The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-03-03
VOL. VII,

in position too imprcgnable to be assoni'' !
by your artillery. Why, sir Because sbs L "a
appealed to feeling in the human baa.s
which we will not disregard and will never C.
get, and that is to our magnanimity-toO ~,
sense Of justice-to the regard with which ~
strong should ever consider the weak Sba t ue
placed her argument before US; she has der,ou as
strated, to say the least, to her own sat;ss,n
ton, the integrity of her position and the 10.
tice OF her cause and when you reply 70 ~:
appeal that you are going to take forcibls Nh ms
session OF her territory, what is her ansr p's
You are strong, we are weak-take wba, u
will, we can 90 no further, Sir this co.,, yOu
will learn, in such q contest as that that ,i'
are forces more formidable than armies '1 ".S
one such force is the enlightened public ot anu
ion Of the civilized and Christian world
that same public opinion which threw tho a nnu
of its protection around the wanderer Kosa,s.ss
in the Turkish realms, and saved him ssou.
from the gigantic power Of Russia, will sb;oIG
and protect Mexico from any assaults WHICH
have been threatened upon her by this Adm u,Su
istration.
know, sir, that have taken what will /.
called an unpopular side of this ouestion u
have taken the Mexican side know tho,
the cant and popular phrase of the day 4 Win
be said | am against my country Sir sn'
for my country. desire that her fame r 90.
be preserved untarnished. | desire that inst,
may mark her progress desire no inisres, ,'
no attainments for her, that are inconss,a.,
with the highest regards that are due 10 ~.
rights of our neighbors, and more partienlo,lr
and emphatically our weaker neighbors SAX
| believe to be the position of Mexico. She !.
strong in her weakness. She is strong in tbs
appeal which she makes to our magnanim;tv
to our justice. ! stand here, then, to-day q,
pleading, not for Mexico, but for my own conn
try; and ] ask that you will not tarnisb n.
fair fame of the Republic. ask that Won will
not commit this wrong which you are threat.
ening to perpetrate upon a nation which NAV
be said literally to be helpless at your feet
that you will not in that way tarnish the rem
tation which yet has continued to be the prids
and boast and the inheritance of all orr neonIe
No, sir; let the interests of the nation. of ths
age, of humanity, of commerce, of social inter.
course, of Christianity and civilization, be taken
out OF the brokers' board. Sir we want some
body to come in as the Saviour of old went into
the temple of Jerusalem, and drove the money
changers out of the temple. We want to bring
to the deliberation of this question those con.
sderations which pertinently and appropriate
ly belong to it, When that is done, when tn,
Government is content to advocate these great
interests, and leave those who have made con.
tracts with the Mexican Government to the
appropriate remedy under Mexican laws, then,
and not till then, shall we put ourselves right
; | believe that it is our duty, as is suggested
in one of the resolutions reported by the Com.
mittee on Foreign Relations, " to review our
existing relations with Mexico and it is our
duty to discard entirely the Garay grant it is
our duty to throw it aside As was well sug.
gested the other day, we are changing tbI
venue. The issue was properly triable in Mex.
leo. 1t has been tried there, and the grant has
been condemned there. Ii was tried, abandon.
ed, and condemned, before any citizen Of the
United States had anything to do with it. |
protest, then, that we shall not be brought in,
as secOnd-rate lawyers, to take up and adyO
cate dishonored obligation, and have our ne.
gotiations reduced to that low standard. live
are going to be practcing attorneys for Mr.
Hargous, to assert his claim, let him bring US
claim that is not dishonored upon its face
Sir, it is an insult to us when he comes and
asks the United States to lend their diplomacy
to enforce his claim, when he presents us
claim which is dishonored on its face which
has been defeated and has expired. We ara
not the first attorneys that have been applied
to. The claim was first transferred to Great
Britain, and she refused to touch it. Six months
it remained in that situation, and then, in July,
l849, an appeal was made to the American
Government. This Government commenced
its negotiations with the Mexican Government
I tba Oh 4 l..
| fore me, continued and ended them with the
Garay grant.
Sir, will not intimate because do not be
lieve, and | have no opinion on the subject
that there were any undue influences brought
to bear upon anybody, at any time, in reference
to this grant; but will say that think there
was force in the suggestion which Gen. Arista
made to Mr. Fillmore, in his answer, when he
told him that there was something q little mys
terious about it.
do not know that can do the subject bet
ter justice than by reading to the Senate the
following extract from the letter Of President
Arista to President Fillmore:
1.-The mhinsatun presented by Mr.. Letcher i, an
act which has attracted much attention and prepares
the general mind for the injury which is intended
/
her in theory, to wit the right freely to spprove
reject the treaty especially when this right has been
exercised by your Excelloncy in this same business
when you disapproved of the treaty concluded on ZI
of June, 1850 But what is altogether incomprehes
sible is this that the New Orleans company beng
mostly interested in the matter and the Government
of Mexico being willing to advance the enterprise o
all equitable and prudent means in order to recon
cile the interests of said company with the least
sible sacrifice of its own, and without bringing
friendly nations into conflict all its propositions nav
been rejected and that said company have pieiene
rather to plant themselves the privilege oil osf}
which presents insuperable difficulties and contngen
eies Of all kinds. On percevng this tenacity oil p
pose, SO incomprchensible in prcferring the mpr'
ticable to that which was easy of achievement
troublesome undertaking TO one which was conyet /
snt-the conclusion is irresistible that the obs
particularly aimed at was an occasion to bring
J two countries into conflict; and that with th; n
| tenton, Mexico was required TO do what il ws1
known she could not and would not perform. Here,
Mr. President, is a secret-a mystery which time will
disclose. and which is entirely unknown to the heads
Of the two Republics; for have no doubt that your
EIcsllency will feel painfully affected as am IN
seeing the preference which is given to course be-
set with dangers TO one which presents no obstacles
and that the true interests of the company are sser
feed for shadow aud even for privilege so utter
J ly extinct as that of Garay, when Mexico tenders
them another which nothing can take away from
! them.
In this unfortunate business, however, there 4
something more baneful than a mere mystery thef1
receptions which have been carefully set afoa'}
with view TO blind the judgment and lead sstra
both the people and the President of the tnile'1
States The first efforts were naturally directed 'o1
wards your Excellency. in order to convince you
the rights Of Garay. and Of the legality OF his Ian
fer to the company which now claims those rgos
To achieve this they have not been scrupulons as
the TO be used-thosc rcsorted to being deee
and defamation: through the former they aimed
obtain the protection Of the Government Of be
ted States and with the latter to deprive Mexico
the sympathy and good will Of all men, by rsprescn
ing her as perfdous nation, faithless to hei "S1
and to her pledges These Mr. President a,e 10
means that have been used by those who speeuS.D
upon the good faith OF the Government and pcols a.
the United States have sought TO throw the manu
of the former over a commonplace and private "'"
action. ,bs
The true history Of this affair traced ron I'm ~"
fountain head and supported by authentic Srom
ments you will find in the accompanying rePV' reo
the Minister of Relations, the pcrusa Of which Is
ommend to the enlightened wisdom and Propp;;y