Evening star., 1899-03-03

abandoned; an admission unfounded in fact
and degrading to the national character.
The terms of the treaty proposed by the
United States were not only just to Mexico,
but, considering the character and amount
of our claims, the unjustiiiable and unpro-
voked commencement of hostiities by her,
the expenses Of the war to which We have
been subjected. and the success which at
tended our arms were deemed TO be of a
most liberal character.
The commissioner of the United States
was authorized TO agree TO the establish
ment of the Rio Grande as the boundary,
from It's entrance into the gulf to its inter-
section with the southern boundary of New
Mexico. in north latitude about b degrees.
ana 70 OBTAIN cessfon to the United States
OF the provinces of New Mexico and the
CALIFORNIA; and the privilege of the right
of way across the isthmus of Tehuantepec.
The boundary OF the Rio Grande and the
cession 20 the United States of New Mexico
and Upper California constituted an ulti-
matum which our commissioner was under
no circumstances to yield,
''The terms of a treaty proposed by the
Mexican commissioners were wholly inad-
missible. They negotiated as if Mexico
were victorious and not the vanquished
party. They must have known that their
ultimatum could never he accepted. 1t re-
quired the United States to dismember
Texas by surrendering 10 Mexico that part
of the territory of that state lying between
within her limits by her laws when she
was an Independent republic and when she
was annexed to the United States and ad-
mitted by Congress as one of the states of
our Union. 1t contained no provision for
the payment by Mexico of the just claims
of our citizens. 1t required indemnity to
Mexican citizens for injuries they may have
sustained by our troops In the prosecution
of the war. 1t demanded the right for Mex
leo to levy and collect the Mexican tariff of
duties on goods imported into her ports
while in our military occupation during the
war, and the owners had paid to officers of
the United States the military contribu-
tions which had been levied upon them.
and it offered to cede to the United States
for a pecuniary consideration that part of
Upper California lying north of latitude %
degrees. Such were the unreasonable terms
proposed by the Mexican commissioners.
Interests of Both Nations.
''The cession to the United States by
Mexico of the provinces of New Mexico and
the CALIFORNIA; as proposed by the COM
missioner of the United States, il was be-
lieved. would be more in accordance with
the convenience and interests of both ma
tions than any other cession of territory
which 1t was probable Mexico could be in
duced to make
at is manifest to all who have observed
the actual condition of the Mexican gov
ernment, for some years past, and at pres
ent, that if these provinces should be re-
tanned by her she could not longer con-
tinue to hold and govern them. Mexico is
too feeble a power to govern these prem
ises lying as they do at a distance of more
than a thousand miles from her capital,
and. if attempted to be retained by her
they would constitute but for a short time
even nominally a part of her dominions.
This would be especially the case with
Upper California. The sagacity OF power
full European nations has long since direct
ed their attention to the commercial impor-
tance of that province, and there can be no
doubt that the moment the United States
shall relinquish their present occupation of
1t. and their claim to it as indemnity, an ef-
fort would be made by some foreign power
to possess it, either by conquest or by pur-
chase. If no foreign government should
acquire it in either of these modes an in
dependent revolutionary government would
probably be established by the inhabitants
and such foreigners as may remain in or
remove to the country, as soon as it shall
be known that the United States have
abandoned it. Such government would
be too feeble long to maintain its separate
independent existence, and would finally
become annexed to, or be a dependent coll
ony of, some more powerful state.
Should any foreign government attempt
to possess it as a colony, or otherwise to
incorporate it with itself, the principle
avowed by President Monroe in 1874, and
reaffirmed in my first annual message that
no foreign power shall with our consent.
be permitted to plant or establish any new
colony or dominion any part of the
North American continent, must be main
tanned.
Resisting Invasion.
''fn maintaining this principle and in re-
sisting its invasion by any foreign power,
we might be involved in other wars more
expensive and more difficult than that in
which We are now engaged.
CALIFORNIA; are contiguous to the territories
of the United States, and if brought under
the government of our laws, their resources
mineral, agricultural manufacturing and
commerCial-would soon be developed
Upper California is bounded on the
north by our Oregon possessions: and If