Evansville weekly journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 184?-18??, 1848-03-16
Correspondence of the North American.
WASHINGTON, March. 3. 1874

this treaty is despicab bic bargain. utterly N,
worthy the dignity of the Government and the
countenance Of the Senate
If ever the injunction of secresy is removed
from the correspondence Of Mr. Trist, modified
amended, suppressed, and revised as it has
been, even for The use of the Senate, and part
| ly by the Senate, in consideration of the char
acter OF our Government, tale of corruption
will be opened to the public view, such as
ought TO make every good citizen blush for the
honor of hiscountry. No appliance of that in
famous system of diplomacy which has charac-
terlzed the secret negotiations of Europea
Powers, has been neglected in these trallsac-
lions with Mexico.
The treaty comes to the Senate under many
suspicious and perplexing circumstances. 1t
| is wholly Objectionable in itself. and the man
ner in which it was negotiated is an insult TO
. the Government, and particularly to the SEN
ate.
That it is unacceptable may be inferred from
the fact, that the whole debate from the first
day I'd the last, since the treaty has been sub
rnitted TO the Senate, has been absorbed by the
ma ority, almost exclusively. Mr.. Webster
has spoken very briefly TO an Incidental ques-
ton and not TO the merits of the treaty al all
as has been represented. MIR. Badger and Mr.
Reverdy Johnson are the only two Wings who
have engaged in the broad discussion. Mr..
Johnson being for it, and Nh. Badger opposed
to several of the principal articles. These are
no secrets, for the Senators are under no
restraint, to their own conduct or senti-
ments.
| There is one remarkable fact connected with
| this negotiation, which | have accdently neg
lected to mention. Euery syllable ofthe treaty
is in the handwriting of Mr.. Macintosh, the
British consul at Mcrlco! The instrument and
his original letters in possession of The Senate
have been compared, as any doubling Demo
Graf may ascertain BY applying TO Mr.. Senat II
Allen.
Yesterday was consumed in the Senate by
discussion between Messrs Cass, Davis, of
Mississippi, Foote, and Douglass, on an amend
ment proposed by the last, TO strike out SEC
ton OF the fifth article, which provides that
The boundary established between Mexico and
the United States by the treaty shall be rtigi
ousy respected by the two republics, and shall
forever stand as the boundary line unless by
the mutual consent Of The contracting parties,
10 be declared through the properly constituted
authorities.
II there is any article in this caracature of
treaty that recommends ii to favorable consid-
Grafton it is this it stops the process by which
Texas became admitted into the Union. Mr..
Doug lass shrewdly suspected the object of the
clause, and therefore Introduced his motion to
present the opportunity of nominal colonial
ton in the departments of Sonora, Durango,
chihuahua, Coahulla, &c, then of revolution
and independence, and finally of annexa-
ton.
| rejoice TO say that sufficient number Of
Democratic S majors united with the Wings TO
dtleat this proposition, If weare to have the
tr atty, it is d most fortunate escape, though
greatly fear that even so solemn aud binding
compact as this will not save these departments
upon which the eyes of the progressives and
ultras are already fixed, from the fate OF alb
sorption.
Among the many striking and imposing OBJ
jections 10 the treaty, there is one, which, as
vet, has not Deen urged before the Senate, and
has II been touched by the press. The ninth
article stipulates that the most ample guaranty
shall be enjoyed by all ecclesiastics and religi-
Gus corporations and communities IN the en-
joyment of their property of every kind. whetb-
er individual or corporate. This guaranty
shall embrace all property destined TO the sup
port of these religious corporations, or that vi
schools, hospitals, and other foundatlon for
benefcent purposes. No property of this ma
nature shall be disposed of BY the American
Government, or ever be diverted 10 other
uses.
! Ii has been shown, by Mr.. b nton and 9TH
ers, that nearly all the valuable lands in Cali
fOrnia have been granted away under one pre-
text or another. Some of these in quantities of
| 10000 square miles 10 a sina lie individual. In
document No. rs. recently published by the
Senate, entitled California Claims" Colonel
Fremont and various witnesses testify as 10
single grant of 5000 leagues to one Eugenio
Macnamara, who describes the purposes for
these lands,were TO be applied. in the fol-
lowing words, 10 be found at page 81 of
| the document, in an address TO the President OF
/ Mexico:
''If the means which propose be not spec
Oily adopted. your Excellency may be assured
that before another year the CALIFORNIA; will
/ form part of the American nation. Then Ca
! tholic institutions will become the prey of the
Methodist ,cotues, and the whole country will
be inundated with the cruel invaders
The question is not for what object Macna-
mara designed to appropriate these lands, or to
" hat cause or religlon-these are matters en-
tirely foreign to the case, in my judgment. By
| the treaty we fix forever the absolute rig ht of
the grantees in those lands, and WE revive that
odious and despotc system which prevailed
over and impoverished Eng land from the time
/ of the Pantagenets down TO that OF Henry Vll
when it was uprooted by his power of holding
estate with the dead hand The United States
is prohibited from exercising any authority ov-
er the lands for the treaty purposes. TO ratify
tlPin III peTpcLUO, ana SllpuidltS mat tnev snail
never be diUerted to other uses. The admission
of such feature in connection with any terri
tory to be recognized under the jurisdiction
of the United States is monstrous in the ex-
treme; it isat with every notion of repub-
licanism, and there Is no State in the Union,
which has not protected itself against such
| system.
Under this article, the Mormons, now col
lected in California, could and doubtless would
establish an ecclesiastical tribunal as they did
in Illinois and try and condemn their people
in defiance of the laws of the State or Terrific
ry. No civil power could reach them. lie;
the people and the press ponder upon this obi
Gus feature in the treaty, and ask themselves
whether an American Senate would be justified
in retaining article which is TO cover Califor-
MIA with privileged grants, mali snable from
! their very nd ure, and so confirmed BY the high
est compact known between civilized Govern
ments
! If the treaty is ratified on both sides, ii is
confidently predicted that Mr.. Macintosh
will be among the very first arriva S from Mex