The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-05
The New Mexican Treaty.

in the Superior Court, &c.
The New Mexican Treaty.
Yesterdays HERALD contained exclusively
q resume of the leading features Of the treaty
recently negotiated by Mr.. Gadsden with Santa
Anna. 1t cannot have failed to command gen.
eral attention. Independently of the impor-
lance of the clauses GUARANTEEING a new boun-
dairy to Mexico, and holding out some definite
prospect Of an effective defence against the
Indians-without referring to the significant no
LITIGATION of the Mexican pledges in respect to
the Tehuantepec right Of way--ths treaty in
| question contains one provision which, in point
| of immediate moment and future consequences,
may be safely regarded as the most noteworthy
stipulation we have made for many years. We
| need hardly say that we allude to Santa
Annals offer to SELL and Mr.. Gadsden's agree
| ment to buy, for sum Of fifty millions of do
lars, all that portion of the Mexican republic
which is known as Sonora and Lower Califor-
MIA. At no period in our history could an &C
cession of 30 vast an extent Of territory
as this have been made without melting
universal inquiry, and probably arous-
ing angry debate. At the present moment,
above all Others the prospect Of two new
slave States-believed to be possessed Of vast
intrinsic wealth, and resources unsurpassed by
California or Oregon-being added to the
South, is likely to awaken fierce controversy
throughout the land, and to be the means OF
settling, once more, on solid basis, principles
which three years inertia have effaced from
many minds We can we'll understand the
timorous policy Of the President and his I'd
yisers in Withholding the treaty for SO long o
period from the Senate There is every reas On
to believe that both Pierce and Marcy were
implicated in the great Wilmot proviso con-
spiracy of 1847 and 184S, and that neither the
one nor the other have ever recanted the doe
trines which inspired that tratorous plot against
the rights of the South. They knew well
enough that so soon rs the leading features Of
the treaty were made public strong or.sside
pressure would compel them to see..sd It into the
senate anu wouiu -uccessfully resist any at
'enp@ % the part of the free sellers in that
hody to withhold from it the executive sane
tion. Hence it twas quite natural for the friends
and allies of the Van Buren, dynasty to wish to
conceal the fact as long as possible.
We will not disguise the satisfaction 1t af-
fords us to have been the means Of defeating
this petty temporising policy on the part of the
administration. We rejoice that the country is
fully apprised of the nature Of the treaty. No
one who is familiar with public sentiment can
doubt for o moment that the unanimous cry Of
the people will now compel the President to
| submit the treaty to the Senate, and to lay the
whole negotiation before Congress without the
slightest delay So momentous matter can
not be postponed to trivial questions concerning
| appointments or routine business. Nor can we
hesitate in predicting the course which Congress
will pursue when the subject is laid before it
No question could be simpler. We are here Of
fered vast accession Of territory, whose value
is said to be not inferior to that of the richest o.
/ our Pacific possessions. The consideration de.
handed is one with which we are fully prepar.
cd to comply. With the surplus now lying in
the treasury we could assume fresh liability
of fifty millions Of dollars without imposing any
additional tax on the people or placing the
| government in any embarrassment. Moreover
the discussion Of the proposal will involve re-
opening of the compromise question, and
cannot but lead to q fresh settlement Of that
vexed point. This consideration alone will die.
tate the necessity Of bringing up the matter at On
early day. Men are tired Of hearing President
Pierce 20 into ecstacies over the compromise
and his organ repudiate it; Gushing talk O
"crushing out coalitions and Marcy endorse
Van Burenism; and want, now, nothing SC
| much as some definite information with regard
to the true sentiments Of the government or
this all-important topic. This information car
hardly fail to be ELECTED by discussion on thu
Gadsden treaty. The Wilmot proviso men ar,
bound to oppose il; while the representative,
Of the Southern States are sure to give an en-
ergctic support to measure which would hav,
the effect Of adding two new slave States 4
the Union. II will thus be the means Of show
ing us who are the abiding friends Of the com
promise, and who are the endorsers of thu
Union in repudiating its claims after It ha
served their purpose. Marcy and his clique
will be driven from their doublehced position
and forced to speak out plainly for once
II is not our business TO inquire what wer'
the motives which induced Santa Anna to agre
to treaty so manifestly injurious to him ans
beneficial to us. His character is suiiicien
l .r,arapfaa that IL rntg mazda IN bovta n