New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-02-07
The Secret Articles Of the Treaty with
mExtro.


ington which we have already announced and to
which we now invoke more deliberate attention
We shall endesvor TO speak Of It IN the coolest
and calmest terms, Tor the transaction which i
develops is one Of which the simplest statement
seems to Us the most emphatic condemnation
Let US glance at the preliminary facts
In the midst Of our War with Mexico, Nicholas
p Inst was dispatched 20 that country as dip.o-
matte agent, to accompany the advance Of Gen.
SCOTS invading Army and profer the prescribed
terms Of Peace. He was unsuccessful in making
Treaty. bis course was disapprOyed by our Exec
utve. who Invested him Of al authority and per
emptonly ordered his return, authorizing the use
Of force % effect It if necessary. In defiance Of a..
this he remained in Mexico, kept mp a sort Of rela
ton % her Government, finally il IS alleged under
British auspices negotiated what purported 70 be
Treaty. and sent il TO the President for his ap-
proval-Mr. Trist having az the time Just az much
authority 10 negotiate Treaty as any mule driver
in the train Of Gen Scots Army-not whit more.
Put the President as well as the Country was tired
Of the War. and Mr Polk wisely grasPed At tins
inegitimate Treaty and sent It 70 the Senate Tor
consideration. The Senate scrotinized and de-
bated IL or weeks in secret session. struck olt or
modified several sectons-two OF them very I'M
portaut-rathed the Treaty as they had amended
it and thus returned it % the President, who forth
with appointed Hon. Nathan Clifford Of Maine .his
Attorney General and Hon. Ambrose Il SEWER
! Senator from Arkansas and Chairman of the Com
mittee ON Foreign Affairs to proceed as ENJOYS
Extraordinary to Mexico and exchange ratiica-
tons Of the amended Treaty thus rendering leeiti
mate the bantlng Of Mr. Tnst. Those Commis-
sioners discharged the duty assigned them. eE-
changed ratfcations with the Mexican Minister
for Foreign Affairs and returned with report that
all was settled-as the senate had insisted 1t
should be. Not hint was gwen not whisper
breathed. that any new conditions or notifications
had been exaoted by Mexico Ia the faith that all
had been adjusted on the basis required by the
Senate. the War was closed, our Armies with
drawn. peaceful relations resumed and the pay
ment Of the stipulated indemnity commenced.
And now. six months after this adjustment. 1t
transpres that the Treaty is very different from
| what we have all along understood 1t to be-what
on its face it purported 70 be-that the Mexican
| Government demanded and obtained Of our En-
voys Messrs Clifford and Sewer, new conditions
which in effect nullify the action OF the Senate IN
striking out the Objectionable articles that three
articles were by them appended 20 the Treaty on
their face explanatory but in reality subverslve OF
the alterations made therein by the Senate and
that thus this country secretly committed to acts
which the Senate had officially decided that we
should not and at least that we constitutional
| ly could not do And all this has so long been
kept profound secret from the People and even
from the Senate itself, and now comes out IN
Mexico through the publication by her Govern
ment OF the secret articles Of the Treaty That
Government seems to have grown weary of rest
ing under imputations of having conceded too
much, has given publicity to the secret codicil and
thus it is made known to our people But for this
Messrs Polk, Buchanan, &c. might have subsidized
into private life without an ntimation that the
Treaty was anything else than it had been pub
lished.
But let us look TO the case as between the
Commissioners and the Senate We have before
us the official document Executive No. 80, XXXth
Congress, LIST Session. which purports to be The
Treaty between the United States and Mexico,
| the Proceedings of the Senate thereon and
| Message Of the President and Documents COM
municated herewith &c. &c. 3" from which
| the Injunction of Secresy has been removed" by
resolutions of the Senate on May 81 and June
of last year. From this document we copy as
| follows
| Art. TX. Of the Treaty as transmitted by Irist.
At TX The Mexicsns who in the territories sfore
said 10 wit those coded by Mexico in this Treaty shall
not preserve the character OF citizens of the Mexican
Republic comfortably with what 10 stipulated 10 the
preceding article shall be incorporated into the Union
OF United States and admitted as soon as possible
according the principles OF the Federal Constitution
to the enjoyment Of all the rights OF citizens OF the
| United States. In the meantime, they shall be main
tanned and protected in the the enjoyment OF their
liberty their property, and the civil rights now vested
in them according 10 the Mexican laws With respect
to political rights their condition shall be on an equality
with that of the inhabitants Of the other territories OF
the United ststes and at least equally good as that OF
the inhabitants of Louisiana and the Floridss when
these provinces by transfer from the french ep1bc
aud the crown OF spain, became territories oil the
| Unite States.
"The same most ample guaranty shall be enjoyed by
all ecclesisstics and religious corporations and commu
mites as well In discharge of the Offices OF their ministry
ga In the enjoyment of their property OF every kind
whether individual or corporate. This guaranty snsI
embrace all temples houses and edihces dedicated 10
| the Romsn Catholic worship, we'll as all property
destined to its support TO that OF schools hospitals
and other foundations for charitable or oenehcent pur
poses No property If this nature shall be considered
a. having become tie property OF the American Gov
eminent or as subject TO by disposed Of diver
| ted to other uses
"Finally the relations and communication between
the Catholics living in the territories aforesaid and their
respective ecclesiastical authorities shall be open Tree
and exempt all hindrance whsteyer even although
such authorities should reside within the limits OF the
Mexican Republic defined by this treaty and THIS
freedom shall continue so long new demarks,lon
of scsl districts shall not have been made con
| formally with the laws of the Roman Catholic Church
The Senate, March l. lsisl having the Treaty
| under consideration in secret session, Mr.. West
colt of Florida moved TO strike out the last para
| graph, which motion he afterw ard withdrew
Mr. II. v Johnson OF Geo. moved to insert after
the words Mexican laws in the first paragraph
this qualification" not inconsistent IcRh the Con
stitutlon and laws Of the United States Tois
motion prevailed Yeas s. Nays = He mex,
moved a proviso that this article should not be
construed as giving to Roman Catholics any other
rights and privileges than such as are enjoyed by
other religious denominations which failed
Yeas Is. Nays %.
MIR. Westcott now renew ed his motion TO strike
out the last paragraph OF the article bodily which
motion prevailed 20 TO Is: all the Wings but