The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1848-01-07

at one hundred millions of dollars, and In national
point OF view far more valuable is to be acquired by
the United States, for the single purpose and with
the single design OF providing full and complete
compensation TO her citizens for spoation OF their
property, and outrages upon their rights.
Property thus acquired becomes a trust fund SOL
EMMY dedicated TO the purpose declared. The in
qniry then naturally suggests ITSELF what provision
did the Executive contemplate to make for those in
lured ctizens-how was this fund to be disposed OF
by the agent and trusieef Are the claims OF our cit
liens upon Mexico, payment of which the Govern.
nent assumed 10 enforce, and which have SO loudly
and energecatly been urged calling for war II no
other means could be found for compelling their
lhquidnon, so enormous in magnitude as TO require
fund of one hundred million of dollars for their salts
iactionl Are this immense extent OF territory, these
valuable mines, these commercial marts, to be made
common stock, and parttioned among these victims
Of Mexican rapacity and cruelty in proportion to
their several demands Is this fund obtained upon
The sacred trust and obligation TO see that justice Is
\ done 10 those whom we bound 10 protect 10 be
applied faithfully and honestly this legitimate endl
/ WIN the Government, which has thus undertaken
from a high sense OF imperative duty TO SECURE lis
citizens from wrong, this Government, ambitious oil
no ACCOMPLISHMENT for ITSELF scrupnous In exactine
nanght but what Justice demands, and fastidiously
delicate in dscaiming all mpuations Of selfish Gu
pdity in the discharge of It's own high but painful
hidciion Of enforcing against delinquent only the
demands OF an nexorabe justice, not transcend these
| self-imposed and gratuitous limits in Compelling
Mexico 10 pay down In money or In property as II
l equivalent the enormous sum Of one hundred mil
lions OF dollars Assuming the high position OF the
avenger oil wrong, the administrator OF justice The
en.orcer Of right, Indignantly disclnming all less pure
and elevated motives, what disposition did this pure
honorable, dsintoresied party do, or propose 10 do
with this fund thus extorted from the delinquent!
Did it, as common honesty and veracity would have
dictated, say, We have acted under the call and in
the spirit OF sticewe bound by all the oblga-
lions which connect rulers with the people, TO
| that our citizens suffer wrong from the lawless
practices OF other nations; when oppressed and in
jured IL is orr duty TO them rghed In the dis
charge of this high trust demand OF You only that
which you ought voluntarily TO have performed with
out our interference we demand redress, full and
rnmpe it must be, for all just causes of complaint.
| Non are not able 10 make this compensation in
money. You have no other medium Of payment
| than land, of which you have snberabnndanl
amount, more than you want or can make use oil.
4 Assign TO citizens such amount OF land, AT pres
ent unoccnpied, within your own jurisdiction, sub
Jee 10 your own laws, as will indemnify them for the
wrongs they have suffered al your hands. Weask
for nothing for ourselves. We are DESTROYS of cult
waiting with yon harmony and peace. Whatever Of
| national indgniiy that has been committed we are
willing TO bury in oblivion. We have no right
authority TO sacrifice the Just rights OF our own peo-
pie. They owe to lis allegiance and TO them we owe
the correlatlve obligation of protection. II you pre-
fer 10 transfer political jurisdiction the territory
thus TO be assigned, we will becom, the purchaser
| for a fair equivalent That however, is a separate
| matter, and must be distinctly adjusted
Was not such the language which ought 10 have
| been used 70 Mexco2 Was not such the language
which honor, justice, ruth, consistency would have
dictuedl Was such the language actually employed
| Far, very far from IT,
| The language used was substantially this You
have injured our citizens-you have despoed them Of
Their property have incarcerated their PERSONS
you have violated their clearly ascertained rights.
we have compassion on your eebleness, we COM
misserate your internal dssensions, and sympathise
with your domestic Affections and embarrassments,
Our citizens however have appealed 10 us for redress
That redress they entitled TO receive, and
bound 10 insure them. Beyond that, we have no
Claim on must, therefore, deposit in our hands
one hundred millions of dollars or its equivalent In
property, and we will from this fund.- ourselves pay
| the parties who have suffered these wrongs But
while this Is the measure OF compensation which
demand from you, let not the other party indulge the
oeiief mat we mean 10 pay lover to them No; we
VIII receive from you one hundred millions, and then
appoint men OF our own selection 10 examine into
and cut down these demands; and especially instruct
hen thai so far as regards the unsettled claims they
are under no circumstances 10 admit their validity
beyond three millions Of dollars. For that patry
| amount, they may squabhle among themselves, and
adjust their respective shares as they best may.
BY the Terms of Mr. Buchanan's project Ii was
stipulated that the United States should assume the
payment Of the balance of the claims Of her citizens
adjusted BY the Board Of Commissioners under the
treaty of 1889. Although that adjustment was noto
rousy corrupt and UNJUST and was denounced in
advance by the American commissioners as inlqu
ous yet its judgments are to stand unauesoned and
final. They further agreed 10 pay the unadlused
claims TO an extent not exceeding three millions
more, The amount Of the awards made by the
was originally abou. 2o26Ooo Several instaiments
have been paid, and the outstanding balance, with all
the accumulation OF interest can, by possibility
at this time amount TO two millions of dollars The
Executive, then, proposed to limit the extent of its
responsibility TO its own citizen claimants for whom
| II has assumed to act protector and guardian to
the paltry sum of less than five millions OF dollars
while on the pretext of the magnitude of these very
same demands and as a means of paying them, II
exlcts from Mexico cesson of territory the pro
pfielaU value OF which exceeds one hundred mill
| lions @ &Ht
Ii is manifest, moreover that were Mexico TO pay
| TO our citizens the Of five millions in specie and
this were TO pass through the treasury without any
charge whatever for its agency or expense Of trans
poratlon, although it has ever been careful 10 exact
| slch comp, n salon from the citizen, the aggregate
wealth Of this nation would be 10 this extent aug
nsnisd The acquisition of territory, even If every
acre were already The private property of individuals
would be absolute ad lition the general strength
and resources These incidental and collateral ben
| hs would be an ample remuneration TO The govern
nent for all It's labor and trouble In bringing about
| and executing the arrangement But such agency q
high constitutional duty not entitled TO mere ln-
| tile conmsion-ii grows out of The obligation to
protect it's people and to vndicae its own ustrighis
assaed through them in consideration Of its ale
| glance. y.-ss
1 Not content, however, with the consciousness o.
dischargng solemn aud Oft acknowledged duty
not satisfied with the large share Of benefit resulting
from such an arrangement for the payment Of our
ctzen, in the enlargement of territory, the ac-
qusiiion Of ports and places OF great if not ndispen
sable necessity for the commercial aud fishing in
| tcresis of the Union, our Executive In contempt Of
all its own proesatons insists upon retanin more
| llian nine-tenths Of the mere money value OF wha
was asked from Mexico us Just debt due TO our owl
| citiZens, as its own lions share of the funds.
II the demands of our citizens upon Mexico amount
only 10 the sum thus specified and provided for them
IN these terms proposed to that power then has this
country been most shainefiiy insled by the eyag
gerIted representations which have been made in re
gard 10 representations in which Mr.. Poll
and Mr. Buchanan have officially and unolfically