Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1847-12-21

Mexico they made additional apnropria.
tons. aud authorized the raising Of add.
tional appropriations for the same purpose
that no indemnity was to be obtained
from Mexico at the conclution of the war:
and yet it was certain that if no MEXICAN
territory was acquired that no indemnity
could he Obtained M S. rI h = SCI
! 1t is farther manifest that Congress-
! contemplated territorial indemnity. for the
fact that at their last session an act was
passedupon the exclusive Recommendation
appropriating three million Of dollars with
that express object. The appropriation
was made TO enable the President'to con.
clude treaty of peace, limits and boun.
dries with the republic of Mexico, to be
used by him in the event that said treaty
when signed by the authorised agents OF
the two governments, and duly ratified by
Mexico, shall call for their indemnity Of
the same, or any part thereof The OBJ
ject in asking this appropriation was dis.
'tInctly stated in the several messages on
that subject, which communicated.
Similar appropriations, made in 1903,
and 1906, which were referred to, were
intended to be applied in part considera-
ton for the cession of Louisiana and the
FIOridas. In like manner it was antici.
Pated that in settling the terms Of treaty
OF limits and boundaries with Mexico a
cession ofterritory, estimated to be of
greater value than the amount of our de.
mands against her. might be obtained;
and that the prompt payment of this sum,
IN part consideration for the territory ce.
ded, on the conclusion ola treaty, and its
ratification on her part, might be an in.
ducement with her to make such ces.
sion OF territoy as would be satisfactory to
the United States. And although the
failure to conclude such treaty has rem.
dered It unnecessary to use any of the
three millions appropriated by that act,
and the entire sum still remains in the
treasury, it is still applicable to that OBJ.
Ject, should the contingency occur making
such appropriation proper.
The doctrine of mo territory" is the
doctrine of no indemnify; and, if sanction
ed, would be public acknowledgment
that our country was wrong, and that the
war declared by Congress with extraor-
binary unanimity, was unjust, and should
be abandoned; an admission unfounded
in fact, and degrading to the national
character. The terms the treaty pro.
posed by the United States, were not only
Just to Mexico, but considering the char.
acter and amount of our claims-the un.
JustIhable and unprovoked commence.
ment OF hostilities. by her, the expenses
OF the war to which we have been sub.
jected, and the success which had attend.
ed our arms, were deemed to be ofa
most liberal character.
The Commissioner of the United States
was authorized to agree to the establish.
ment ofthe Rio Grande as the boundary,
from its entrance into the Gulf to its in.
tersection with the southern boundary of
New Mexico, in north latitude about thir.
ty.two degrees; and to obtain a cession
to the United States Of the provinces of
New Mexico and the Californians, and
the privilege of the right of way across
the lsthmus ofTehuantepec. a.
The boundary Of the Rio Grande, and
the cession 10 the United States Of New
Mexico and Upper California constituted
an ultimatum which our Commissioner
was under no circumstances to yield.
Thet it might be manifest, not only to
Mexico, but TO all other nations, that the
United States were not disposed TO take
advantage OF feeble power, by insisting
upon wrestling from her all her other pro.
vinces. including many of her principal
towns and cities which we had conquered;
and held in our military occupation, but
were willing to conclude the treaty in the
spirit Oflberality, our commissioner was
authorised to stipulate for the restoration
10 Mexico OF all our other conquests.
As the territory TO he acquired by the
boundary proposed might be estimated to
be of greater value than fair equivalent
tor our just demands, our Commissioner
was authorised to stipulate for the such
additional consideration as was deemed
reasonable.
| The terms of the treaty proposed by
the Mexican Governments Commission.
ers were wholly inadmissible. They ne.
gotiated as il Mexico were victorious, and
not the vanqnished party, or they must
have known that their ulti,natum could
never have been accepted. 1t required
the United States to dismember Texas,
by surrendering to Mexico that part of
the territory OF that State lying between
Nueces and the Rio Grande. included
within her limits by her laws, when she
was nindep endenriR Republic, & when she
was annexed to the United States, and
admitted as one of the States of ourU nion.
1t contained no provision for the pay.
ment. by Mexico Of the just claims Of
our citizens. 1t required indemnify to
| Mexican citizens for injuries they may
| have sustained by our troops, in the pro.