The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-03-25

DRY would do If he was alive he would hang
you rightup to the first tree he could come at
"What, hang me for doing jest what was
sent here to dop says he. "For I've made
jest such bargain as the President told"me
to make only leetle better one"
That's nothing here nor there" says !,
"you know circumstances alters cases. And
you know we'll enough, or you ought to have
sense enough to know, that, as things now
stand, the President don't want treaty.
Now, says |, Mr. Trist answer me one plain
question: DO you think you have any right
at all to make treaty utter the President has
ordered you home !"
"Well," says he, 81 think circumstances
alters cases too and when the President Or
dered me home, i suppose he thought
couldn't get through the job he sent me to do.
But thought could, aud so | kept trying,
and I've got through with it at last, and done
the business all up according to my first Or
ders; and l don't see why The President
shouldn't be well satisfied"
SWELL" says /, "what's the items of the
bargain? What have you agreed upon%
"Why," says he, we have the whole of
Texas clear to the Rio Grande; we have all
ofNew Mexico, and all of Upper California.
And we pay the MeXicans fifteen millions of
dollars, and pay our own citizens five mill
ions that the Mexicans owed them. And we
that are loaded and go home"
"Well, now" says /, Christ, don't you
think you are pretty Teller to make such
bargain as that at this time of day? The
President will be mortified to death about it.
Here we've been fighun near about two year
to make the MeXicans pay over that five mill
ions of dollars they owed our people, and
now you've agreed that we shull put our
hands in our own pockets and pay it our
selves. The whole plan the war has been
carried on by the President upon the high
est principles to go straight ahead and 'con-
quer peace man fashion; and now you've
agreed to back out of the scrape, and buy a
peace, and pay the money for il. You know
very well the President Inns declared, time
and again, that the war should go on till we
got indemnify for the past and security for
the future-them's his own words-and now
you've agreed to settle up without getting
one ot ofeither. For the past, we are at
least hundred millions of dollars out of
pocket, besides losing ten or fifteen thousand
men. As for the men / spose you may say
we can offset them against the Mexicans we
have killed, and as we have killed more than
they have, may be it foots up little in or
favor, and that's the only advantage you've
secured. AS for the hundred millions of
dollars, we don't get penny of it back. So
all the indemnity you get for the past is few
thousand dead MeXicans-that is as many
as remains after subtracting what they've
killed ofus from what we've killed of them
But the cap sheaf of your bargain is the Sc
curity for the future.' The cities and towns
and castles that we have fit SO hard TO take,
and have got our men into, and all so well Sc
cured,you now agree to give 'em all right up
again to the enemy, and march our men off
home with their fingers in their mouths; and
that's our security for the future. AS for the
fifteen millions of dollars you agree TO pay
for New Mexico and California, you might
jest as well thrown the money into the sea,
for they was ours afore; they was already
conquered and annexed, and was as much
ours us we had paid the money for 'eIn."
Here turned on my heel and left him, for
was so disguised at the conduct of the fell
Ter that wouldn't have any more talk with
him. And now, my dear Colonel, there is
nothing for us to do but to look this business
right in the face and make the best we can
oft, Ifthere was any way to keep the thing
out of sight, it would be best for you to
throw the treaty into the fire as soon as you
get it, and send word on to Gineral Scott to
go ahead again. But that is impossible; it
will be spread all over the country and known
to every body. And Pm convinced it will be
the best way for you to turn right about,
make out 10 be glad of what can't be helped, |
President is close at hand, and you must get
ready to go into the election for your second
term on what you've got and make the best
show you can with It. lfyou should reject
the treaty, the opposition would get the adj
vantage ofyou again; they would then cry
out that the MeXicans had asked for peace |
and you had refused It.; and there would be no
end to their growing about this oppressive
war of invasion. But if you accept the treat
~, it puts an end to their grumbling about
the war.
To pacify our friends that are very eager
for the whole of Mexico, you must tePem to
look out and see how much we have already
got; keep telling of'em that half loaf is bet
ter than no bread; them to keep quiet till af
ter your next election is over, and may be
you'll contrive some plan to be cutting into
'tothcr half. Keep Mr. Richie blowing the
organ, all weathers, to the tune of half of
Mexico for n song Tell the whole country,
and brazen it out to every body, that you've
made great bargain, capital bargain, much
better than Jefferson made when he bought
Louisiana for fifteen millions of dollars; tell
EN- for the same sum of money you have got
a great deal more land, and more men on il.
Pm satisfied this is the best ground TO take;
we must go for the treaty, and, bitter pill as
it is, we must swallow it as though we loved
it. Ispose it will have to go before the Sen
ate, as the constitution now stands, (the con-
is very defective on that pint, and
and ought to be mended, for it is dangerous
trusting important matters to the Senate;) but
YOU must drive your friends all up to vote
for il; don't let it fail ON no account; don't let
'em go to fngerin it over and putting IN a
mendments that will make the Mexicans SO
mad that they will kick it all oyer again. For
I. s,tr, I'm