The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-12-03

the position on this subject occupied by General
Mcclellan, that he understands the pulse Of our
army. A large majority of our Union soldiers
are conservatives Of TIE old democratic and
wing parties. They have not volunteered to
serve in an abolition crusade; they are not pre-
pared to recognise the equality of the negro
even as soldier. Consequently, If We make
him soldier, and enter upon an abolition cru
SADIE, we may anticipate the most serious de-
moraizations among our troops. Let the
government keep its faith with them, and hold
fast to its programme of the salvation Of the
South and, with the rens of the army in the
skilful hands Of Mcclellan, we shall soon have
the full blaze of day breaking through the
clouds of this rebellion.
We advance these opinions in anticipation of
q concurrent decision from President Lincoln's
Cabinet consultation on this great question Of
the disposition of the slaves Of Southern rebels.
The issue involved is the most important deli
cate and mOmentous one which has ever been
presented to the government, and we earnestly
hope that President Lincoln will not be shaken
from his platform he integrity Of the Union
The Mexican Encyclopaedia from
Washington.
1t will be seen, by reference to our Washing
ton dispatches, that the treaty just concluded
by Mr. Corwin with Mexico offers the prospect
OF satisfactory solution Of her difficulties with
her European creditors. In return for the COM
mcrcial advantages and the right of transit for
our troops through her territory which it gives
us, it il said to contain clause which provides
for a loan Of $40, 100000 by our government, to
be furnished in five annual sums Of $2,000000
each. Tie total foreign debt Of Mexico, incud-
ing $S,COO,0OO Of American claims, is, as we
showed the other day, about S76,000,000. We
do not, therefore, very clearly see how, in the
present bankrupt state of her treasury, so small
a loan as is stipulated for would relieve her
from her embarrassments, the more especially
as the treaty makes special provision for the
settlement Of all outstanding American claims.
Obviously it is not sufficient to give the Mexican
government the present pccuniary help which
it needs and to guarantee the interest on the
sums due European claimants. But admitting
that it were so, there is still this difficulty in the
way of the arrangement Our government is
not Just now in position to undertake engage
ments making any large present additions to its
Liabilities. For three or four years to come it will
have as much as it can do to provide for its
own wants, as we'll as for the interest of the
debt which it is accommodating. We are there
fore of opinion that, in its present shape, the
clause in question will not be ratified by Con-
gress.
But are we to let Mexico, for the want of a
little pecuniary help, fall into the hapds of the
Allies, to be carved out and divided as they
may think proper, or to be placed under
guaranteed despotism, the establishment OF
which would seal forever the fate Of the Mon
roe doctrine? BY no means. This very treaty
clause, though impracticable in ITSELF suggests
the means by which she may be at once reliev-
ed from the dangers that threaten her, and be
insured greater stability in her affairs than any
that the European governments can afford her;
for, be it observed, though the three Powers
may compel the contending parties in the re-
public to accept the sway Of a foreign prince,
that settlement can never prove other than
compromise, to be terminated as soon as the
opportunity presents itself. And that it would
soon do so there is little reason to doubt; for,
the rebellion in this country once put down, we
would never brook the continuance Of such yio-
lcnce to the political inclinations Of republi-
con community who naturally look to us for
protection.
In the interest, therefore, Of the future, and
to avoid complications that may involve us
again in war, we have to look about for some
immediate means of extricating Mexico from
her difficulties Mr.. Corwin's idea is q grand
one; but it neither goes far enough as to the
amount required, nor does it take into account
the obstacles that stand in the way OF its obtain
ment in the manner proposed. We believe that
the money can be got in a way much more
satisfactory to the feelings of the Mexican peo-
pie, and in an amount sufficient to accomplish
all that is aimed at. The three Powers, it is
pretty clear, will not be put Off by any half
measures Of arrangement, such Jas the small
loan proposed would involve. If the relief is
to be effective it must not be exposed to the
chance Of a failure from an insufficient provi-
sion of means. The plan TINT occurs to us is
one that we do not apprehend there will be any
difficulty in carrying out. Let Mexico come in-
to our market as borrower to the extent of
twenty or thirty millions, the government of
the United States guaranteeing both principal
and interest. The payment should be extended
over such reasonable number of years as to
give tho borrower fair chance of consolidating
her government, and providing for the liquida-
ton Of the debt out Of her own resources.
Ii the loan We're put in this shape we
are satisfied that there are one or two
houses here that would at once take it on
foreign account In order that no time
may be lost, the Secretary of State should i'm
mcdiately place himself in communication with