The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-01-29
NUMBER 33.

about thirty-twO degrees, and to obtain eession
70 me United States Of the provinces Of NJ
Mexico and the CALIFORNIA;, aad the privilege az
uie Iigha OF way across the Isthmus Of Tehuaa-
.sPec- Inc boundary Of the Rio Grande. and
me eSssion 10 the U nited States Of New M.xico
and Upper California, constituted An nI' Iso
tum which our Commission was. up5s, NJ -
eamstApees, to yield"
Here we have the PRESIDENT. Gins, ,-,,0s -
peace" As he calls them--his s,itimaf,,1,, !.
denniteiy announced, and we are no Iopge- Len
as curing the last two sessiOns--to guess al tha
ooJeets and intentions Of the President Of the
Y nited States in regard TO Mexico. n i nou
certain that he has demanded a. an ultiu,atam
and means to demand hereafter a. his pltina,nr,
the eession TO the United States Of the Califor-
mas, and the whole Of New Mexico-a tertiary
embracing at least 69O, 900 square miles Of land
more man twice the entire territorial extent Of
. oio tnirteen States" at the time Of the
American Revolution! And / am c.II.d -.
70 give vote which shall enable the President
TO enforce these "terms Of pescel" I AN, c.Ile5
upon 10 give vote that shall enable him 10 com
pei Mexico TO eede the whole Of New Msxico
ana tne Californias to this country. / have no
chiee left can al once take No NV posi,ion
and say whether am in favor Of the scaaisition
and conquest Of all this vas: rsgion, or whether
| am opposed to H. ''S'''''
must confess that do not understand III.
argument OF my honorable friend from Mary
land. Mr. JoHSsOS) He concluded. a. \ uo5s,-
stood, with an expression Of his r.solufion "a
vote Tor this bill He told Us to-day, that II m.
people Of the United States were Consulted h.
verify Oeieved the great mass Of them womb
decide against the acquisition of anV terriforv
on me western side Of the Del Norte. The S.nt-
tor thought that the people Of the United STATE.
would 90 with him for acquisition Of territory
oy way OF indemnify, and not BY way of rob
Dely' Out IN payment Of the debt which is Justly
due Us by Mexico. He thought that the Seoois
would 60 with him so far as 10 def-ns tha .o,i,,-
ny between the Nueces and the Rio Bravo. h1t
Ne had no doubt that the people Of the Limited
states were clearly opposed, and would 40 de-
clare themselves whenever called upon, to the
acquisition Of any territory on the other side az
The Rio Bravo Now, cannot uneierstan5 b,vV
my friend, having arrived at these conclusions.
being thus satisfied as to the popular will, Can
reconcile Il TO himself 10 vote for this Immense
addition to the army Of the United States. when
the OBJECT oil the augmentation Of the military
establishment Is plainly ayOwed by the Prs.i-
dent TO be the extension Of his co1auests over
the whole Of this country on the other si5s az
the Mo Bravo, and the acquisition of both tbs
Caiiiornias and New Mexico. III nv hoaora-
pie friend can reconcile that by the exercise of
all his ingenuity, / should like 10 hear him 40
50. FOR my part l cannot comprehend it
!" itnout rejecting on his course, however. nv
business Is to point out my own
Before proceed further in the argument On
this question, desire to say, for one. that new
er have been, and am not now, willing 10 s.-
qnire one acre Of ground from Mexico, or apv
o'her hSnon under heaven, by conquest or rob
berry hold that in all our transactions with
the other nations Of the world. the gre,t D-inci-
pies ought to Be maintained by US that honesty
Is the best policy 5" and that an honorable reDu-
tAuoh Is OF more value to a country than LAND or
money hold that any attempt on our part.
merely because We happen to possess superior
strength, to compel a weaker nation 70 eede 10
US all that We choose to demand as indemnify.
while We at the same time admit that we ask for
more tnan she owes US, Is nothing Else but
ROBBERY. III man owes me q sum Of money,
ana II when meet him on tho highway, he re-
pines 10 my demand that he has not wherewithal
TO meet it, and / should insist with a pistol
pointed TO his breast, that he should deliver to
me deed OF his farm al the estimate which I
chose to put upon il, think there could not be
much cinerence Of opinion as to the nature of
that Transaction. l should like To know how
my friend from Maryland. who Is an able LAWYER,
would defend under an Indictment the man gull
'y Of such conduct Would il be any pallation, or
excuse, or justification, Of the conduct Of his
client, in such a case, that the money was Justly
due him ? Could there be found in Cbristen-
dom Court and Jury that would hesitate as TO
the verdict in such a case And what, let me
ask-as a friend near Mr.. WEBSTER, suggests,
what would be the value Of the deed obtained in
such Circumstances ? 1.-THE possessor Of il should
even 90 unwhipt Of Justice, !" would ne not b
the object to which the scornful finger Of every
honest man would be pointed 50 long a. he lived
upon the earth hOld-and however old fash
Toned the netiOn may be, shall maintain il So
long as have a seat here-that character is as
valuable to nation as il is to an individual !:
and inssmuch as, i would scorn as a private eiti-
Iens to despOil my neighbor Of his property in
these circumstances and with these avOwals, so
as public man, never can sanction in the
slightest degree such a course Of conduct on tho
part ofthe Government Of the country.
We are one Of the strongest nations Of the
earth We have been among the weakest. In
timeS gone by we have suffered from the cruel
", the tyranny and injustice Of other nations.
and have uttered loud complaints. We have
now waxed strong, and can put the foot upon
the neck OF sister republic, and compel her to
yield to the terms We ourselves dictate. The
question now comes up, and il addresses itself
to every genuine lover Of his country, whether
the acquisition Of all this territory in those cir
eumstances, would compensate us for ths-lesS Of
rePutatiOn-thathigh national charseter-whieh
We have hitherto sustained Do not undsr-
stand me a. opposing the Just claims OF my own
country. | would 20 as far to enforce those
claims consistently with the honor Of the eOun-
try as any man living So far - the prOseeu-
ton Of war for the purpose Of securing Just in
demnity for those claims might be concerned, /
would 90 as far as he who, on the other side Of
the chamber, goes farthest- But the President
distinctly tells you that when Mr.. Trist made
the proposition to the Mexican Commissioners
to negotiate, the terms were to be de6nei by him
and that they were to be submitted to by Mexico
at " the lannon's mouth"