The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-08-06
THE REPU BLIC.
[coMMUEICATED.1

American holders Of the Garay grant have q It'll
which is valid and has never been annulIed by an,
competent authority:
Having likewise shown that Mexico proposes to re
peal these titles with out granting to the America
people the same rights which the Garay transfe
will ensure TO them: ... ..
IL will not be improper to impress upon tn
minds Of citizens and statesmen the critical i'm
portance Of securing the construction of man
ways Of communication with the Pacifc--all O
which shall be free to the use Of any American
citizen without tax or passport.
Tehuantepec is one of these ways of communi
cation Indispensable to facilitate the construction
others. This it will do by pouring population ont
wealth into California. and thus increasing tn
ability of that country to aid in their construction
Though the Pacific States are yet in their infan
cy, their intercourse with tho Mississippi vale,
and the northern cities 10 immense. II 10, however
Insignificant, compared with what it must be whe,
the great Asiatic trade shall be fully developed.
will then constitute the great entrep6t and half
way station between the most powerful nations o
the earth.
The Government Of the United States has &C.
quired upon the Pacific nearly one million squar
miles OF territory.
1t has acquired Pacific coast line of nearly tw.
thousand miles. Upon this area, with even equa
density OF population, we may anticipate, wthir
the term Of an average existence, twenty five
States with ut least twenty-five millions Of people
LIS wealth we will not pretend to estimate. Here
then will be the two great lobes of American or
gauization, separated by wilderness Of nearly
two thousand miles Of distance; by the interposi-
ton of foreign country, the intercourse between
the potts OF this great empire 10 to be conducted
across the tornado des Muertos-the plains and
than would be required to circumnavigate the
world, or the intercourse must be condemned to
60 down by way of the lower Isthmus, q distance OF
more than five thousand miles
Is there to be no other way of communication
We may be answered that way exists through
the territory OF the United States. We do not DOUBT
that the wisdom Of the American Government i'll
railroads to be made through its territory by
every practicable route; these will require many
years to execute; but that we may the difficult
tics to be anc at present TO be interposed by
Mexico IL we attempt to cross by the way OF the
ella, Or any other route upon her territory let US
read the treaty of Guadalupe:
The With article givcs 70 "the vessels and cit
Gems Of the United States free aud uninterrupted
passage by the Gulf of California. and by the river
Colorado below its confidence with the ella, to and
from their possessions situated north of the boun-
Diary line defined in the preceding article-it be-
ing understood that this passage is to be by nav-
eating the Gulf Of California and the river Colo
RADIO, and not by land oithou the erpress consent Of
The Mexican government II by the examination
which may be made it should be ascertaincd to be
practicable and advantageous 10 construct road /,
canal, or railway, which should in whole or in part
run upon the riutr Qua, or upon its right or s left
margin Of the rtusr. the governments Of both republics
tviH form an agreement regarding its construction
in order that it may serve equally for the use and
advantage Of both countries" -FOUR italics
From this it will be that 20 far the loca
ton Of railroad communication is dependent
upon the ella, "the Governments of both Repub-
lies must form an agreement regarding it's con-
structon.'
.L.l. r
such an agreement, when she herself will be inte
rested tho proprietor and partner upon the Isth
mus ofTehuantepcc? Is it to be expected that she
will contribute to open o rival route? Indeed, the
policy Of Mexico in the treaty with the United
States in this particular rose above mere astute.
ness.
She denied the ,horoughfare across Tehuantepec
asked by Mr.. Polk, on the ground that she had
granted it away, and sanctioned its transfer to
British subjects She reserved the right of agree
ing to any way by tho valley OF the ella either
side. The route through her own dominions
impa ssabe, by reason Of robberies and exactions.
The communication between the United States and
its Pacific possessions must.have been carried on
around Cape Horn or across the plains. With the
adequate inducements offered to immigrants at
the date of the treaty, California and New Mexico
would have dwindled to distant and expensive dc.
tendencies, which might have been in time aban.
doned. Phe discovery Of gold defeated this mas
terly stroke Of exclusion.
But to return to the decree of May ID, 1852. II
is plain that it does not give exemption from cx-
port import, and transit duties.
The consequences Of a monopoly in the hands OF
Mexico, maintained by "the powers on a friendly
footing with that republic" are Of the most mo-
mentOus consequence to the United States. Mexico
proposes to seat herself by the wayside Of COM
inercc at Tehuantepec, as her ancestors at the pill
lars Of Hercules, and exact from the nations that
throng the thoroughfare enormous tribute
Let US consider what will be the contribution Of
the United States 1t will consist
l. or n transit the cifiZena naasD n owe
the Isthmus.
2. OF export duties and other charges upon the
gold trade, merchandise, and malls.
3. OF exactions upon the transportation Of mu-
nitions of war; troops, and supplies for the pro,ec.
ten Of California, Oregon, and New Mexico. Every
citizen OF the United States can estimate as we'll
selves what like to be the value of these cub
jects OF intercourse, and can determine what will
be the rate or aggregate Of exaction imposed upon
them.
1t is useless to expatate upon the importance of
curing by some better guarantee than the act OF the
Mexican Congress Of the l4th May, lS52-the free
and perpetual communication between the States
Of the Union. Can it be possible that that inter
course shall be- conference.-the circulate through
ways Of communication inadequate and subject
70 the control perhaps of inimical nations? Shall
il be left in the power Of those Who may control
the isthmian crossings to nix by convention,
amongst themselves, rates Of transit, to which the
whole American people shall be subjected through
all time for the privilege of going from one State
weighed, measured, and licensed by the lucky
monopolists who have pre.occuPied these import
ant thoroug hlaIes?
Passing from the assertion by "Vcridcus," that
Mexico has provided in the act Of Congress Of l4th
May, 1852, free transit and exemption from
and political duties from American citizens,
two circumstances may be cited which seem to
render such intentions improbable. The first is.
that when the treaty Of Tehuantepec. originated
by Mexico, was returned for ratification by that
government, it was rejected with every circum.
stance of Interpretation by the Congress-aided
by the formidable pamphlet lately imported for the
purpose of completing its condemnation.
The Mexican government proposed no rnodifca-
ton amendment of the treaty whatsoever. It did
not lay tive will ratify this treaty, but we will
ratify another, giving to American citizens free
transit and exemption from taxes and political
duties" rejected and repudiatcd the treaty and
proposed no other. True, tbe act Of Congress Of.
May IL, 1852, says "tho government of Mexico
mus, conclude treaty" But what sort of treaty?
One by which the nations on "friendly footing
with the republic to guarantee the ne trality
Of the 1sthmus in case of war" That 10, Mexico
is to constitute a supreme jurisdiction during
peace, which all friendly natons are to maintain in
case Of war. 1t is a mockery OF the intellect to
represent that rights invaluable to the American
people are to be secured by q treaty expressly
limited to maintain the most oppressive exactons
upon them. We ask the reader to look at the act