New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-02-27
FROM WASHINGTON.
THE NEW MEXICAN TREATY-ITs HIGHLY M
PORTANT CHARACTER.

WASHINGTON, Feb. "a, 1860.
TIE most important subject before Congress at
the present. moment is the Mexican Treaty This
treaty was negotiated by Mr.. McLsuc, our Minis
ter, with the man Juarez pronounced Husrez),
'now heading ftbusteriug Gorcs in Mexico, and in
possession Of Vera Cruz. Juarez is q native Mex
lean and called an Indian. He ia not in possession
of the capital or the national archives, and con-
fines himself or is confined, to corner OF the coun-
try His party, therefore, cannot be considered as
tie acting Government, or Government de tacto :
with whom alone it ia our duty and has hitherto
been our established policy to treat. The first OBJ
lection to the treaty is thus on the score of good
faith and honorable dealing The next objection is,
that the treaty is substantially measure of annex
alton. 1t provides thai We may throw troops into
the country whenever and wherever We please, on
the 'Iuina plea of protecting transit routes, and
the rights aud interests Of our citizens. The treaty
in effect puts Mexico into our mouth. Under it
We can either swallow her whole, or mastcate aud
swallow her in pieces, as shall prefer
The treaty is thus measure of vast national i'm
portanCe, involving as it does fundamental change
il the International relations of the two countries.
No question Of territorial extension can be OF grayer
coDse queIee. The absorption of Mexico ID theme
that has eDerossed the earnest attention OF our
wIsest Statesman in the past. Few have as yet
been found bold enough to be willing to face It's con-
sequences. Que thing is certainly true; it's sub.
jet Of too much Importance to be hurIedly settled
10 secret session of the Senate. II should be dis
cuss in open day. The whole country should I'M
deIstand the question in all lis bearings, before the
Government commits itself to the proposed radical
charge in our relations with that huge, rotten mass
Of sluIk civilization. Whether the consequences ia
store for us under the proposed new ad dstmeDt Of
our international relations with that cOu0try shall
be the annexation of its comparatively unpeopled
provinces falling TO in disnteerated masses, as
fast We may be able 10 spread Slavery over them,
or whether they hall come in tbc shape Of ready
a6sl ytuD Of iis area Tia, is already covered by
priest-Idden nocg'el, igcoIant, dwagled and semi
savage population, is alike unmportant to US, in
nat ona point OF giow. Either arrangement would
be alike mischieyous, aad pregnant with evil coase-
quencts.
Ii we are to take Mexico at all, either the part
that has population or the portion that hiss not, let
US come at the subject distinctly and understand
pgly. Let us krOw exactly what we are about
We ought DO, to pursue covert modes to attain the
Object Ne DO not want to do eitaer, by the au-
thoIiiy OF questionable treaty exacted from the
necessities of OF the perpatetic, robbing fac
iiOBs that alternately rise aud disappear annually in
Mexico. 4 lreaty, too, that can be made tO mean
either much OF little just to suit the convenience OF
IA Eys hrs If il A U
~ which We csn either take or let it alone accord
| ing to the demands Of the Slavery spreading and
Drupon element Of our Federal politics. 4 treaty
which is q lIst-Iate specimen Of an "entangLng
allaIce" and which ia intended TO plunge our re-
laiions with Mexico into maze OF diplomacy, where
they can be manipulated just to serve the ends of
tbis same political oiut.stOck company Le; us haze
every thing shat concerns matter of such vital
importance, open and above-bOald. 1t is 40 ex-
ceedngiy difficult subject to treat any way. Let
us strip Of all antiquities and uncertainties. We
do not want to get into any Mexican quagmres, or
Dnmal Swamps. II we are after Sonora, let us
sa! Sonora. If it be Other provinces, let us nano
THIN. If il be all Mexico, let us say so Let the
people understand exactly VIVA! the Government
aims at We protest against doing things by stealth
or under false pretenses. AS things now stand, the
Free States must fight for their share of Ne. terri
torlal acquisitions. We demand that they shall
know when anything Ofths sort sgoing on in order
that they may, as NJ. Calhoun used to claim for
| Slavery in California, "baye chance TO get in. ;
If we are going TO take Mexico, or any part of
it, the people of the North want chance TO get in.
The commercial advantages held out by this
treaty are undoubtedly of vslue to our industrial
interests. This is the bait held out for Northern
those grayer and dominant features of the treaty
TO which we have alluded, everybody would be
| glad. TIE reduction of the duties upon American
| products il most desirable thing. But a reduc-
ton of such mposts cannot by any means counter
balance the serious complications Of the body Of
the treaty. They are but drop in the bucket.
Nobody viii object TO commercial treaty We
need one. We ought to have one. But this treaty,
now before the Senate, we contend s something
more, far 1t is political treaty of insdious
aims ard questionable purposes, beside being made
with faction that hiss no honest claim whatever
to be considered the Government of Mexico.
How the members of the Senate stand in regard
to it is not definitely known. The main body of
the Republican Senators are against it, perhaps all.
1t lie believed there are others belonging to the more
conservative school of Southern Statesmen who
are opposed TO it 8lso. As the consideration of
the measure must Involve very thorough examina-
ton of the question of the relation we sholld oc.
cupv tjWard Mexico in bar nrassnt 1;,.oI,;,,. az,