Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-09-30


ged and perous pursuit Of these same bold and intrepid
men, and natural justice to nothing Of sound policy re-
qures that you should cherish the hand that supports and
tains YOU Sir, let initiate in this matter the justice and
economy exhibited in the operations of nature which, while
draws its vapors from the Deep returns them again CRATE
full and enovang showers ferze epensh its
fountains and while derive revenue OF twenty thirty
millions annually from commerce, let not grudge the
small appropriations which yearly required for its
agement and protection
will mex, proceed Mr. Chairman to show that, whilst
the present Executive of the United States denies the power
Of Congress appropriate money from the Treasury for the
encouragement and benefit Of commerce, and by arbitrary
exercise Of the veto power BILL and unconstitutional
refusal sign another, has defeated every appropriation of
this nature which has been made since he has been in Office
he has actually claimed and exercised In his right and
without any authority sanction for from the people
their representatives, much greater power and for similar
purpose And this brings back to his message the
treaty with Mexico, with which | started. Had | time Mr.
Chairman, think could show from the documents which
accompany this MESSAGE and which lie upon your table,
and particularly from the secret history Of the has
length been revealed and disclosed in the publication Of the
instructions to Mr. Sde that the design of acquiring these
territories of New Mexico and California originated with the
President after his coming into Office, and that this
was the true and actual cause of the with Mexico 1t
for this purpose than any other that Mr. Slde
was, the first instance, dispatched to that country and
for this purpose, notwithstanding there delicate and
difficult question then pending between the two Governments
requiring the utmost skill prudence and fobearance for the
peaceful adjustment of it, growing out of the annexation Of
Mexico suddenly revived and forth in the most i'm
posing form of scupulous nicely in neat and exact ah
metica calculation, in the instructions of Mr. Sde the
consideration for the acquisition and with this view
he was informed that the first subject which would demand
his attention., his arrival in that country, would be the
settlement Of this question Of claims aud this too not
wthstandng have just remarked, actually impended
the time upon another and distinct matter in controversy
between For this purpose, will be observed by
ring them, that the instructions, after stating the precise
amount of the claims, with all the credits duly entered upon
them like merchants account so to show how
neny the whole debt be settled and adjusted the m
tual satisfaction of both parties namely that Mexico has
money and, like poor with much land, has APP
parent need at all of New Mexico and California that we
very DESTROYS 10 obtain them straghen lines and get
little the Pacific that WILL therefore, take
the land in satisfaction of the debt and pay Mexico whae yer
difference she has mind to ask, money object" to
compared with such valuable acquisition. Such, sir is
the spirit not the letter, in every particular, of these
structions Little nothing said about the matter of
Texas and nearly the whole instructions taken up with
the various details Of this scheme for the acquisition of
these provinces In vain did the Government of Herrera pro-
pose to settle the question of Texas in the first place. and
leave the subject OF claims to be ad used afterwards and in
vain did the Government of Paredes which had succeeded
and supplanted by military revolution this PROPOSE
ton. Mr. Buchanan, reply to it. in subsequent despatch
informs Mr. Sle that this cannot be tolerated that the
subjects must proceed hand in hand that they could be
separated and that in the time the President in
tcpaon Of their final refusal receive him in the capacity
in which he had been SENT with full powers TO adj all
matters in controversy had ordered the army to advance and
take position the left bank Of the Rio Grande and had d.
reced that strong fleet should Immediately assemble in the
Gulf of Mexico. And again. he adds, should the Mexican
Government finally refuse receive you, the cup of orbear
ance will then have been exhausted Nothing remain
bat to " take the redress OF the injuries citizens and
the insults to Government, into hands. The
matter of claims still, the prominent idea in the Secreta
rvs mind, and is the first in order, in point of Importance
in the estimation Of the President which he here mentions
the grounds which he threatens The rest is well
known. Mexico refused to settle the two questions " hand
in hand, MIR. Buchanan calls it, m fact to entertain
this question Of claims all until the affair Of Texas had been
arranged and Mr. Sde ordered to shake off the dust
from his feet for testimony against them, and to come home
He did So and what followed has become matter of public
history The army ordered forward and the ensued
and after uninterrupted succession of brilliant vcto
res, unsurpassed in the military annals Of the world, the
concluded the question Of "claims is finally adjusted
and have got California and New Mexico We have
achieved by the what failed accomplish by the pre-
cedng efforts at negotiation and who will read aen
lively the documents for the first time published the
wod fail detect that the negotiations and the had
from the first in the secret purposes Of the Executive
object and that object either by by iorce by
treaty by conquest to possess himself Of these provinces
Well now sir after having involved the country in the
for this purpose solernnly believe and in debt which,
by the Presidents showing to eighty mil
lions OF dolas but which, when the whole expenses
summed up, the untold amounto private claims the increased
dimensions Of the pension list and the bounty lands and all
the miscellaneous items which grow of it in
cluded will be found apprchend approach double
that amount say nothing Of the thousand lives
they computed, which have been sacrificed and all the
caamites which have been enaied the country by
what ask after all this has been incurred for these barren
and distant Provinces does the President assign
the principal inducements for the acquisition and what
are the chief grounds which he relies TO recommend 10
the favorable consideration Of the American people, and the
enhu siasc reception Of their Representatives in this cham
Der Sir after all that has been said in his river and habo
message the subject Of squanderng the public in
unconstitutional expenditures for the encouragement and the
benefit commercial interests you might suppose that
the President would blush assign the following the main
consideration and inducemen for the acquisition. But
theess il true, and truth strange, stranger than felton,
this instance least shall let the President speak for
himself After regaling imagnaions with brief and
highly poetca sketch Of the climate, latitude, limits and To-
cation Of this FL Dorado Of his fancy, which he tells
sufficient Of itself to make and magnificent empire he
remarks the great advantages which will derive from
10 these words
Rich in mineral and agricultural resources with climate
Of great saubriy, they embrace the important ports
the whole Pacific Of the continent c North America
The possession Of the ports of San Diego Monterey and the
I,ay Of San Francisco will enable the United States
mand the already advancing and rapidly increasing
Of the Pacific. The number Of whale ships alone
employed in that exceeds hundred, requiring
than twenty thousand TO navigate hem while the cap
tai invested in this particular branch estimated
not less than forty millions OF dollars The excellent har
bors OF Upper California WILL under fsg afford security
and repose commercial marine, and American
chanics will furnish ready Of ship building and
repair, which much wanted in that distant
BY the acquisition Of these possessions brought
into immediate proximity with the coast OF America
Cape Horn the Russian possessions north Of Oregon,
with the islands OF the Pacific and by direct voyage