Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1848-03-01

! OeS not Inform US. In the correspond
1ence between the Mexican commission
ers and Mr.. Trist, it is stated at twenty
millions Of dollars. livery probable that
that was the amount he was authorized foj
offer.
In the propositions for peace which,
were made bv the Mexican commission!
ers, a large amount Of territory was offer
ed, but it was rejected under the instruc-
tons Of the President. Nothing less THANH
the boundary Of the Rio Grande, and thc|
whole Of New Mexico and California, ]
would be received, although the President,
admits we have 40 just claim TO them
And yet, he says, he entertains no designl
Of conquest. Is it no conquest to take;
from Mexico her territory by force, whenI
at the same time we admit we have no right,
TO il! Does the offer Of a '.pecuniary con-
alteration" change :hc character Of the
transaction, or render it any less con
quest! We keep our armies within her
territory, we sack her towns and bombard
her cities, we STAY thousands Of her citi-
zens, we make war upon her i'll every con |
ceivable shape, we tell her that this shall
be continued until she cedcs to Us one
third Of all her territory, although at thc
same time VIC admit that il is much more
than all our just demands; and vet the
President, while doing all this, gravely in
forms the country that he eniertains no de-
sign Of conquest. This is what he denon,-
mates prosecuting the war for indemnity
But, Mr.. Speaker, | fear the designs OF
conquest which are seriously entertained
are not limited to New Mexico and Upper
California. The idea Of Incorporating the
,.,ho1o oc Moy;co into tho Np,oric,r, I ri,,,
is ore than limited at from higl, quarters
among the supporters of the Adlninis.ra-
ton. Such a design will not be openly
avowed, particularly before the Presiden-
tial election, lest the people shall take the
alarm, and adopt efiectual means 10 pre-
vent the consummaton of So fatal mca-
sure. have before me a speech, made
but few days since in the other end of
the Capitol. by a gentleman who stands
upon confidential terms with the Admins
tration. Twill read an extract from it
He says:
"Thcre are numer ous cases, all tending to the
same point, that whenever it becomes iInpracti-
cable TO obtain territory by purchase, FAKE sri
NJ YoRcE. All that strip of country lying he l
tween Natchez and Baton koug. was taken pos
session Of j" that way and We have done S" in
all cases when could not Obtain territory by
ne COLLATION.; and this course has been pursued
Throughout the world lin all ti'ncs.by all Powers. y
This is from speech made by the
Chairman Of the Committee on Foreign
Relations in the Senate, Mr.. Sevicr,) de-
livcred on the 9th January last. The
honorable Chairman here openly avows
the intention 10 take the territory Of Mcxi-
co by force, and Justities it upon the|
ground that such has been the practice|
THROUGHOUT the world
I will also read an extract from anotherI
speech, made in tho same body during the|
present session of Congress:
~ repeat, what I before said, that the longer
Mexico cont inues her obstinate lection of rca
sonabls indemnity, and the greater exertion she
co,npels TO make, the greater will be our de-
nsands. and the heavier her losses. What wei
would have accepted last year, or even at theI
commencement Of tho present campaign, wei
may well refuse now; and what we would ac-
crpt now, we may wei! refuse after d fewI
months. And how much the public sentiment
or this country may demand year or two hence j
II the war continues long, do not preten tot
predict. We may have to make the great -xper-
ine Mt so dreaded by the Senator from South
Carolina, and the Senator from Kentucky, aud
annex the domains Of Mexico to our own. This
is the penalty which national injustice has often
been compelled to pay. and which Mexico may
be preparing for herself
This extract is from the speech of al
gentleman Mr.. Cass) who it is generally
believed will be- the candidate of the Dem
,,cratic party for the Presidency. The}
policy here marked out may be regarded
rs the foreshadowng Of the course to be l.
pursued in the event Of his election. The +
indemnity to be demanded from Mexico is I
to be increased in proportion TO her obstl-
macy. What would have satisfied us
few months ago, must not satisfy us now j.
The longer we protract the war, the more1
Of her provinces must we take With cv- |
cry additional month our demands must
be increased, until we reach the point of
annexing the entire country
"a gentleman sitting near Alr. Smith re- |
marked. in an under tone, ''that is prof.
gressiyc Democracy"
Yes, said Mr.. s.. il Is progressive De-
mocracy." with a vengeance. Democracy
is indeed progressing at fearful rate
When TIE annexation of Texas was first
proposed, Democracy shrunk back af- |
iriehtcd. Now il contcmplates. with com !
placcncy. the conquest and annexation of
q country with nine millions of inhabitants. ,
Can any one doubt. from the evidences
before us that we are rapidly fastening TO-
that ''great experiment TO which Mr.. Cassl !
refers! The object will not be openly a.
vowed: the country will still be deluded1
with the hopes of peace until after the !
Presidential election; and then. should the I
Democracy elect their candidate. the mask |
will be TIN own aside, and the annexationI
Of Mexico openly advocated. Then. that
s.public sentiment" to which Gen. Cass
refers. will be invoked in aid of the meas
ure.
do not believe that the Administrator
has any desire 10 negotiate peace with +
Mexico. have no expectation that anyS
treaty will be made before the Presidential
For several days the city has !
been filled with rumors of a treaty nego:i-
ated bv Mr.. Trist. The letter-wriiers from
this city have filed the press with state
,ncnts Of the prospect of successful nego-
iiations. The pleasure every where man