Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-01-08

concerning Mexico and the War; The following
communication, however, which comes to us from
highly respectable quarter, touches upon some
important points which we passed by, and presents
orindcates arguments which worthy of attention:
ron THE NATIONAL INTELneEscER.
For ,cha purpose is The War ,ch Merico prosecuted
The President says it is to secure indemnity for the just claims
of citizens and the expenses Of the Does any
believe it The President has shown in his latc Message
that this is not the 1ny object "he boundary Of the Rio
Grande" says the President and the cesson to the Uni
ted States of New Mexico and Upper California constituted
an ultnatum which Commissioner under no cir
cun,staaces yield" Why this boundary and ces-
sion of territory made :" an nltimaum which Commits
soner under circumstances to yield 7" The infer
Of course that in justice entitled the cesson
of territory claimed pay the demands of citizens and the
expenses of the But is this The Message furnishes
the evidence that is not for says the Message As the
territory be acquired by the boundary proposed might be
estimated to be of greater value than fair equivalent for
just demands, Commissioner authorized 10 st-
pula,e for the payment of such additional ecuary os
deration deemed reasonable Here is ultima
fixed and prosecuted to enforce it. compel Mex
co sell the President portion of her territory Here is
an admission that entitled to the territory claimed
by the President fair equivalent for just demands
against Mexico Yet the President has made the cesson Of
it " an umatum" to be yielded under any circumstances
Mexico might have offered in territory fair equivalent for
just demands" and Commissioner could have
ceped under the instructions given him by the President
We must not only have enough territory 10 pay all the
penses which the President has forced upon Mexico
and all the demands which citizens have against her. but
she must be forced sell to us much territory
President wants. the must be prosecuted into her ra
parts, to honorable peace " But the President
hoe If obi
He says With people distracted and divided by contend
ing factions, and Government subject constant changes
by successive revolutions, the continued Of
may fail satisfactory peace. In such event,
it may become proper for commanding generals IN the
field to gre encouragement and Of protection
the friends of peace in Mexico IN the
and Of free republican Government of their
choice able and 10 conclude peace which
would be just to Them and 10 the
DEMAND" Let change the language Of the President
little, and make it plain g Mexico has Government
which willing to make treaty with, but will not sell
to me much territory think ought have, 10 Sc
honorable peace. therefore recommend Congress
that generals in the field be instructed to destroy the pre-
Government Of Mexico, and establish aud maintain
under the protection of arms free republican Govern
ment that will be oag to conclude satisfactory peace e
curing to the indemnity demand" suppose one
will deny power thus establish Government that will
be ",cng conclude peace granting all the "
deny demand" But what American freeman is there
who does feel indignant at the proposition And sup
pose undertake it how long will the Government last
which have created to give half of the country When
will ssproecton and maintenance" of it Are
keep forever large standing army in Mexico
tain the Government have thus estabishedhis
republican Government of their choicein order to
honorable peace ;" hope see, early day,
taken by Congress condemnng this aJopna
Die recommendation. w.
Our correspondent in consulting only the Mes
sage, does not give its whole force TO the point,
though strong, which he makes. Had he referred
to the known facts of the terms offered by Mr. Com
missioner TRIsT to the Mexicans, at the conferences
before the gates Of their capital, he would have
found still more extraordinary matter for comment
"The boundary of the Rio Grande," (up to the
point where il passes out OF New Mexico of course
then all New Mexico and Upper California
or nearly third part of the whole surface of
Mexco-were the Iocest terms to which the Pres-
dents instructions allowed our Commissioner to
come down. Less indemnify than this the
Executive could not think of; to less, he distinctly
intimates, he will neuer assent: that is to say,
whatever be the pleasure Of this nation, or no mat
AcI HoW Hlucu mOfe mOuerate ule Terms on WHICH
Congress-fhe oar-making poUer-may direct the
war to cease, he, the Executive, will, at his own
pleasure, continue the war, and make (for that is
plainly his ground in the Message) the future con-
ditions of the peace as much more severe as, in
consequence Of the further expenses Of his fighting
he shall deem good All this is that We may ex-
tort ga fair equivalent for our just demands"
But, observe the President himself admits that
the territory which he ,ciH have is more than " a
fair equivalent for just demands y for he gave
"Mr. Commissioner TRrsr power to stpulate for
paying for the excess Of the value Of this territory
over our just demands" And now what is the
amount of those demands what their proportion
to the equivalent" by the President exacted and
what the sum which the Executive himself avowed,
through his Commissioner, as necessary 10 be paid
BY as, in order that the pretended equivalent
should be any such thing at ALL in respect TO Mexi-
co as well as ourselves These are the questions
which we must now push home to the Cabinet, in
order that the case made by our correspondent may
receive its full weight.
The President has not chosen to be specific in
his Message as to yhat "indemntes'' we claim of