The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-07-06

| open. mart hCINtS Keeps tnlCket
philosopher replied to man who asked leave to se
what he carried under his cloak. al carry it ther
| that you may not see it.
| Well, we are Obliged to assume that Texas ID u
be paid more than her claim is worth, because she
will not trust to distinct and Independent nego
| tiaton. The payment is condition of the admis
sion OF California; and thus California--the
desire of the nation and the envy of the world re-
duced by the Senate Of the United States TO the hu-
| initiation of chaffering and chewing with money
| changers and stock brokers. continually batting
her offers with richer rewards. TO obtain her adms-
| sion into the Union.
| The extent and value of the acquisition are
equally unsatisfactory. When the question is on
the sum to be paid, Texas nearly all New
! Mexico; but when il comes the domain to be
obtained, II turns out that we to cede to Texas
part of that province to the rest; and to paw
her ten or fifteen millions to induce her acceptance
OF the ccssion Surely, If we concede to Texas the
admiration her representatives require, they must
admit that she knows how to coin our admiration
into available gold.
The title. Il is beyond dispute that the territory
which Texas offers was. from time immemorial an
integral part of New Mexico, and that not an acre
of it ever was in the possession of Texas 1t ia
equally clear that the United States found it in the
possession OF Mexico, and conquered, and bought
II, and that they hold it by treaty soemnly execu-
ted. Ii is certain that Texas never conquered it,
never bought it, and has treaty concession to
! show for it,
She asserted, think in 1896, by la in her stat
ute book that her boundary should be the 42d par
alle; that s, she declared her purpose to conquer
SO much Of New Mexico. But sih never executed,
nor even attempted to execute, that purpose. She
came into the United States without having exc
cuted il. Her statute, therefore, was mere 6,utu,n
fuimen. The United States, in the articles of an
ne xaton, refused to commit Themselves to the
claim of Texas. Subsequently the United States
waged war against Mexico, not for the claim of
! Texas, but for other The war was waged
10 obtain satisfaction Of commercial debts, and in
IDENTITIES for the expenses OF the Being thus
| eng gcd in war, the United States accepted New
Mexico and California in satisfaction Of the com
mercia debts and the expenses of the contest after
paying fifteen millions of dollars for their excess in
value. Thus the United States, free from obliga-
ton to Texas, acquired the territory of New Mexi
co, making the conquest and paying the whole
| alteration alone. The claim of Texas is ground
less in equity AZ by the strict rules of law. The
claim OF Texas is just good to the whole of Cali
fornia to New Mexico
Nor is the proposition more satisfac tory in re-
gard to the purposes to which the Territory to be
applied. l am satisfied that the soil of New Mexi-
is free coil now by operation Of unrepealed Mex
lean laws. know that it would be less surely free
if this bill passed. The bill would raise
cloud upon the question ! prefer rather to leave
New Mexico as il is.
New Mexico has no representative here. Every
phase OF this compromise exhibits disaember-
equivalent Texas already has a vast domain of
SURPRISING fertility. New Mexico is lcss xpansive
and comparatively sterie. This bill. nevertheless
literally applies the Scripture, "For unto every
abundance; but from him that hath not, shall be
taken away even that he hath'
This perversion of right proceeds upon the
ground that either New Mexico has no certain
title, or that she has political government TO de-
iend It.
Sir, New Mexico was n distinct colony of Spain
New Mexico was a State in the republic of Mexico,
and afterwards political Territory in that
republic. She never less than that. We
found her in that condition and character. She re-
tains that character now, Only her allegiance is
transferred TO the United Stat.s, while some of the
powers Of government suspended by conquest re-
main IN abcyance. She Ia republic according to
| the definition Of Cicero: Res pubiica, pop,Ii
popuius ariten omnis hou,in,ps cairls, guoquo
nodo consrsgatus, ssd eot,as nUi ,fudsa,s j1ls
ssnsu, Ell utii'fatis coUmuuions sociaius."
New Mexico has domain, population resources,
and qualified domnion-arts, customs Ia w. and
religion. She holds these physical and moral cle-
ments of a State subordinate TO the United States
but nevertheless distinctly and apart from all other
communities. New Mexico, moreover has framed
her Institutions ON the principle of the common
origin Of man and tho common government Of
God. And thus she Possesses the irst last and
chief element of democratic or republican States
impartial civil liberty-that element which favors
the creation Of wealth, without which State must
be po~eriess; the equalization OF property, without
approximation To which State IL ex xposed TO
oppression; the diffusion Of knowledge, without
which republican institutionscannot be preserved;
and the development of strength, courage, and en-
terprise, without which State cannot flourish.
New Mexico has adopted the system that is best
htted To maintain war, and the system that is
best adapted to secure peace. New Mexico, there
fore, might well have aspircd, even under Mexican
sway-much more may she aspire under the foster
ing care OF the United Statesto such greatness as
the free States in this Union have attained-such
greatness as is sttainable by only purely demo
cratic States.
New Mexico, pressed 10y the encroachment of
Texas and by the jealousy OF the slave States i'm
plorcs from protection of her territory and of her
constitution. This bill ol compromise compromises
her claims by dividing her territory right and left
boldly assigning part 10 undisgused slavery, and
the rest insIdlOusly to exposed frecdomS Sir, u
concur ia giving any government 10 New Mexico,
II must be as good ono ~ she has already. Al
though the drama OF our conquest in Mexico falls
into successive acts, conducted by different por-
formers, II is nevertheless whole Transaction;
aud II this bill shall pass, that ransaction, 50 far
New Mexico Is concerned. will be conquest Of
free Republic, aud the conversion Of il in whole or
In part into n slave STATE.
What l. New Mexico that sho should be thus
wronged' An unofcnding rival prostrste at our
iecH pray you, Senators for the sake. IL not Of
justice, at least Of magnanimity, to exercise your
power over her by sparine her-to punish by for
giving her the crime Of loving liberty we'll Her
ancient charter contains the glowing words-es.
tabisbed by ,he consent Of mankind the founda-
ton OF all true government, which Jefferson made
our own-"Ali men naturally were born free, and
were, by privilege above all the creatures, born to
command, and not To obey earthly authority, not
derived from their own consent" That charter IL
in our hands
" VIC fhsc al mat OUT anu give the char YER back
to New Mexico, mutsted and lifeless thing, we
shall have repeated the crime of the partition Of
Poland, the crime Of the subversion Of the recent
brief, bat brilliant Republic of Italy; shall have
ciDulated the Stuart who seized the charters of the
free corporations Of England aud thereby lost a
throne; and .hall have surpassed the Gue ph. who
inierpolated taxation without representation into
the constitution ol Britain, aud thereby lost the
piro which wo enjoy. Sir, il would bc act so un
So tyrannica that, upon the principles ofour
own separation from Great Britain, II would work
forfeiture Of titlc altogether. Hear what the
good Las Cssss said ~ the Emperor Charles the /
Fifth, concerning these very possessions: 'fNot- |
witbstanding your grant OF all these countries from
the Pope, aud your title by conquest, you have yet
no right over them, unless you do ia the fret place
as the principal end, regard their good. The /
reason IL, that regard ~ to be bad the principal
end and the cause for which superior or universal
lord IL set them, which is their good aud pro
t, and not that il should turn to their destruction
aud ruini for that should be, from thence ward
that power would b. tyrannical and unjust, as
tending more TO the interest and profit of the lord
than TO the public good and profit Of the subjects
which, according TO natural reason and the laws of
God and man Is abhorrcd, aud deserves To be alb |
horred
Sir, beg those citizens of the An