Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-11-18

gress-in prosperity equal to many Eu-
ropean nations, and the mercantile
world considered her market very
valuable. and her mines were esti-
mated to produce, in gold and silver,
five times more than all the mines of
Europe combined. Some sixty wears
back her vast resources in gold and
silver, and her valuable markets for
merchandise, aroused the cupidity of
American merchants and shipowners;
but a heavy duty on imports inter
fered with large profits. To avoid the
payment of this duty, every species
of ingenuity was adopted. Manifests
were falsified, tonnage moderated.
vessels built with compartments and
manned especially as smugglers, and
when stealth failed bribery was re-
sorted to. Thus fully one-third of all
American exports to Mexico was run
in free of duty. 1t was estimated at
this period that the American mer-
chants carried out of Mexico about
$16,O00,000 in gold and silver annually.
besides products amounting to many
millions. | was solicited to invest
and embark in this Illicit commerce
as early as 1892; therefore | speak
knowingly.
The larger portion of this contra
band commerce was carried on from
New Orleans, then the heaviest ship
ping port in the known world. her
foreign exports exceeding those of
all other seaports in the United States
combined. Many of those contrahand
4
confiscated. upon which the owners
set up n cry of lamentation, and the
United States authorities were APP
pealed to. y commission was appoint
ed to hear and record an amount of
perjury sufficient to sink "a SubStan-'
tial Sodom and Gomorrah. Imdemn-
ity was awarded, but payment defer
red. In 1874 active measures were
taken by the cabinet at Washington.
through Mr.. Upshur. secretary of
state, and after his death, through
Mr.. Calhoun. towards the anneNa-
ton of Texas to the United States,
and also to enforce the payment of
this unrighteous indemnity, which
Mexico persistently claimed was UNI
Justly awarded.
In confirmation of this statement
OF dissatisfaction we will go to the
archieves at Washington. There we
find an extraordinary message sent
by President Polk to congress. in
which the president, in speaking of
the mission of John Sliddel to MeXi-
co. says:
MIR. Sliddel was sent To Mexico
with full power to adjust all the
4. L.
two governments; both the question
of the Texas boundary and the in
Identification to our citizens" But
Mr.. Sliddel's mission proved to be i'll
timed, as Mexico had already inform
ed the Washington cabinet that an
neXation should he followed by war.
and annexation was at that time was
consummated.
At the same time that Mr.. Sliddel
was iourneying to Mexico. Gen. Tay
lor's army of over 1000 soldiers, soon
to be largely increased. was marched
to the Rio Grande. Two bombastic
and naughty letters from Mr.. Sliddel
were addressed to the authorities at
the Mexican capital, demanding their
attention. Invasion having taken
place, the Mexican government re-
fused to treat with Mr.. Sliddel, and
Mr.. Lenzas. the Mexican minister of
foreign affairs. forwarded to him his
passports.
1t is is very clear upon an unbiased
survey of all the well known circum-
stances that this war. which placed n
stigma on America, could have been
averted by a discreet and iudicious
administration, and at the same time
have produced about the same re-
sul,s. But our government was con-
trolled by evident greed. backed by
duplicity. to obtain indemnity and to
embrace the territory between the
-.ueces and the Rio Grande, which
was never within the boundaries of
Texas, nor even claimed to be until
after the act of Santa Anna in pur-
chasing his life when a prisoner at
San Jacinto; an act which the then
Mexican congress very properly disa-
vowed.
(To be Continued.)