govern these pro-
yinces, lying as they do, at distance Of more
than thousand miles from her capital, and, If at
tempted to be retained by her, they would constl-
tuted but for short time, even noInlnally, part
of her lominions. ). q
This would especially be the case with Up
per California. The sagacity Of powerful Euro
pean nations has long since directed their atten-
tion to the commercial importance of that prov
ince, and there can, be little doubt that the mo-
ment the United States shall relinqdsh their pres
ent occupation of it, and their claim to it as an
) indemnify an effort would be. nlsde by some for
eign Power to possess it, either by conquest OF
by purchase. If no foreign government should
acquire it in either of these modes, an irdepen
; dent revolutionary government would probably
be established by the inhabitants, and such for
eigners as may remain in or remove to the coun
!. trv, as soon as it shall be known that the United
States hate abandoned it. Such government
would be too feeble long to maintain its separate
: independent existence, and would finally be an
. neyed TO- OF be depenent colony of some more
powerful State. ;.
I Should any foreign government attempt t
o possess it as colony, of otherwise to incorporate
1t with itself; the principle aVOWed Dy fIesloeh
Monroe in 1924, and reaffirmed in my first annua
!. message, that no foreign power SHALL with ou
!. consent, be permitted to plant or establish an!
f new colony or domiiniot ona any part OF the Nortl
4 American continent, must be maintained. Il
+ maintaining this principle, and in resisting 1t
!. INVASION by any foreign power, we might be 10
yolyed in other wars more expensive and NOR,
: difficult than that in which we are now engaged
. The provinces of New Mexico and the Cali
. fornas are contiguous to the territories OF tn
:, United States, and if brought under the govern
i. ment of our laws, their resources-mlnefai, ag
!, tticutural, manufacturing and commereial-woui
o soon be developed.
o Upper California is bounded on the north b,
our Oregon possessions; and if held by the UnIte'
IF States, would soon be settled by hardy, enter
J. prising, and intelligent portion of our population
:, The bay of San Francisco, and other haroor
+ along the California coast, would afford sheite
e for our navy, for our numerous whale ships an
d other merchant vessels employed IN the raclh
ocean, and would, in a short period: become th
d marts of an extensive ard profitable coCimerc
/. with China, and other countries OF the East.
e These advantages, in which the whole cou
Of mercal world would participate, would at Or,
10 be secured to the United States by the cs-,slon
IS this territory while it is certain that as long
,e it remains part of the Mexican 3orainions, tn,
,r hy bIo,