The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-02-28
The Treaty.

The National lnellgencer of this morning devotes !
pretty long article to the great question of the day. Tn,
spirit in which it is couched is comparatively subduet
and unimpassoned 1t seems to partake more or less
of the influence OF the impressive scenes through which
have lately passedso well calculated as they are te
abae the violence of faction and the aspirations of amb
ton, by teaching "what shadows we are and wha
shadows pursued Truly, indeed does the National In.
egence remark upon the solemnty and impressvenese
of the spectacle which has just passed before our eyes
and well does say that "a" has, we believe never be.
fore happened. during the session of Congress- that
whole week has passed without any legislative business
being done in either house. Scenes so solemn certainly
have before been witnessed within the walls of
the Capitol those which have within the last week
invested with and sanctty the precincts
of that buding-the House of the people The whole
week has been one, as it were of pous preparation for
calm and wise determination Of the great questions which
are in the hands of Congress The week has not. how
ever, been barren OF interest besides that aabsorbng
one to which here alude. 1t has been marked by
political incident of consequence (as it may eventu
ate in way the other for good for evil the
country than any that has occurred within the present
generation We refer, of course to the transmission by
the President the Senate of the TREATY received from
Mexico for the termination of the with that country
Upon that subject, the freedom with which we have
heretofore expressed ourselves the topics of the
itself, demands that we should not mask our opinion
and we embrace this, the first fitting opportunity that
have had. to unfold it to readers"
The Integencer then proceeds to present its views OF
the treaty. the prospects of its ratification and the hopes
which it entertans We have no complaint to make
against the spirit with which all this has been wrought
out and, in the spirit come forward to offer
few reflections of our own If the National Inteigen-
Ger had conented itself with expressing its hope and
confidence" in the "devoed, patriotic intelligent" body
to whom 1t is commued-f it had simply assigned its
reasons for desiring the ratification of the treay-we
should have been content with its dispensaton If it had
even expressed the of its wishes in the following
passages of its article we should have said nothing:
'We would take the treaty, then, it is, to avoid
greater national evil We reject 1t, and continue
opposition to the war. Payment OF the debts which
Mexico owed citizens at the commencement of the
/, now hopeless her means exhausted. Her territory
with its population will entail upon us increased expend
tues and evils moral and poical but II is all that Moxi
co give There can be no indemnity Tor the war OK
pcnscs We had better, them we have said stop where
we are for, if go further shall only increase the
evil
..The crisis should be with frmness. BY the con-
nued prosecution of the wo should in three months
expend larger than the treaty requires pay TO
our own citizens and the Mexican government And
where is the individual lost of justice and to
the common sympathies Of our nature, who would moi
rather pay the money than to expend even that much
more likely ten much) in prosecuting the war 70
the annihiaton of the Mexican government and name
Deeply impressed" (hus the article of the lnteigencer
winds up) by these considerations, look with no or
binary socitude the ratification Of the treaty we De
lieve that peace will be hailed with joy through the wide
the republic and that its blessings will be felt and
acknowledged in all borders"
We should not have said syllable in opposition to
these passages We, too, desire peace We would
cheeully accept upon the terms which are attributed
to the proposed treaty with the very few notifications