Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1848-01-27

mexico without the expenditure Of a single
american dollar, and of course without affect
ing the pecuniary condition of the American
people, or the pecunlary condition Of the Gov
erhineht Itself The resources of the MeNi-
can government, Mr.. President, even under
all the dlsadvantageous circumstances under
which that Government has existed, are inf
hi'eiy greater, 1t seems TO me. than is general
~ supposed. The fact is, that untl a compar-
atlvely recent period, until short time before
tne commencement OF the war with ourselves,
the expenditures Of their Government have
oeen about 81 ,000,O annually; and II has
been appropriated to these purposes. They
have had'an army Of 81, 900 men always on
pay, costing the Government about SIC, 900,
wv. they have had civil list bill of abopt
So,Oou.QVO, and interest to be paid on the pub
nc debt 70 the amount Of $4,000 900. making
vi ,QOu.UU0. Their army has been punetu-
ally paid their civil Isl pnnciuay me, and the
interest on the public debt until, as have said ,
comparatively regent peri'd, has been met
with equal pancualiiy. From what sources
sir! The Products O! their mines when thew
are In full operation; aud ter ser,ea OF years
when 10 snch full operation they have produc
ed oI3.pUU,UUO per year; they charge what is
termed transit duty on all the bullion that
Is drawn from the mines until it reaches the
port OF expor,at;on, This transit duty is paid
IN the form OF permit, granted on the part Of
The Government. to convey the bullion from
town to town, the permit being renewed at
each terminus until it reaches the place of
expectation; and when i, gets there it is sub
ject to an export duty of one ner cent The
average amount of these transport duties, I'M
til the bullion reaches the place of expectation,
is about two and halfor three per cent The
gross amount of bullion drawn from the mines,
as have said, is abb ut $250OO.00O The
Senate will easily perceive, then, the amount
drawn from this source, with an average of two
and half or three per cent. as transit duty.
and with specific export duty Of one per cent
upon the value of every pound Of bullion ex-
ported. The next source of revenue, and the
amount that it raises, it is almost impossible to
calculate, or rather. to speak more correctly.
the amount it wonld raise if peace was res.or-
ed to Mexico, if that country was restored to
quiet, and business operations were permitted
TO go on in their ordinary course. This source
is the stamp tax. They charge what is term
ed stamp tax on every description of contract
transferring every description of property of OF
exceeding the value of $500. That is to say,
every contract between man and mar relative
to property worth $500 is to be written upon
stamp paper, for which the parties pay to the
stamp officers six dollars. But, according to
their laws. contracts of this descrip are
left In the hands of a notary, and are recorded
among the official transactions of the notary,
making it necessary for the parties to the con
tract, to obtain official copies, and the result is
that each one of the parties almost invariably
takes copy of the contract. The copy is also
written on stamped paper. and for the copies
there are paid six dollars each.
There is another source, and that is duty
on the sale ofevery thing that is sold. Moth
ing passes from hand to hand by way of sale
that does not pay specific duty, regulated by
the amount of the value of the article so pass
ing. Now, | will not estimate the amount
thus derived; it is sufficient for my purpose to
state the fact as ! understand the fact to be,
that the amount of revenue received from these
sources has been abundantly sufficient to ena-
BILE the Government of Mexico to meet punc.u-
ally its disbursements to the amount of $34
QOO.O00. This amount would support any ar
my which we might put into the field land this
we would have perfect yight to appropriate.
Not to seize and contiscate individual property
which is abhcrrent to every sense of justice,
which would be an act of tarbarism. q dishon-
or to the age in which we live, and stain up
on our national character; but to appropriate /
the public revenue of the country SO as to en-
feeble the poweE~o of their Government, to re-
duce the military to the same standard as pri
vate citizens, and prove by the fact that we
are thoroughly able to enforce it, that the res
toratioa of peace depends on their submission.
Nov, believe as confidently as can any
thing of which we have any certain knowledge, |
thof hu sc ~
for the purpose of enforcing termination of
this war, we shall not only obtain money as
much as is necessary for the support of our ar
my. but that of the money 80 spent no portion |
OF 1t will come from the people OF. the United
States.
Now, know the objection that may be
raised as to the consequence that may result
from taking possession of the whole country. |
think can see almost 3. clearly as does the |
honorable Senator from South Carolina (Mr. |
CALHoUN) the result of Incorporating the (
whole of Mexico into this Union, and if | be-
lieved that the object was the incorporation of
the whole of Mexico into the Union by the fur |
ther prosecution Of the war, much as would
hang my head in modification and shame for
the honor Of my country. would willingly
submit to the withdrawal Of the troops rather
than prosecute the war an hour longer. But |
do not believe that such is to be the result |
90 not believe that the people Of the United
States would suffer an Executive officer to
perpetrate such wrong if the Executive even
had 1t In contemplation. do not believe that
they would ever themselves, assist an Execn-
i've to accomplish such an object. | would
have much less confidence in them than have
Ii thought it possible that the mere lust ORA
pine. the mere lust of territory would lead
them to dishonor the American name by
blottlng from existence a reighboring and fee
bier nation.
am for prosecuting the war because be-
lieve the consequence will be to bring Mexico
the earlier to her senses. and to prompt her
cheerfully to accept terms of peace. And
this brings me to say :, word or.two on what
shonld be, in my opinion, tho terms Of such
peace.
Now. sir. I speak for myself though have
no doubt that speak the sense of most Of the
friends around me. My honorable friend from
South Carolina, the otIer day, in the speech
which he did rs and the country the honor TO
deliver, said he believed the people of the. D.
nited States were irrevocably determined on
taking indemnify for the wrongs which we
Lovo c,, a,araJ from, Meyieo /, terrifoyu