Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1848-12-23

The war with Mexico has developed
nos. strongly and conspicuousIy, aaoshf
feature Of on, Institutions. II Is, wi,hot
.os, 10 the Government. or danger 10 OF
liberty, we have in tie bosom OF our couf
Try freemen availo,ole, in a just aud nect
.ary war particularly, a standing srmyof
Two millions Of armed ci.izen-soldierf'-
sucI, as Tough, the ha,sles Of Mexico.
Blu, ou,; military strength does not On
sis. alol,e in our capacity for ex'en'ng
eucce sxfuI operations on land. refs 70
the Navy an independent arm ofshe
,. a,ional defence. Ii The services oflhe
Navy were no, so brilliant as those 1 the
Army, in the late war with MexIq'
was because they had no enemy 10 meet
on their own element. While the army
had an opportunity Of perform'ngmore
con. picuous service the Navy perfmed
their whole duty TO the country. pr the
able and eaIlan, services Of the offifs and
men of the Navy. acting independently as
we'll az in co. operation with our spPs IN
the conoues. Of the CALIFORNIA;. y cap
ure Of Vera Cruz. and the seizure nc oc-
cupa,ion Of other important pos'pns on
The Gulf and Pacific coast, 'hehIghe'!
praise is due. Their vigilence, enjoy anu
skill. rendered the most effec.,veserslce
in excluding the munitions Of warnd 9th
- .nnolies from the enemy, whe they
secured a safe entrance for abundh' sup
plies for their own army. Our etended
commerce was nowhere in,errupld. and
70. this immunity from the evils war,
the country is indebted to The Na'.
High praise is due to the officer OF me
several Executive bureaus. nas..yards'
and stations connected with the iervice,
All under the immediate directiorot 'he
Secretary of the Navy. for the r'us'ry'
foresight and energy with wh'cf every
,hir o was directed and furnished 10 give
efficiency TO tina, branch OF The svice.
Bv The orders which were frotsime 10
time issued. our vessels OF war, on the
Pacific and Gulf of Mexico, wer sta"on'
ed in proper time, and proper po''on. TO
co-opera,e efficiently with the any by
this means. their combined peer was
b,oucht to bear successfully upo the en-
eny. The grea, results which I'VE Den
developed and brough, TO light byhIs war;
will be Of unreasonable impor,Ee IN the
future progress ofour country. 'hey VIII
tend powerfully TO preserve us 'om io'-
eign collisions, and enable US pursue
unin,crrupledIy, our cher'shedpol'cy-
peace with all nations, en.anglinalliances
with none.
Occupying. as we do. morepmmand-
ing position among nations 'h' al any
former period our duties and q resPon-
sibiIi,ies TO ourselves aud potr'ty. are
corresponding|y increased. Us Will De
the more obvious when we csider 'he
vas, additions which have feeliiy been
made 10 our territorial arq"rlon, and
their grea, importance and vail.
Within less than four years.he annex
alton Of Texas TO the Union habesn cons
summa,ed, and conflicting ti,lelo the Or"
egon Territory south of 40 deg. OF north
latitude, being all tina, was inssed on by
any of NV predecessors. has ben adjust
ed and New Mexico and Calprnla have
been acquired by treaty. lie area of
these several territories, accorng 10 the
repor. carefully prepared by tf Commits
sioner Of the General Land Gce. from
the mos, authentic informsionn his pos
session, and which is herewith transmit
ted, is l.l03,06l squaretnIles. or
763. 559.O4O acres. These estimates
show, tina. the territories receHy acqnir-
ed. and owe. which our exclu. 'e jurisdIc-
ton and dominion have beer extended.
constitute a country more tim halt as
large az tina, which was held the Uni
ted States before this acqui>i,io. If Ore
gon be excluded from The es,i'ate, there
will still remain within the limi OF Texas.
New Mexico and CaI,fornL ISL. 59S
square miles. or 545, 100 72O rres. being
addition equal TO more than onf,hird Of all
The territory owned by the U,'ed States
before This acquisition, and intud'ng Vr-
eoon. nearly a. grea, an ex,en Of terrific
~ as the whole of Europe, Iussia only
excepted.
|, is estimated by the Superintendent OF
The Coas, Survey. in the accompanying
report, tina. the extent OF the sa coast OF
Texas, on The Gulf of Mexicdis upwards
Of 400 miles Of the coast Of Upper Cal
ifornia on the Pacific, $40 m les: and OF
Oregon. including ,he Straits of Fuca, OF
$50 miies-making the whob extent OF
sea coas. on the Pacific 1870. and the
whole extent on the Pacific aud the Gulf
Of Mexico Q O2O miles. The length OF
the coas. of the Atlantic. fron the northern
limits of the United States around the