Year: 1874



 The statesman who does the heavy work on The Commercial Herald of San Fran cisco, lately started the story that the Mexican government had recently pro- posed to cede to the United States all of her territory north of a line drawn direct ly west from the mouth of the Rio Grande river to the Pacific ocean. This slice em- braces Nueva Leon, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Sonora, Lower California and portions of SinaIoa and Durango. Many men of good intentions think our country should have more of Mexico, when the truth is we need it all as much as any part and we don't need any part very much. The port of Guaymas and mouth of the Colorado river would be desirable possessions, yet it is exceedingly doubtful if the country at large would be as much advantaged by their possession as by that of Santa Do- mingo in the West Indies. Several times THE CITIZEN has given what we consider solid reasons why this nation does not want any more strips of Mexican terri tory, and several papers near our south ern border have republished them with

  Commercial Herald, has received much attention by the California press, with preponderance of comment in favor of the proposition, notwithstanding it is gen. orally conceded that selfish men are main ly the promoters of it. There Is hardly doubt but the officers of Mexico and some of the States to be ceded, would join into the scheme, if they thought their own people could be induced to willingly con- sent.

 A correspondent writing June 26, at the City of Mexico, to The Alta, says although such a cession would be desirable to both parties, neither the Mexican President nor Congress will dare entertain any such bargaining away of their territory. A cor respondence of The Bulletin says the Mex ican Congress adjourned May 3l, and left the nation in bad financial plight. The public debt is sIOO,OOO,OOO and but S3OO,OOO was appropriated towards it's payment. The expenditures seem to exceed the reve- nue and about every object from which money can be raised, is pretty heavily taxed. Six hundred thousand dollars were appropriated to fight hostile Indians, but hardly a dollar for such public inn provements as all progressive nations deem essential. This condition shows how ready the officials of Mexico might be to part with soil much Of which they do not cultivate and hardly need, to raise some money or relieve them of pressing Obliga- tions.

 Our nation has enough uncultivated ter ritory-much more than it knows the mer- it's of, hence hundreds of thousands are an nually expended in exploring it. It also has a very large population which is un- educated in the English or any other lar guage, and yet are allowed the ballot; and undoubtedly has as many of this kind, taken in connection with the large in- crease by immigration, as can be properly enlightened in the next fifty years. If we get the territory indicated, we would be obliged to accept the population with it, and that population as body is averse to the annexation and to becoming familiar with American customs and the language we speak.

 The United States has no need nor busi- ness with any more of Mexico; yet if we | must have more, by all means let us have all of 1t. End the job at once. A small addition would be unhealthy, and probably our accommodating ii O n would not be killed by taking it all. In fact, the whole would be about as healthy an acquisition as a part.