The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-03-02


ing contemporary, distinguished for the ferocity Of
its attacks upon the Anglo -Saxons who attem to
civiize and retrieve the portions of this continent
which the Spaniards have done their best to ruin
takes open and forcible ground against the Forsyth
treaty with Mexico because, in its opinion, tina!
treaty Is likely to lead to further acquisitions oil
slave territory by the United States Whether
are correct or not, it is certain that they are
generally entertained, and highly plausible; and
it is also certain that instead Of operating to de-
feat the treaty, as our contemporary thinks they
should, they will constitute the very strongest
and most cOgent argument for its ratification by
the Senate Of the United States
For, while certain knot of innexible theorists
at the North wage an incorporating war upon
slavery in any shape and under any meridian,
the great bulk Of the American people are will
ing to entertain almost anything and everything
which shall look like fair compromise between
the conflicting interests This applies to reasonable
men, South as well as North and to the prudent
statesmen of the Senate, especially. Now, any
one who can see can perceive that pressure is
beginning to be exercised on the northernmOst
slave States which can hardly fail to result
in encroachments OF free labor upon them. We
note simultaneously, SO decided a triumph of the
free State settlers in Kansas that some of the
most efficient advocates Of slavery in that Terri
tory have gone to Nicaragua, while others have
returned home in despair, leaving the free State
men masters Of the field: ALSO a vigorous effort
to revive the question of emancipation in Mis-
souri,, which, though silenced for the time in the
Legislature, is evidently only checked, not kill
ed; and finally, the grand scheme to which we
have made alluson for the resuscitation of
the old commonwealth of Virginia by an influx
of free labor into that State. These signs are not
to be mistaken. They indicate with infallible
clearness that free labor is. encroaching slowly
and surely upon the slave limits, and preparing
to invade the Northern slave territory. They in
dictate that unless the slave owners provide them
selves with elbow room for a corresponding ex-
pansion at the South, they will some day be
crushed between the Northern tide and the
Southern wall.
1t is this fact which has impaired such popu-
larity at the South to the schemes of Lopez and
Walker, to the treaty of Gadsden, and to the an
nexation Of Texas. The Southerners desire peace
with the North, and are ready to surrender not
only Missouri and Kansas but Virginia, Mary
land, and perchance Kentucky, also, provided
they can obtain corresponding territory further
South, in regions where the supremacy of slave
labor shall be less questionable, and which the
speculative philanthropy of the New Eoglanders
is not quite ready to penetrate. The same mo-
tives will weigh with the Senate in considering
the Forsyth treaty.
All things considered, the treaty is likely to be
treated fairly, and to stand equally we'll with the
new as the outgoing administration. 1t may be
foolish-it may be useless-but it must be con-
fessed that bond and mortgage ON the republic
of Mexico would be thing quite to the taste of
the people Of this country. And, whatever be
the forms, the new treaty would amount to this.