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WASHINGTON. ?? Liberty and Union, now ana forever, oue and inseparable" SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 1848. INDEMNITY AND TERRITORY. We had, as our readers khow, closed what we proposed to say, on our own part, in answer.to the doctriues and positions made or taken, and the pur poses manifested, in the late Presidential Message, concerning Mexico and the War. The following communication, however, which comes to us from a highly respectable quarter, touches upon some important points which we passed by, and presents or indicates arguments which are worthy of attention: FOR THE NATIONAL INTELUUKKCEH. For what purpose is the War with Mexico prosecuted ? The President says it is to rectire indemnity for the just claims of our citizens and the expenses of the war. Does any one believe it t 'Die President has shown in hi* Into .Message that this is not the t.nly object. " The boundaiy of the Rio * Grande," says the President, "and the cession to the Uni 4 ted States of New Mexico and Upper California, constituted ?* an ultimatum which our Commissioner was under no cir * cunutances to yield." Why was this boundary and ces sion of territory made " an ultimatum which our Commis sioner was under no circumstances to yield ?" The infer ence is, of course, that we are in justice entitled to the cession of territory claimed to pay the demands of our citizens and the expenses of the war. But is this so ? The Mescage furnishes the evidence that it is not; for, says the Message : " As the 4 territory to be acquired by the boundary proposed might be 4 estimated to be of greater value than a fair equivalent for 4 our just demands, our Commissioner was authorized to sti 4 pulate for the payment of such additional pecuniary consi * deration as was deemed reasonable." Here is an ultima tum fixed, and a war prosecuted to enforce it, to compel Mexi co to sell to the President a portion of her territory. Here is an admission that we are ndt entitled to the territory claimed by the President as a " fair equivalent for our just demands" against Mexico. Yet the President has made the cession of it " an ultimatum" not to be yielded under any circumstances. Mcxico might have offered in territory a "fa'r equivalent for our just demands," and our Commissioner could not have ac cepted it under the instructions given him by the President. We must not only hive enough territory to pay all the ex penses of a war which the President has forced upon Mcxico, and all the demands which our citizens have agaiust her, but she roust be forced to sell to us as much more territory as the President wants, or the war must be prosecuted into her vital parts, "to secure an honorable peace /** But the President has suggested a new mode of obtaining " an honorable peace." He ssys : " With a people distracted and divided by contend 4 ing factions, and a Government subject to constant chaages 4 by successive revolutions, the continued successes of our ' arms may fail to secure a satisfactory peace. Iu such event, 4 it may become proper for our commanding generals in the 4 field to give encouragement and assurances of protection 4 to the friends of peac? in Mexico in the ertadlishmkst 4 and MAinTtNABCK of a free republican Government of their * own choice, able and willi no to eoncludc a peace which * would be just to them, and secure to us the indemhitt wi 4 demand." Let us change the language of the President a little, and make it more plain : '' Mexico has a Government which I am willing to make a treaty with, but it will not sell to me as much territory as I think we ought to have, to se cure an hontrrable peace. I therefore recommend to Congress that our generals in the fii Id be instructed to destroy the pre sent Government of Mcxico, and to wstablish and maintain, tinder the protection of our arms, a free republican Govern ment that will be willing to conclude a satisfactory jteace, re curing to us the indemnity we demand." I suppose no one will deny our power thus to establish a Government that will be " willing to conclude a peace" granting to us all the " in demnity we demand." But what American freeman is there who dues not feel indignant at the proposition } And sup pose we undertake it, how long will the Government la.t which we have created to give us half of the country ? When will our " protection" and " maintenance" of it cea*e ' Are we to keep forever a large standing army in Mexico to main tain the Government we have thus established? this "free republican Government of their own choice"?in order " to secure an honorable peace ?" I hope to see, at an early day, ?oinc measure taken by Congress condemning this abomina ble recommendation. ? W. Our correspondent, in consulting only the Mes sage, does not give its whole force to the point, though strong, which he makes. Had he referred to the known facts of the terms offered by Mr. Com missioner Trist to the Mexicans, at the conferences belore the gates of their capital, he would have found still more extraordinary matter for comment. " The boundary of the Rio Grande," (up to the point where it passes out of New Mexico of course,) then all "New Mexico and Upper California"? or nearly a third part of the whole surface of Mexico?were the lowett terms to which the Presi dent's instructions allowed our Commissioner to come down. J^ett ?? indemnity" than this the Executive could not think of; to less, he distinctly intimates, he will never assent: that is to say, whatever be the pleasure of this nation, or no mat ter how much more moderate the terms on which Congress?the war-making power?may direct the war to cease, he, the Executive, will, at his own pleasure, continue the war, and make (for that is plainly his ground in the Message) the future con ditions of the peace as much more severe as, in consequence of the further expenses of his fighting, he shall deem good! All this is that yre may ex* tort " a fair equivalent for our just demands." But, observe : the President himself admits that the