The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-07-26
(coSr1SUEp FROM FIRST rAGE.)

WlIhnl us OWL tcIfitoIIcS a5alllNl us
own citizens"
Now. sir, this is the language select.
cd ~ HE Mexican commissions, who
make the treaty. And | 80, ~ha,
could he more APT, morr ~, more
comprehensive, in convey ia. .nr ldc,,
Of obligation upon our pa.t to protect
the citizens of Mexico to The flllc,,
extent? We are to extend to them
the protection Which: if placed under
like circumstances, we should extend
to our citizens. And wha, degree of
protection is necessarily implied in
this idea. Why, sir, wntn We c nsidcr
the power of this goycrnu," :; Il nation,
twcnt, five millions of i,.vp!r. ab :. l..
send one million of soldiers az, .h.
field to protect the rights OF on ell
zens-wat sort Of protection is it to
be supposed they would afford Why
sir, the most perfect tie wi, Of man
could dorise. And the Mcxican com.
missionerS, when they inserted this
clause into the treaty, meant to stipu
late for the utmost possible degree Of
protection that human power could
afford. And this is the provision of Il
treatyscXtortcd from that nation when
when they were Frustrated in the dust;
when their energies and means had
all been exhausted; when our victoli-
Gus armies travcrscd their country in
every direction, and their beautiful
capitol itself was in our hands; when
Mexico lay under our feet, bleeding ut
every pore, this was the treaty we
forced upon her. And the question
now is, shall we screen ourselves from
the obligations of that treaty by n mere
play Of words? On such play of
words as the member taom Missouri
(Mr. Bcnton) used yesterday, that we
were not bound to extend TO them
any more protection than we had OK.
tended to our own citizens that we
had shown no energy or zeal in protect.
ing our own citizens, and that we were
under obligations to bcstow no more in
protecting the people Of Mexico. Why,
sir, has it come tu this, that we shall
use our own wrong to relieve ourselves
from the obligations oftreatics ? Has
it come 10 this, that we shall use our
own want of duty to our own citizens
rs reason why we should rot do
duty which wei bound ourselves by
treaty to perform to foreign nation,
and weak and dcfcnceless ration,
over which we had triumphcd? am
gainst that sort of morality. would
not learn morality in such n school.
| say these words bind us, in the
strongest way iii which language can
bind us, to have protected the border
provinces Of Mexico. And if we have
failed to do so-a fact about which
there is no disput. then we arc bound
t" make indemnity. We should put
the" in thc same condition in which
they would have been had we perform.
cd our part of the treaty. That is
what contend for. | would pcrform
a treaty with the weakest as with tho
greatest power, and OF ali powers the
Mexican the most-,hat weak. that
distracted, that discordant power,
which has been in Il state of chaos since
it first struck for liberty the govern.
mcnt Of which has been occupied by
one military dcspot after another which
has been torn and convul>cd with civil
discord, aud whose ruin has been nj,
most completed by our own arms. |
say that ifthere is any power on earth
for which would 90 farther to perform
treaties with than another, it is this
Mexican power. would act towards
her with generosity, good faith, Justice,
and magnanImIty. If we adopt the
construction which the member from
Missouri puts on this treaty, and say
that We arc not liable, the name Of
America will become rs. word
American faith will he worse than Pu.
nc faith. One will be ashamed TO
acknowledge that he was an American,
five thus play on words with Il weak
and dcitnccJcss power.
On the ground Of obligation, under
this treaty, and the liabilities which we
assume under its eleventh article, am
in favor of voting this appropriation,
in order to get rid Of them. 1t is an
article which, SO long as it lists, may
subject us to g eat expense, and what
IS more, if we refuse to perform its OBJ
legations, we Shall strike blow at
the reputation of our country, which
should be dearer to us than money.
There is Il clause in the treaty. too.
which says, that on any violation of it,
m any particular, either govcrnm, mt
shall have the right to refer tho mat
ter to arbitration, with the exception
that the other government may refuse
to do SO if it deems it utterly inconsis.
tent with its safety or interest. Then
we shoul, DC bound to refer this mat.
ter to arbitration. Who would we
lcfer it to? | doubt whether there
could be found government VINO
would not go into it with all its sympa.
thes on the side of Mexico, and wc
would como CIT The arbitration with
ten, twenty, or thirty millions ofdollars
due to that nation. am unwilling to
run The risk Of that arbitration.
think it wise to settle the mottnr NV