The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1853-06-15
The Mexican Difficulty.

celVe the people In regard to the quar-
rel with Mexico, and we charge upon
the agents of the administration the sup
preston of official documents essential
to proper understanding of the sub
ject. For considerable time report
mado by Col. Graham, assailing the
boundary line as run by the Commission
ers, and filled with attacks upon Mr..
Bartlett, has been printed and distribu-
ted. Col. Graham was instructed to
report to Mr.. Bartlett. This he never
did but he made an unauthorized re-
port upon matters in which he had no
proper concern, and which he has great
ly misrepreseuted, and this report Of
$50 pages has been spread over the coun-
try, while Mr.. Bartlett's Official report
Of 40 pages, ordered to be printed at
the same time, and actually printed now
for more than two months, is still piled
up in the Office of the public printers and
not a copy has been distributed, or has
been up to recent time and all this
time when the whole country is interest
ed in the subject, and every newspaper
is discussing it, while this official docu.
,nent is kept back, and spurious docu.
ment is circulated all over the land, the
organ of the administration is putting
forth statements that are entirely un-
true, and that are intended to blind the
people upon a question involving the
peace and honor of the country.
The enterprising correspondent of the
New York Times, obtained copy of
Mr.. Bartleits report, or portions of it,
at " ashington, and the same was print
cd in that paper aud thence copied into
others, but the official copies have not
been sent to the Senators, but have been
thus far suppressed.
Within few days the Union has sta.
ted that the line as run by the two Com.
missioncrs had never received the as.
sent of the United States Surveyor, and
that the Congress of the United States
had formally repudiated it. Now the
signature of the United States Surveyor
major Emory, who superseded Mr.
+ Gray vas affixed to the proper docu
ment ana the pro1iso, which the Uuior
calls the Reputation of the line, was re
poaled, the first act passed at the mex:
session of Congress Unless we are mis-
taken, it was unanimously repealed. Ii
would not have been adopted had its eff
feet been understood but it was SNUG
gled into the appropriation bill at thu
close of the session, as many other thing!
are. Even then it came near defeating
the bill, which was only carried by tn,
casting vote of the Speaker. Such ar,
the misrepresentation that are daily
put forth by the paper to which we lool
for the expression of the views of the ad
ministration.
1t seems strange, very strange, tina
men invested with the responsibility O
power, holding in their hands the desti
mics Of a great and free people, SHOULD
desire to plunge the country into an I'm
just war Yet, if we may credit the or
gan of the administration, such is TIL
desire and the determination of tn
President and his Cabinet On no 9th
or suppostion can the attitude of tn
United States towards Mexico be ex
planned. A clearer case than that o
the disputed boundary was never pre-
scented. To any man who will examine
it fairly, it presents but one side. Th'
line could not have been run in any res
pcct more favorable to this countr,
without violation of the express term
; of the treaty, We think that litera
construction of the treaty, and litera
following of DiGturnells map, woul,
have deprived us of two degrees Of Ion
gitude, which Mr.. Bartlett insisted upol
aud obtained. This gives us the cope
mines, the only valuable territory of tina
region, and cuts off a piece of Sonori
we had no right to, and which indeed tn,
Mexican government had no right t.
cede. New Mexico was territory, an,
the supreme government had a right I,
cedo it but Sonora and Chihuahu,
were States, and the government had no
the right to cedc them, and the treat,
was intended to guard against the ces
sion of an acre that belonged to either
But owing to the error of the map, which
was made part of the treaty, Mr.. Bart
lett secured for the United States
part Of both. II the question of tn,
boundary were submitted to the arbitra
tion Of disinterested party, We SHOULD
not only fail to obtain the Mesilla val
ley, to which we have no more claim
than to Vera Cruz, but We should loos'
the copper mines, to which the error o
the map gave us a claim.
If the Mexican government was capa
BILE of an act of common sense, it nigh
throw our own into utter confusion. u
might say the Mesilla is ours, but i
is not worth fighting for VIC surrender
it for the sake of good neighborhood
you are strong, we are weak take it
The valley would be deserted by tn,
population that settled it only for tn,
purpose of being secure within the Mex
lean territory. The ten or fifteen squar,
miles which are alone capable of cultiva
tion, and then only by irrigation, woulC
be abandoned, and all the rest is desert
This tillibustering administration would
be defeated by its success, it would gain
the miserable territory which is no
worth the ink that has been wasted owe
il, and would lose the pretext for wa
which is the only possible object of urg
ing a claim destitute alike of value an,
of validity. If Mexico we're capable o
this. il would be the gravest nationa