The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-06-04

damage IMAM 10 uestEoy v6lious awnings enu compe
Geographic operators to suspend work. The streets
were more thoroughly cleansed than they ever were
by the hand of man; the lightning greatly purified
the atmosphere, and everything fora few days will
be bright and clear.
Deputy Sheriff Wilett-in the absence Of Mr.. Or
ser-presided yesterday in a Court Of Inquisition,
summoned to investigate the question of the sanity
or insanity of Thomas Neary, now under sentence
Of death for the murder of his wife, with mallet
in March last. The court was opened by virtue OF
rescript from his Excellency Governor Seymour, and
jury of electors sworn in accordance with the
statute. Doctor Pliny Earle and Others were exam
ined by counsel for the convict and cross examined
by the District Attorney. Adhering to a decision
given by Judge Kent in a similar case, the court
ruled that it not competent for the jury to con-
slider his state Of mind prior to his conviction The
case will be resumed at seven o'clock this evening
There were only four boats entered yesterday at
the regatta of the Yacht Club, and they SO
completely becalmed between the Narrows and the
Hook, that they were compelled to come to anchor,
and give up the race. An account of the affair will
be found in another column.
In addition to large amount Of interesting local
and general information, our inside pages, to-day,
contain two letters from our West Point correspon-
dent, describing the annual review and examination
Of the Cadets at the United States Military Acade
my; Report of the Trial of the Millinery Case in
Williamsburg; Treaty with Paraguay, &c.
Mexico and the United states-The Boundary
Question nnd the Administration.
We think the public has been somewhat mis-
led as to the position Of the administration with
regard to the Mexican boundary question, the
-, cl.L
nor Lanes coup d'ftat is to be Of no benefit to
that enterlrising gentleman individually. still
the United States are to derive all the benefits
which may grow out OF it,, by endorsing the
claim to the Mesilla Valley, and maintaining
possession of it by force at all hazards. The
articles which have appeared on the subject
have not tended to weaken this general belief
smelling SO strongly Of : villainous saltpetre."
Now, we have pretty good reason for believ-
ing that such is not the position Of the Presi-
dent, and that, moreover, no mystery whatever
really exists as to his actual view Of the case
There is no intention Of Selling the Mesilla
Valley-nor is any violence anticipated in the
establishment Of our just rights when it is as
certained what those rights are.
The boundary line between the United States
and Mexico is defined by the fifth article of the
treaty Of Guadalupe Hidalgo That article de-
cares that it shall commence in the Gulf Of
Mexico opposite the mouth of the Rio
Grande, and proceed thence up that river
to the point where it strikes the southern
boundary of New Mexico; thence westwardly
along the whole southern boundary of New
Paso,) to its western termination; thence north
ward along the western line of New Mexico
until ii intersects the first branch of the river
Gila" &c.
The negotiators of the treaty, well knowing
the uncertainty which existed as to the true
southern and western boundary of New Mexico,
and in order to avoid any difficulty in ascer-
tanning it, declared in the same article that
"the southern and western limits of New Next
CO, mentioned in this article, are those laid
down in the map entitled Map of the United
Mexican States, as organized and defined by
various acts of the Congress of said republic,
and constructed according to the best authori-
ties-revised edition-published at New York
in 1s4!, by j. Disturnel'" and, as a further
caution, added copy ofthat map to the treaty
In order to designate the boundary line with
due precision, and to establish upon the ground
landmarks to show the limits Of both republics
the treaty requires that " the two governments
shall each appoint a commissioner and q sur
veyor." who shall meet at the port of San
Diego, and proceed to run and mark the said
boundary in its whole course to the mouth of
the Rio Bravo del Norte." 1t requires that
. they shall keep journals, and make out plans
Of their operations and the result agreed upon
by them shall be deemed q part Of this treaty,
and shall have the same force as if it were
inserted therein"
With regard to this portion OF the boundary
line between the two countries certain natural
objects are called for by the treaty, on which
there can be no dispute, as they have fixed
locations on the earth's surface One of them
is the old town of FL Paso, which the Mexicans
were determined should not fall within the ter
ritory ceded to the United States; and the
treaty therefore expressly declared that the
southern boundary Of New Mexico ran north
Of that town. The other is the Rio Grande 1t
was obviously the duty Of the joint commission
to have ascertained the distance between Fl
Faso and the southern boundary of New Mex
leo according to the scale on which Distur-
nel's map was constructed. and to have mea-
cured, in the proper direction from FL Paso,
that distance from the ground, and there
established the initial point" as it is
called. The town Of FL Paso is laid down
in Disturnell's map about eight miles south
Of the boundary Of New Mexico. Here, then,
was a plain and sufficient guide for the
mmission to go upon. But instead Of doing
this they measured from the thirty-second par
allel Of latitude, and gave as their reason or
excuse for so doing, the fact that the position
Of FL Paso was enormously represented by
Disturnell. The map was erroneous in other