New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-09-11
:. TILE Tribune Answered. ,,

Under this head, the Epening Post informs
it's readers that our article of yesterday on
What Might Have Been is +" feeble
apology for our course-that the territory
which has been lost to Free Soil by extend
ing Texas up to $50 30l is "barren and
worthless" while
"Bo.h bill. defrsuded New Mexico OF the fertile cour.
try edsielv around he junction OF the river Puerco
with he BIO GIando sBd OQl0Fado
We don't know what The Post means
here exactly; for it certainly cannot mean
that ;he Puerco, an eastern tributary of the
Rio Grande, forms junction" also with
Fthe Colorado" whether it be the Colorado
that falls into the Gulf of California or thai
which finds the Gulf of Mexico through
Matagorda Bay. Nor do we think the term
fertile country" properly applied to any
part Of the valley of the Puerco, whose
general course lies through rugged, rocky
mountain region, though there may be 8
few square miles Of fertile land in the Rio
Grande valley near the mouth of the Paerco.
Nor do we agree that the territory lost to
New-Mexico by the failure of the Compre-
mise bill is barren and worthless" Some
of it may be go; but much of it is grassy
prairie, watered by the Canadian and the
more northerly branches of the Red river.
But admit that the boundary suggested
by Col. Benton (couutenanoed by Humboldt)
and now preferred by The Post would have
been better still than the Compromise, what
chance was there of securing it? Even
Col. Benton himself did not press it, though
he made speech in its favor. Mr.. Ewing
next tried it, but was voted down very de-
cidedly. If the party sustained by The
Post would have given it proportional
vote to that gladly accorded it by the
Wings, that boundary could have been car
ried but it never did and never would
Every attempt to settle the Boundary ques.
ton Just rightwe directly across the grain
of aggressive Slavery and partisan Democra-
cy. the former anxious to do its best for
Texas, as all that was given to her was Sc
cured to Slavery; while the latter was COM
plicated in the same bad business by Its Ia
volvement in the Annexation of Texas and
the cheating Annexation Resolutions stipu-
lating that all Texas abooe the line of 360
30f should be formed into Free States
This has been the mischief from the first,
palpable in the eyes of all who would see,
that the so-called Democracy was m "a
surably committed by its antecedents to the
pretensoDs of Texas, as was the South by
the natural instinct of Slavery to extend it
self; and that these two combined were
morally certain to wrest from New-Mexico
nearly all the territory in dispute not ESSEN
tial to her very existence. Such is the dan
ger and the catastrophe which We have
struggled to avert Or at least to modify.
The Post sees that this danger was real
feels it, knows it-but lacks the candor and
honesty to own it, expecting, by presuming
on popular ignorance or heedlessness, to
make capital for the party which imposed
the necessity for concession on the true men
of the North.
But hear The Post on the main point:
'As 10 the second point that II the fieniS OF Fres s
bad but supported The Compromise the boundary reported
by hs Committee ould have been adopted by Congress-
aud thip barren region wouIa have oeen saved New
Atxcoshe uode Ia hich we hsve disposed OF The hrst
pin might spare as the necessity OF arguing this Butt
any hipg cersin Ia political specn aenH concerning
the future Ia his ths II he Hdvrssriea Of The extension
Of Slavery had conceded sbyhtne OF he high ground they
took In the OF The controversy, their plisacy would
have teen made The r driving hem 10 still fur
ihsr concspols lfthey had ssid we viii support the
Compomse BILL upiusl think 1t the bou adates OF
New exco would in ali probability, have been still fur
Their rowed.n
Our position was substantially this-that
the friends of Free Soil in Congress, when
they held the fate of the Omnibus confess
sedly in their hands, might have command
ed such reasonable and just Boundary be-
tween New-Mexico and Texas as they had
seen fit TO require. The Wing Senator's
from the Southern States (Messrs. Berrien
and Morton excepted were not at all COM
mitted nor devoted to the pretensions Of
Texas they desired only peace and adjust
ment, and-the Wilmot Proyiso being
waived--would have cheerfully purchased
the success of the Compromise, if neces-
sary, by asserting either 70 Col. Bentons
line preferred. BY The Pose, or TO che line of
$50 drawn straight across from the Rio
Grande to the Red River. These Senator's,
with the eighteen Free Sellers from the
Free States, would have passed the bill;
ord tha sarge combination OF elements
would have passed it in the House. In ei-
Their case, many thousands Of square miles
would have been saved TO Free Labor which
are now irreooyerably lost. Instead of sup