The Arkansas banner., 1848-12-19

at al ponta aud In proper seasoD, with ai ihai wa required for the most efficient servics n
 it s but an act Of justice to declare that the on
 eers in charge of the several Executive bureaus,
 under the immediate eye and supervision oi the See
 fetary of War, performed their respeeuve oalit
 with ability, energy and efficiency.
 They have resped less of the glory oi lhe wl
 not having been personally exposed to ias Pe!ils
 battle, than their companions in arms; but wIihou
 their forecast eiceient aid and co-oPelatlon thos
 in the field would not have been protided with th
 a,npIe means they possessed ot achieving Tor tneh
 selves and their canntty, the anlading honos wnic
 they have won for both.
 When ali these facts are considered, It may eeas to be a matter of so much amazexeni abroad, hos
 il happened that our nobig army in Mexico, regu lars and volunteers, were victorious upon ever. battle field, however fearful the odds against tbem
 The war with Mexico has thus fillly deveiope' the capacity of republican governments tc prose T cute successfully just and necessary foreign wa with all the rigor usually attributed 10 more srol traty forms of government. Il has been usual ts 1 writer's on public law, 10 Impnie to Republics want of that unity, concentration ot puTpsse, an' vIgor of execution which are generally admitted t belong to the mobarchicai and aristoeratic forms and this feature of popular government has beeI supposed 10 display itself more particularly IL th conduct Of war carried on ia an enemy's territory i The war with Mexico has devciQned more stiik ingly and conspieuously another feature :n our in stitations IL is, that without cost 10 tue govern. | sons of Our society ot reeRen, avaiiable in lusi and necessary war, virtually standing army ol two millions oi armed citizen soldiers, sneh as fought the battles of Mexico.
 But our military strength docs not consist alone in our capacity for extended and successful oper. atons on land. The Navy is an important arm o the national defence. If the services of the Navy are not so brilliant those of the Army in the late war with Mexico, il was because they had no epe- my 10 meet on iheir own element. While inc ar,ny had opportunities of performing more conspicuous service the navy largely participated in inc conduc ofthe war. Both branches of the services perform cd their whole duty 10 inc country For the able and gallant service of He officers and men oi the navy acting Independent well as in Ct. operation with our troops tn the conquest of the Calfornias, inc capture of Vera Cruz, and inc seizure and re-oeeu. patton of otherimportant positions on the Gulf and Pacific coast the highest praise is due. Tbeir viz. ilance energy and skill rendered the most effective service in excluding the munitions of and other supplies from the enemy, while they secured a safe entrance for abundant supplies for their army Our extended commeree was no where interrupted and for this immpnily from the evils Of war, the country Is indebted 10 the navy.
 High praise is dne 10 the officers of the seEefa executive bureaus, navy yards, and stations connee C. ted with the service, all under the immediate drec'
 ons o the Secretary Of the Navy, for the industry foresight and energy with witch every thing was directed, and furnished to give efficiency to tha branch of the scr,ice.
 The same vigilance existed in directing prepsTa ton of the navy, as of the army. There was con, cert of action and o purpose between the heads o the two arms of the service. By the orders wiicl were from time 10 time issued, ,odr vessels ofwar or the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico were stationed in proper tune and in proper positions to co-operait efficiently with the army. By this means their com bned power was brought to bear successfully or the enemy.
 The great results which have been developed ant brought to light by this war will be of imfneasnra be importance in the future progress of our caun. try. They will tend powerfully to preserve ns from foreign collisions, apd enable 10 pursue uuinter rnptedy our cherished policy of "peace with all na tions, entangling alliances with none"
 Occupying as we do, more commanding posi- ton among nations than at any former period, oul duties and our responsibilities to ourselves and pos terisysare ccrrespondingly increased. This will be the more obvious when consider ihe vast addi ,ions which have recently been made to territo- rial acquisitions, and their great importanes ant value.
 [ V Inln Iess man Iour years the annexation o- Texas to the Union has been consummated, all con ficting title to the Oregon Territory south of 4J north latitude, being all that insisted by any Of my predecessors, has been adjusted; anu New Mexico and Upper California have been acquired by treaty, The area of these several terrltorie. according to report carefully prepared by the Com missioner ot the General Land Office, from tht most authentic information in lis possession, ast which is herewith transmitted contains ,l93 06l square miles, Or 763, ,559 ,040 scres, whle area O the remaining twenty ynne States, and the territory not yet organized into States east of the Rock, Mountains, contains 2,59G,5l3 square miles, ar, ISIS l25 U3S acras. These estimates show tha the territories recently acquiIed and over which ou exclusive jurisdiction and dominion have been cx tended, constitute country more than half as larS, as that which was held by the Uniied States befor, th:s acquisition of Oregon be excluded from th, .f its of Texas, New Mexico and California S5l 70, square miles, or 5iS, I20, 72I acres-beng all add ton equal 10 more than third oi all the territory owned by the United States before this acquisition and, including Oregon, nearly as great an ex.en, O terniory as the whole of Europe, Russia only ex cepied.
 The Mississippi lately the frontier of ouI coun- try, is now only its centre. With the addition o ihe late acquisitions, the United States es iiaated to be nearly as large the whole of Eu- rope. II is estimated, by the superintendent of the eo9st-survey, in the accompanying repol, thal the extent oi the sea coast Fnxus, on the Gulf oi Mexi co, IS upwards of 400 miles; of the coast ol Upper i California, on the Pacific. 97O miles; and ol Ore gon, including the Straits of Fuca ol $50 mAes, king the whole extent ot sea-coaSt, on inc Pacific l,6l0 miles, and the whole extent on both the Pa cfc and the Gulf of Mexico, 2.O2a miles.
 The length of the coast the Atlantic, from the northern limits of the United States, around the Cspcs of Florida 10 ihe Sabine, on the eastern boun diary of Texas estimated 10 be 30n0 miles 80 nat the addition of sea-e3an. including OreqoR, is very nearly two thirds as great as all possessed before and excluding Oregon Tor an addition of 390 miles being nearly equal 10 one-halg oi the extent of coas which we possessed before these acquisitions. w. have now three great matitne fronts on tie Allan. lie, The Gulf oi Mexico and the Pacific, makag ig the whole, an extent oi sea coast exceeding 500i
 miles. This is the extent of ihe sea coast ofihe States not including bays, sounds, and small lrreguar ties ot the main shore alfd of the sea islands. these be incloded, the length of the shore line O coast is estimated by the superintendent ol the coas saTvey could be B, ,u63 miles.
 IL would be difficult .o calculate the value of thes immense additions to territory posse: sons.-- Texas, lying contiguous to the western boundary O Louisiana, embracing within its limits part of th navisabIc tributary waters of the Mississippi, and extensive sea coast, could not long have reInane, m the hands oi foreign power without endanger ing the peace of our southwestern frontier.
 Her products in the vicinity Of the tributaries 0 the Mississippi must have sought market thToHgi these streams, running into and through our terri toiy, and inc danger of irritation and collision o in terests between Texas foreign State and oursei