Daily American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1852, 1852-01-13

have been saved? Shall it be by contract
which, by placing under their control the funds
of the United States due to Mexico, and the
credit of Mexico based upon that Indebtedness,
enables them to extort from Mexico usurious and
exorbitant interest and to speculate on her by
buying up her deprecated bonds at 20 or 80
cents in the dollar, and demanding payment at
par?
Admitting that such was the effect of the con-
tract, it was argued that this was no concern of
ours. But we submit to you, Mr.. President, that
it does vitality concern both our honor and our
interests. Mexico complains that we have failed
to fulfil our treaty stipulation for the suppression
of hostilities by Indians who issue from our ter
ritories to ravage and lay waste her northern
departments, and to rob, plumber, kill and carry
into captivity her citizens, of whom many, of all
ages and both sexes, are now held in bondage by
those Indians within the borders Of the United
States. For our own part, if we could have had
any control over the matter, we would never have
assented to that provision Of the treaty, foresee-
ing, as we did, the impossibility of faithful
under it., the United States government would be-
come liable to the Mexican government and its
citizens. AS American citizens, we are proud to
declare that your predecessor and his Secretary
of State, being unable to fulfil this provision OF
the treaty, labored to show to the Mexican gov
eminent and to the world that their failure in
this respect was unavoidable, and not the result
u ..ll. 4 IL. Il. ~, &l,n -,
terchange of mutual courtesies and favors to
establish between the United States and Mexico
those friendly relations which it is the inte-
rest of both nations to maintain. We need
only refer your Excelency to the immense cost
and long duration of the Florida war, and to our
aton, to convince you that our interests, as well
as honor and good faith, imperatively require
that we should treat Mexico with the greatest
kindness.
And now, as another instance Of that duplicty
with which Mr.. Webster treated you and the
Senate, in the report which he transmitted
through you to the Senate, we should call your
attention to the fact that, neglecting his official
duties at Washington, he has been electioneering
through the country, claiming to have ''saved the
Union," when he is himself more responsible than
any other man for having famed the flame Of
that agitation which has created all the danger
to the Union. We refer you to the agitation OF
the Wilmot Proviso, which recently shook this
government to it's Foundations we refer you to
his course and speeches on the Missouri ques-
ton; we refer you to the public meeting called
together by him and others at the State house in
Boston, SO far back as the Sd December, 1919, for
the purpose of petitioning Congress to insert in
Union a prohibition of slavery The record OF
the proceedings of that meeting says that
"After the report had been read, Alden Brad
ford, ESQ.,, rose and expressed his doubts as to
the constitutional rights of Congress to prohibit
slavery, although he had as great an adherence
of slavery as any other man. He was replied to
by George Blake, ESQ.,, and the Hon. Daniel Web
ster, who demonstrated very clearly the consti-
tutional right of Congress to enact the prohibi-
ton, and. the strong expediency for exercising
that right"
Nor is this all Mr.. Webster was appointed
chairman of committee of FIVE, whose special
duty it was to promote this agitation. Nor is
this all! Inc report OF the committee mlro'
ducing the resolutions of which Mr.. Webster
was the ablest, most distinguished and control
ling member, proclaimed, without disguise, the
ExTIRpATIoN of slavery, in the following words
"The ExTIRpATIoS of slavery has never ceased
to be regarded as a measure deeply concerning
the honor and safety of the United States"
We repeat, then, that no one man bears so
large share of responsibility as Mr.. Webster
for the agitation which has tended to loosen the
bonds of this Union, and to arouse feelings OF
alienation, if not enmity, between its different
sections. Of all those who have selfshly sought
their own advancement by such means, not one
has possessed his great talents and dangerous
capacity for mischief; for
lie above the rest,