The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-30

ings OF he administrations policy by Mr.. Davis
on thFs celebrated tour to the Crystal Palace
A u. tile while later, and when Gen. Gadsden
W. s fairly on bis way to Mexico, we find la more
all and comprehensive development Of the
programme in what purported to be the Next
can Minister'S instructions. In order that our
readers may understand how far the original
scheme of General Davis is susceptible of
comparison with the practical results of General
Gadsden's mission, we quote from the New
York Freemans Journal Of August IA the
following singular paragraph
Gen. Gadsden is instructed to ask for and insist
the grant by Mexico to the United States Of free
right Of way for railroad along the thirty second
parallel Of latitude. The United States in return,
agree to relnuuish all claims to Tehuantepec to give
Mexico certain sum o. indemnity for Indian depre
| datons, and to share with Mexico the advantages
aud use of the road This Arrangement, It is hoped,
will practically annul the eleventh article OF the Quad.
line OF military posts along the Mexican border no
longer necessary.
A coincident fact accompanying this pnb-
| LEGATION was the departure Of certain agents
| of the New Orleans, Opelousas, and Great
Western Railroad Company-whose chief engi-
neer was nephew of General Gadsden--for
England, where it was expected that this exclu-
sve piece Of intelligence would influence the
sale of their bonds. The plausibility Of this
gigantic scheme. its relation to the apparently
lnadvertent avowals of Mr.. Davis on the Presi-
Dental tour, gave a weight to the statement
that crowned the shallow expectations Of the
agents with complete success. This publication
served another purpose, by feeling the pulse OF
the country, and by stimulating the South to
unite in behalf Of Pacific railroad that would
| lie wholly within it's jurisdiction, and which,
from its extreme Southern location. appealed
entirely to sectional feeling and interests. 1t
answered, likewise, from it's extensive republcar
| ton here and elsewhere to prepare the Mexican
| people for the remote hope of recuperating
| their exhausted finances.
Unfortunately, however,. for the immediate
success of General Gadsdens mission, or indeed
of any negotiation with Mexico conceding to us
an expansion Of our territorial limits, there was
the famous Garay grant 1t is true that al
though the public interest seemed to be divided
between it and the pretentions of Mr.. Sloo, the
government Of the United States, from the acts
| Of the previous administration, stood committed
to recognition of the American claimants an
der Garay. 1t was hardly reasonable to sup
pose that while our government occupied that
position. and while Mexico had already given
such immense privileges as those embraced IN
the Garay grant, that another concession OF
even greater magnitude could be obtained from
her. 1t became absolutely necessary there
fore, to "crush out" this powerful rival.
| The simplest way of effecting this was
| to espouse the cause Of Mr.. Sloo. who
had already, by dint of extravagant contin-
gents, secured the aid and comfort of the
| Washington Union. 1t will be remembered
| that Mr. Sloo's grant contained neither terri
tory nor any privileges of colonization; aud
even the right Of way was SO trammelled by
restrictions that it scarcely left room to hope
for its ultimate construction. The burden of
these complicated responsibilities became 90
great that it was necessary to obtain another
pair of shoulders to bear it. It is well known
that Mr. Sloo's contract had but few months
longer to run, and that he had already failed
in more than one in stance to succeed in forming
. company, the principal obstacle being the
Garay grant and the quasi endorsement 1t had
already received. Indeed, the only hope that
seemed to offer itself was the distant one of ef
Getting sale to English capitalists /; but before
his could be done it was important, nay, es-
sentisl, to have legal opinion from an official
source upon the relative merits of the rival
grants. It is said, though with what accuracy
we shall not vouch for, that the Hon. Caleb
Cushing, in his capacity as Attorney General.
undertook to give an er parte decision, upon
the merits and faith of which sale of the Sioo
grant was effected in England
A further difficulty in the way Of negotiating
a treaty with Mexico that wound hold water
was the slippery tenure by which Santa Auna
then held his power. Until, therefore, he had
stifled all opposition, and become securely seat
ed as supreme ruler Of that unhappy country,
it was useless to attempt any negotiation. But
General Gadsden in his anxiety for diplomatic
distinction, had already commenced rather
violent discussion about the Mesills; and such
was the naughty tone of his dispatches to Mr..
Bonilla, the Minister of Relations. that Santa
Anna, unwilling to participate in quarrel that
seemed to peril his hopes, and unable to recon-
cie the wide and growing differences that al
ready existed between the two diplomats, I'M
dertook to communicate to this government, on
bis own responsibility, in an unofficial manner,
through the Mexican Minister at Washington,
his entire willingness to make ~treaty which
would give to the United States the frontier it
might require, and at the same time settle all
the .vexed and complicated questions that
threatened the harmony of the sister republics
The-only requirement that Santa Anna needed
was money.
This brings us down to the middle Of Octo-
Der last, when for the first time the dream |
and the tactics OF the gallant chief Of the |
war Office began to assume the shape Of .
tangible reality. But to break to the Pre- |
sident Of the United States this delicate |