New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-02-08
The secret Protocol TO the Trcaty with Mex
ico-Genuine.
Correspondence Of The Tribune
W.su~cToS Monday. Feb =.

agreed TO and signed Protocol to the Treaty OF
Guadalupe Hdalgo whereby the whole effect Of
the senates amendments 10 Mr.. Tnsts Treaty IS
untitled and our Government stands committed
10 all those slipuitions with regard 70 Mexican
l.pd.grsnts in Texas aud Catholic Church posses
sicps in perpetuity, which the Senate decided TO
be inadmssble. Nay, 1t is farther true that
Me.rs Polk and Buchanan have accepted the
Protocol and filed it away in the secret archives
Of the State Department without submitting them
70 the Senate or allowing Congress or the Country
to know that such Protocol existed The Ma
ton is fully committed by Treaty TO engagements
which, through its constituted authorities It had
emphatically rejected do not believe this trans
action has parallel in the history Of mankind
The debate ia the House to-day was quite spirit
ed and the House evinced deep interest IN 1t OF
course. Mr. STEPHENS was clear and forcibe-
Mr.. g. s. Housros lin defence Of Polk Co.. did
the best he cOuld-Mr. ScHESCE was acute and
spicy making some very good lawyer.like hits,
which could not fail TO tell. Mr.. BURT Of :. {.
closed the debate with call for the Previous
Question in the best kind of o speech-oi the one
minute sort embracing all that needed TO be said
II was model, and hope TO record many imita
tons doubt whether the debate as q whole
was calculated to do any good. The matter IN
hind SONS largest in it's naked e1ormity-speak
ing about 1t tends 10 lamarize the mind 20 1t,
III the mind begins TO wonder how II can be so
atrocioos when honorable men are found to rise and
psliate it. The less fog there is raised about 1t
the more must its true character be impressed on
the public mind
could not shake of the impression that this
Protocol mast be an impudent forgery until Mr..
HoUsTos rose in defence, and began TO urge that
the Protocol did not amount 10 much-thst the
Treaty as ratified by the Senate or at least Mr.
Buchansns instructions accompanying 1t, was
nearly identical with the provisions contained IN
this Protocol--that the latter but authorized
explanation Of the Treaty itself. The knock down
answer TO this is-Thsn uhy ros The Protocol so
Mudiously e0ncealed' Why has it been kept
dark these six months Why does 1t now see the
hight through Mexican sgenoy Why is the House
now compelled TO extort, by the EXTREMIST exer-
else OF its power, an Executive admission that
sach Protocol has an existence No, no the
ease is too plain. Had not Messrs. Polk and Blu
ehansn well krorn that this Protocol materially
changed the Treaty, and changed it in express de-
hance Of the votes Of the Senate, they would not
have kept it cloaked as long as possible Every
hours conce alment increased the weight of the
presumption against their integrity. They have
YIELDED only TO their terrors in keeping 1t back so
long
But what dad they mean = is the natural In
quiry They surely are not mad nor idiots, (at
least Buchanan is not and must have known
that this could not be concealed forever. What
was their ideal
1t was this In the first place. they as
anxious to get out of the War last year as they
had at frat been anxious TO get into It. The
Treasury was running low-Glory was at DIS
oount--War had begun TO be felt as our'hen'
They knsw that, If the War were not closed before
the Election. their party must be oysrthrown-
for the People would vote the Wings in expressly
70 get Peace. Hence their snstohing at Trist's
unauthorized Treaty-hence their posting of Sc
vier and Clifford for rs,fcstion-hence Buchan-
ans dishonest Instructions, wholly unauthorized
Ny the Treaty as ratified. Well the Commits
bionep pressed the views contained in these In
structons, in order to procure ratification Of the
Treaty as amended, until finally Messrs. Herrera
and Rosa said Nell, gentlemen, we take you
at your word. II the amendments make no sub
sstantial change, we assent TO the Treaty but we
want the Interpretation In black and white
'Sign this Protocol, and we sign the Treaty. Thus
cornercd, Messrs. Clifford and Sewer took the de.
cisve step and the Treaty was signed-and the
Protocol also.
- But then the conccalmenf How could they
have involved themselves IN that Messrs. Sc
'ver and Clifford Of course transmitted the Pro.
tocol to their Government, aud why was it not
submitted to the Senate for approval, even
q If withheld from the Country 1T is hard 10
account nationally for the acts OF weak, bad men
when they find themselves involved in difficulties,
but we can see how tins probably was The Pres
ident and Secretary doubtless reasoned thus To
send this Protocol to the Senate must result In
its publication. The Treaty itself is not popular
with its Fifteen Millions 20 pay Mexico and Five
Millions more to our own claimants but add to
this these new conditions, and the country " in
rise against us in one general burst Of indigna
ton. and Cass must be defeated. Blu, let him be
elected, with Congress to match. and we n
manage 1t somehow-we Il make 1t appear al
old story. or perhaps humbug. Beside can
much easier face some future Senate than the
very one that expunged the Objectionable Arti-
cles from the Treaty. At all events. we can't
. stand the disclosure Ror--so let us stave It OF
and trust to the chapter OF accidents. You may
say this is all very shallow and short-sishted, but
what sort OF reasons do you imagine there for
such acts
Bat the thing is out now, and the consequences
must be met. We are involved IN engagements
TO Mexico which the country never meant to con-
tract-nevsr authorized any one 20 contract in its
behalf. What then We cannot so to war with /
Mexico on this ground for she is entirely blame.
lees in the premises-we must get along with our
oblig atoms to her as well as we can. Nor do We
believe il expsdient to deal formally with Messrs.
Polk and Buchanan. That their offence 10 I'm.
peschsb.s we have no doubt II anything Presi-
dent and Secretary Of State do merits impesch.
nent then this does But they have already been
MED and condemned BY the People-of their sew.
nal States as well a. of the whole Union-and
hey are not worth wasting the precious hours of
his Session upon. Let their punishment be the
Indignation and scorn OF a betrayed and outraged