The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-09-15
The Treaty with Mexsco-What 1t VIII
and Will Not Accomplish.

The Treaty with Mexco-what 1t WIN
and VIII Not Accomplish.
The recently negotiated treaty with Mexico,
now under consideration ut Washington, con-
aims certain stipulations Of great importance
to this country.
A settlement of the basis Of our transit route
intercourse with the countries south of us,
combining the safety Of transit, the passage Of
closed mails, troops and munitions of war, and
he establishment of free ports of deposit II
either ocean, is question the importance #
which needs no demonstration in the face O.
our growing empire on the Pacific shore, and
Of the vast travel and traffic between ourStates
on either ocean. In the new Mexican treaty
there is another point the influence of which
upon that very transit intercourse and the ma
,erial interests of the Atlantic States will be very
great The silver sown territories of Southern
California and Arizona now lie fallow for
want of short route for emigration and sup
plies. The new treaty proposes to open
this by the right Of way to the Gulf of Cali
fornia, and the use of a free port there, which
Mexico stpulates to concede to us. The re
alization of this project will be of incalcula
BILE benefit to our own territory ard to the
neighboring Mexican State of Sonora. Il
would pour in there flood of Industrious emf
grants, who would redeem the wild. and soon
-et in motion the masses Of precious metal tina
now lie sleeping beneath its surface Such a
movement as this would quicken the CONNER
cial elements Of all the western shore of the
continent, from the mouth Of the ella down to
the Isihmus of Tehuantepec, and give an i'm
pulse to industry and trade on this side not Sc
cond to the golden opening of California.
The difiulties that stand in the way of this
long foreseen and strenuously endeavored to
remove. The rapid growth of our trans-Isth-
mus interests makes their safety an object of
paramount consideration, ard every day of de
lay, by increasing the volume of travel, ren
ders its attainment more difficult In view OF
the disordered political state Of the coun-
tries holding the domain of several OF
the Isthmus routes, the President has re-
peatedly urged upon Congress to vest
in the Executive the power to use the
forces Of the government in any sudden
emergency that should peril the interests Of our
citizens on any Of the lsthmuses. This is the
trle remedy for the existing evil, and Congress
hould have acted on the sagacious and patri-
otic advice Of Mr.. Buchanan 1t has not chosen
o do so, and on that log-rolling and jealous
body must rest the odium of any misfortune
hat may happen to our interests on the Isthmus
outes. The President has endeavored to pro-
vide for such an emergency by treaty stipula-
ions with the Powers in question, but mis-
apprehension Of the friendly and just spirit
hat animates him has created difficulties on
their part also Even if they should consent
that the United States should be the judge of
any emergency requiring the landing Of troops,
it is doubtful if Congress would consider a
treaty stipulation sufficient to authorize the
President to use the national forces without
pecial act.
Under these accommodating obstacles, there is
eason to doubt whether treaty stipulation, a
ought in the cases Of Nicaragua and Mexico.
Will mStt tllt II, bAu MuctucI all lu-ist1HCt
apon their reluctant consent may not in the
end prove prejudcial to US. Misapprehendinz
the spirit of this government, the measure has
weakened feeling of jealousy on the part Of
the governments south Of us, in the unfounded
belief that our policy aims at eventual occupa
ton Of those territories There is another
argument used by them which is not without
is weight. They assert that they must grant
TO European Powers whatever they grant t.
rs, and that if the principle of landing troops III
will is once established, it may soon be extend 4
to the protection Of claimants of all kinds anu
to the placing Of British officers in the custom
houses Of Mexico, and French troops in Mic
ragua to protect the rights of Monsieur Belly.
We are confident that the President has n
wish to enforce such extravagant principles a
these arguments imply; and. as in astrict point
of view the concession in regard to the right OF
protecting the Tehuantepec isthmus, which
now delays the signing of the valuable treaty
with Mexico. amounts to an immaterial confe>-
sion Of weakness on her part, without confer.
ring any real strength on us, it may well b.
waived in furtherance Of the other valuable oh
jccts of the negotiation. Should Mexico prove in
competent TO protect the transit we are as fully
empowered by the practice Of nations to defend
cur interests there as we could be by her pre-
monitory consent to the landing of troop
Congress should confer upon the Executive th.,
power OF action in case Of emergency, and i
is to be hoped that it will do so o, the next ses-
sion
AMERICAN LOCOMOTIVES IN CHuE.-We print
elsewhere an entertaining description Of trial
Of strength and speed between four railroad
locomotives, two British and two American
constructed for th.a l.rcat Sontha-n Gillian,