The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-07-19

light we doubt not, they viii be regarded by |
the administration.
Senior Salazar, the Mexican Commissioner,
as it appears. maintains tie incontee..,ole
right of Mexico to the yesilla Valley and
threatens to resign If me least concession is
made to the tillibustering pretensions Of Gov.
Lane. And the Trait d Union, the organ Of
the French in the Mexican capital, and perhaps
the most impartial newspaper authority there
in reference to Mexican affairs, is doubtful
whether Mexico, Chat is Santa Anna, Fetat
c'est moi,') would entertain any proposition
whatever for the purchase Of the Mesilla coun
try. Furthermore, it seems that from the dis
honoring of the Sloo drafts upon his Tehuante
pee contract apprehensions were entertained
that the whole project would fall to the ground
These several specifications afford sufficient
margin for some practical deductions touching
the present exact condition of the pending en-
| barrassments between the Mexican government
| and our own. Primd fdcie, there is nothing con-
ciiatory in this intelligence. nor can we. from
the best analysis we can make of it, arrive at
any other conclusion than this: that it will re-
quire the incest forbearance and moderation on
both sides to avoid the ultimatum of war in the
settlement of our various difficulties with
Mexico.
First: upon the Mesilla Valley question the
position of Senior Salazar, if adhered to by
Santa Anna. with refusal to sell the disputed
district, must inevitably result in the trial of
battle Both parties cannot proceed to occupy
with an armed force the same piece of ground
without coming to blows. The experiment on
the Rio Grande of 1916 is very striking case
in illustration. Mexico claimed the country be-
tween the Rio Grande and the Nueces-so did we.
We sent an armed force to occupy this disputed
district-so did Mexico skirmsh followed.
General Tayl or was reported to be surrounded
by an overwhelming Mexican force. Congress
instantly declared war to exist by the act of
Mexico and. with this declaration, voted fifty
thousand men and ten millions of money to open
the first campaign. Now, who can say that the
claim Of Mexico to the present disputed terri
tory is not as good as was her claim to that
margin of desert which resulted in the war of
40? Her authorities insist that it is better be-
ing not only valid, according to the established
boundaries of chihuahua. but according to the
act of our Boundary Commissioner appointedto
run the line under the treaty of peace. Hence
the pertinacity with which the Mexicans cling
to this Mesilla Valley for, whether right or
wrong. the line conceded by Mr.. Bartlett they
regard as concession by the United States, as
required by the treaty and by the established
boundary between the State of Chihuahua and
the territory of New Mexico
by our administration invades the soil of a
Mexican State, which cannot be coded
away under the federal constitution of the
Mexican republic. Otherwise, Mr.. Trist
might have insisted upon a straighter line
in the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
The line of Mr. Gray, therefore, which
is the line of General Pierce, cannot be con-
ceded by Santa Anna without revolutionizing
the fundamental law of the confederation of
the Mexican States. Santa Anna is pledged
also, to maintain intact the integrity Of the soil
of the republic. His popularity, nay, his very
existence will depend upon it, at least until he
shall have made successful coup d'ftat in re-
establishing the Empire. or in retroceding the
republic back to its ancient allegiance to
Spain.
On our side, the administration has laid claim
to the disputed territory; and this fact places
General Pierce in very delicate and RESPONSE
BILE position. Should Santa Anna persist in
refusing to surrender it, in connection with an
additional slice for railroad south of the Gla
for good round sum Of money and should he
refuse arbitration in the matter, the only alter
native will be to take possession of the land by
force Of arms. This, of course, will involve us
in war, the end of which, it is plain to foresee
will be the absorption of the whole Mexican
republic for the whole of it would become
necessary to obtain the overland inter-oceanc
route Of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec
The United States and Mexico stand just now
very much in the same general relations
towards each other as Russia and Turkey The |
probabilities provocations, and tendencies to
war between us and our unfortunate republican |
sister are even more numerous, and quite as
strong as between the Car and the Sultan
Perhaps our disputed boundary may be adj
justed without invoking another crusade to the
Halls Of the Montezumas.' But then the Te-
huantepec question confronts us. In lS4S the
Mexican commissioners refused to grant us the
Tehuantepec right Of way for fifteen millions of
dollars because it had already been granted to
Don Jose Garay who had transferred it to the
English house of Mcintosh Co, whose rights
the Mexican government were bound to respect.
Tide the treaty negotiations.l But now, the
grant having been turned over to a company of
Americans it is repudiated by Arista, and SUI
perseded by Santa Anna on his return to
power by his confirmation of the late Next
can Sloo contract. But as our govern
ment, including the democratic Committee
of Foreign Relations in the Senate thought ft
to make this matter casus beUi with Arista,
we apprehend it will be difficult to avoid the
same ultimatum with Santa Anna, by whom,