The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-05-01
The Gatlsien Treaty Syindle-The Admins
tratiOn and the Railroad Jobbers.

tration and the Railroad Jobbers.
We understand that President Pierce, Secre-
tary Marcy, and General Almonte. the Mexican
Minister at Washington were closetei together
pretty much the whole Of last Friday in profound
fcent railroad swindle known as the Gadsden
treaty They were probably debating the ex-
pediency Of accepting the reduction made by
the Senate, from twenty millions to ten mil
lions, as the cash price for the several equiva-
Tents to be conceded by Santa Anna. We pre-
sumo that there will be no difficulty in coming
TO an arrangement upon this basis; for Santa
Anna wants money very badly, and the rail-
road jobbers interested want their rights Of
way and a few extra millions with which to
turn their speculation to the best account in
quilting credulous capitalists and in fleeing the
innocent public.
| As far as we have been able to ascertain, two
millions of dollars will cancel all the bona file
claims OF Mexican citizens against the United
| States, and Of American citizens against Mex
leo. The batch OF Mears and Gardner claims
paid over under the last treaty, has
| strikingy illustrated the tendency 10 the
most atrocious frauds in this business,
50 that, even by limiting the amount for claims
to two millions. il is quite possible that half
the amount may be swallowed up by other
| Gardners, and their legal Cabinet and Con-
| gressional conspirators. But, setting apart two
millions for claims. and taking the testimony
Of the late Boundary Commissioners-Mr Bart
l.ft al nEa
Col. Fremont and others-the territory we shall
acquire will be worth just nothing q. all, being
simply wild, hideous, bowling, God-forsaken
desert. Consequently, the other eight millions
of the new treaty will admit of an equal divi-
sion Of four millions for the right of way over
the Tehuantepec route, and the right OF way
for the Pacific railroad, over Cookies desert
wagon route or in that neighborhood.
Here, then, we shall have another remarka-
bic complication OF the beautiful fiexibiity
Of our federal constitution. Ii is unconstitu-
tonal to appropriate money out of the general
treasury for internal improvements, although
it is constitutional TO appropriate the public
lands to Western railroads But while Con-
gress have not the power to grant the ready
cash for such enterprises within our own terri
tories, It seems that the President, .'by and with
the advice and consent of the Senate, :; may take
any amount ofmoney from the treasury for the
purchase of the right of way for specializing
railroad companies in q foreign country. This
is "whipping the devil round The stump y with
vengeance. That the constitution OF The
United States ever contemplated, or that its
trainers ever dreamed of such thing as the
purchase Of railroad rights OF way in. Mexico,
Tor the benefit Of certain gangs ofpriyate specu-
lators, is utterly preposterous.
Yet so Il is. Il is unconstitutional 70 relieve
the poor fanatics Of the country, by donation
of the public lands to the various asylums in
which they may have found refuge; but it is
perfectly constitutional to vote away the pub
lie domain, by millions upon millions Of acres,
Tor West.rA railroad lAnd jooOeIs. IL is uncon-
titutional vote money out Of the Treasury