The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-02-04

of Mexico for such length of time What Is the posi-.
lion OF this question This grant considered by
Mexico when we negotiated with her for the treaty OF
peace IN S47 as SO well established that she absolutely
refused 10 enter into negotiations with the subject
because the grant had been ceded to English
he rights OF that company vested in American
citizens Mexico has twice entered into treaty stpua-
tons recognising the validity OF the grant By special
orders and instructions and passports, she has permitted
our and officers TO there and survey the
Yet. suddenly under circumstances which the senator
from Virginia so graphically and ably described yeser-
day. by mere political turn of the wheel. she took il
lnto her head that the grant must be abrogated and that
the treaty must not be concluded. The Mexican Con-
gress passed an act abrogaIg the grant Not only
lLa DONE bu, the Mexican government drove from the
country the engineers and officers OF the company sent
there by her SPECIAL permission.
Mr. HALE, lineIposing.) wish TO ask the honorable
senator question for have been listening TO him with
deep interest He speaks OF The assignment of the grant
to American citizens being ratified acknowledged by
treaties. want to inquire of him il those treaties have
been ratified by the different branches OF the Mexican
Mr. DOWNS. No. sir; but one OF them has been rati-
fled by the American Senate.
Mr.. HALE. And rejected by the Mexican auhori-
Mr.. DOWNS Rejected or not acted upon, and
therefore null. give the President and Secretary OF
State great credit Tor their course in this lTansac-
they might and ought TO have gone step further.
When this ignomny was imposed upon our cltl-
zens OF sending of officers and engineers who had
been invited to go thereand one OF them officer
Lof the United States OF high rank-l think it
Edgniiy which the government ought TO have resented
and not to have permitted quietly to pass by. Then was
proper time TO vIndcate the honor and to show the
strength OF this country II. instead OF pocketing the in
suit the President of the United States had ordered
Gulf OF Mexico to the mouth of the Coalzacualcos, and
had suggested to the company 10 send their engineers
there and put them to work, and that the government,
would protect them. they would have gone 10 work on
the surveys they would have finished them, and the road
would have been in progress, and perhaps half completed
by thus tune and there would have been not only no
plant But we yielded; we submitted; were dumb.
And that is not ALL
What has Mexico been doing! After this grant had
been thus solemny made, thus sanctioned in so many
uiHerent decrees OF the government and by treaties
tered into by this county-after the Senate had
toned the treaty Of 1851, and it was only waiting the
Tanhcation OF the Mexican governmeHt-what did Mex
co do! Considering all her obligations, and all her faith
pledged to the United Saes nothing she held up this
grant, huckserng il all over the world to everybody. to
what price she could get for it. II she is allowed to
do thatf the United States can stand by amely and al
low that TO be done-she would be very apt next month";
or next year. to set up California for sale, and turn
represent that State Or, the principle. Spain
might set up right 10 sell Forda France sell Lou
lsana ior in my opinion, the obligations by which those
Territories ceded scarcely less binding than the
which the Mexican government entered into
in making this grant. How, then, pause-how
can we hesitate in regard to the policy which we should
pursue! We cannot pausewe cannot hesitate, unless
we say TO the world that will submit 10 anything. to
any IndgnIty that may be imposed upon that
so fond OF peace that will permit everybody in
suit us.
Mr. President this is an appropriate subject for prac.
lcal action and not for discussion abstraction
and am glad TO have such question upon which TO
ions may do we'll enough for others, bat think the
course OF policy OF country is better illustrated by
acts than by words And now, when we have question
s5nif o rs asSsasa asoa .sa nn i .
than any resolutions which we might pass on subjects
which are not practical as that which is before US
am q
any nation wouli not stimulate the military feeling of
the people Of the United States, their disposition 10 ac-
quIe territory. think both perhaps already too
great but feel that is duty to protect honor
and preserve our proper position among the nations oil
the eath and show that on all proper occasions our
strength and power will be exercised and that too, in
such way TO make il perfectly understood by The
whole world and think this is proper occasion for
that purpose Let it not be said that the pro-
posed by the resolution extraordinary that there
would be anything extraordinary in resolutions even
stronger than these Not al all II is not the FIRST time
the history OF this country OF other counties, that
government has assumed right to and taken pos
session Of territory and negotiated afterwards There
many instances OF such course ia history Why,
sir in my own State, Tor seven years after the ces
sion OF louisiana from 1903 to 1910, large portion OF
the present State of Louisiana remained in the posses
sion OF the Spanish government and under the Spanish
thorty In 1910 was taken possession OF by gov
eminent before the treaty of lsi9 and posses
sion for nine years, and the title settled by the nego,
alton in 1919 at last Did II lead to war No; produced
We had the right we seized on the territory and
Again gentlemen must not suppose that every foot
place upon foreign territory eecroachment, and
is a cause for war. We have not been particular
heretofore in matters OF this sort Long ago. before we
acquired Florida, you know, and the country knows,
General Jackson marched army into Florida, and he
actually seized and executed some of the ncendaries
who had been exciting Indian hoslities against us, and
his fully vindicated by the administration
then in power 1t would, then, be novel thing in the
history of country, Of other countries, it, when
such indgny had been imposed upon by the Mex
lean government we had vindicated rights, and
sent such force into that territory necessary
protect the surveyors, and let them 20 with the work
IL would have led 10 no war; on the contrary 1t would
probably have tended to adjustment OF the question
satisfactory to all the parties long ago So far
from energetic measures promoting war, or not being
our true policy, they often the very best means OF
preventing We sometimes get into wars by hesita-
ting and doubling too much.
believe, sir in all probability, the Mexican itself
would have taken place il the Mexcans had been
convinced from the first that we would insist our
nights, that would hesitate and doubt. But had
claims against them for spoaiions upon citizens
we negotiated treaties OF indemnity there difficult
ties in the execution OF them we temporized with the
Mexcans; we gave them time showed them almost
every indulgence Then had dispute with them
about the boundaries of Texas. They claimed land
OF the Rio Grande, and careful not TO offend
them in that until they 10 the conclusion that they
could persuade induce to do almost anything, and,
finally, they were led to acts which resulted in war