The southern press., 1851-05-03
The mexIean Tresty.


Tho Mexican Treaty.
II is said that il will cost four millions of dol.
lars annually to keep an adequate military force
on our Mexican frontier, to prevent the incur
sions Of Indians from our territory into the Mex
ican settlements, which we are bound to do by
the treaty Of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This is part
Of the cost of California and New Mexico.
When the army estimates were presented to
Congress at the last session, they were found
to be so great that she House Of Representatives
took the alarm, and reduced them several mil.
lions without much examination or argument.
This is said to be the reason that more adequate
measures have not been taken on that frontier
against the Indians, and hence the Mexican gov
efnment complains Of infraction of the treaty,
and makes reclamations for the injury that has
been suffered.
The extension of our settlements to the border
of the great plains that lie between Missouri and
the Rocky mountains, the acquisition Of territory
from Mexico, and the engagements made with
her concerning the Indians, have given to our In
dian policy new aspect.
For several years prior to the late war with
Mexico, the Indians within her territory had been
making encroachments on her settlements. The
expansive power Of Mexican or Spanish civiiza-
ton was exhausted, and it was receding before
the power of the barbarian.
TIE growth Of u people seems to be limited
TO a period of about thousand years. At least
we have no authentic history of any race, which
has continued Tor a longer term than that to ex-
pand. And the Spanish race which sprang from
the tribes Of Northern barbarans that overran
the south of Europe, continued to advance until
its empire comprehended the continent of Ame.
rica, from Cape Horn to California, and began
to recede in the beginning ofthe present century.
Our own race began its career Of conquest about
hundred years before the con4uestof Of England
by the Normans, which was in 1906, and we shall
probably attain our utmost limits in another Gen.
tury. Already the British branch Of the family
seems to have nearly spent its expansive force,
and the ratio of our own increase in population
is now rapidly declining. The ruder state Of
society does not admit of the highest rate of
human increase. The period most favorable to
that is probably midway between barbarism and
the extreme Of refinement when population de-
clines.
But il is remarkable that every great division
ofthe world has a vast region in its neghborhood,
absolutely unavailable for highly civilized races,
but well adapted, as the nursery of rude
population, to take the place of corrupt and
decrepid one. The plains of Arabia produced a
shepherd people to overrun the dense civiliza-
ton Of Egypt The Steppes of Tartary, ex.
tending across the north of Asia and Europe,
have nourished the Nomadic tribes that conquered
China and Southern Europe. The old continent
has, since the Christian era, been half conquered
once from Arabia, and once from Tart4ry; AZ.
rica has her Zahara; North America her vast
Prairie plain, and South America her Pam, as.
Can it be that the region which extends from
Texas to the SHOWS of northern Oregon, and
from Missouri to the Rocky mountains, so well
adapted for Nomadic tribes, so unfit for civilized
life, is to be the nursery of people which will
visit on the vices of our empire the fate that fell
on Rome!
The tendency of Mexican and American life
all around the great plain is to shepherd life.
The Indians we have colonized in the West, are
making some progress in that direction When
ever the wilder tribes shall be led to the same
habits by imitation, or be driven by the increas-
ing scarcity of the buffalo, the tide of Indian
population will no longer ebb. II, coincident.
ly with such development, one powerful tribe
should extend its conquests, and incorporate in
stead Of exterminating its enemies, the begin
ming Of an Indian power will be made, that may
retort on our race the conquest Of the CONT
nent. II would be as difficult TO conduct the
operations Of civilized warfare against such
people as NAPOLEON found II against the Cos
sacks. We found II more impracticable to con-
quer the Seminoles than the Mexicans
But whatever may be the results, now or here
after, Of our conflicts with the Western Indians,
we are much mistaken II we have not entered
on an era Of Indian warfare that will cost us
more blood and treasure than has ever visited
the dreams Of our statesmen.