territory which he will have is more than ** a fair equivalent for our just demands for he gave 44 Mr. Commissioner Tkist power to stipulate for paying for the excess of the value of this territory over our just demands." And now what is the amount of those demands; what their proportion to the " equivalent" by the President exacted ; and what the sum which the Executive himself avowed, through his Commissioner, as necessary to be paid by u$, in order lhat the pretended "equivalent" should be any such thing at all, in respect to Mexi co as well as ourselves ? These are the questions which we must now push home to the Cabinet, in order that the case made by our correspondent may receive its full weight. The President has not chosen to be specific in his Message as to what44 indemnities" we claim of Mexico, er how much more than their amount he would pay to Mexico, by way of rendering the ** equivalent" on which he insists only a fair one. He has shunned explicitness on these points, though of the highest importance. For, if we are to fight on merely to recover a debt from Mexico, surely we might be allowed to know how much that debt is: and if, again, we are to take and keep much more of her property than is necessary to cover the debt, surely the Executive might deign to inforni us what is the excess that we ought to pay back to Mexico! At the facts, however, we can trrive in spite of the suppression of them in the Message. This Government cannot cover up every thing; and, down in Mexico at least, the terms offered by Mr. Commissioner Trist to the Commissioners on the then tic to be questioned. As his ultimatum he of fered to accept the boundary and provinces quoted by our correspondent from the Message : to make no claim for the expenses of the war ; to take upon ourselves the payment of the " indemnities" to our citizens; and to pay to her, as the excess of the value of her territories taken as above, beyond that of our claims, from fifteen to twenty millions of dollars. Now, to name, in a case like thisKa less and a greater price as that which you are willing to pay, is really, except the discreditableness of awkward huckstering, ouly offering the larger price?that is, twenty millions,. 'Add some five millions for the indemnities, and you have twenty-five millions asj the President's own estimate of what we ought to pay for California, New Mexico, and below it the line of the Rio Grande. 80 that it plainly appears, by the Executive's own reckoning, that we are to seize and keep, by war, as "a fair equivalent for our just demands," only some five times as much territory as ice could take, even if we h?d a right to help ourselves to a nation's soil and people at our own estimate. Before the plainness and directness of this view how looks that Presidential object for continuing this war, " indemnity V How sounds the talk of " fair equivalents T" What must every man of common sense and common honesty say to such an atrocious claim as this ? A claim so distinctly used as nothing but a fetch, in order to plunder your neighbor of gfeat territories, on which; rich as you are, you look with envious eyes. Indemnities ! How many aggressions are thepe to justify or to atone ? We have asserted, what te too notorious for contradiction, that this Govern ment has repeatedly offered to take <upon itself these indemnities by way of compensating Mexico for some injury which our Presidents were bent on doing her, andwhich they went on to com mit without compensation, when the compensation (arbitrarily fixed by the aggressor) had been refused ? Wiio does not know that the Tyler Administra ti6n?knowing full well that annexing Texas, while at war with Mexico, was assuming that war and making ourselves principals in it?offered to com pound with Mexico (right or wrong) for peaceful annexation, by assuming to pay for ht*r these claims of our citizens ? Who is ignorant, that after an of fer so decisive against our own claim of right, the same Administration proceeded to complete the an nexation without providing any compensation ? If fair, was it not still fair? Texas herself had, on her own part, equally acknowledged an obligation as little to be voided : she had offered to Mexico, as the condition of an acknowledgment of her indepen dence by that Government, to assume her fair pro portion of the public debt of Mexico existing at the time of her revolt?thus confessing that, in quitting the Confederacy, she could not emancipate herself from a just proportion of its common indebtedness. But, again, as to the justice of this Government: When, subsequently to this offer by Mr. Tyler, the Chairman.of the House Committee on Foreign Af fairs, and with a distinct intimation that he spoke by authority and for the Government, said, to quiet all further opposition and carry the measure, (then hanging on a few votes,) that he had the liber ty of assuring the House that Mexico would accept a compensation and be quitted with a bvm ok mo ney, what did this mean? Did it not signify that the indemnities, at least, if not some millions in cash, would be given her, as a fair sacrifice, an "equivalent" on our part? But this.was at the moment when, Mr. Benton's remonstrances and proofs prevailing, Congress had receded from the idea of assuming the absurd claim of Texas to take possession of all Mexico on this side of the Rio Grande : when Congress was, by the Resolution of Annexation itself, instructing the President to ac quire this further territory, if at all, by negotiation. We "annexed" to the Union, however, the pro perty for which we had offered a compensation, 4hd kept back that inexhaustible equivalent, the indem nities, now to be used for a bloodier purpose?that of justifying an open attack upon Mexico, in order that we might wrest from her California and Santa Fe. For no sooner had the war been determined on by the Executive than these battered claims? about which, for very shame, our rulers should have said no more but to tell Congress that we ought to assume and pay them ourselves, as part-con sideration, at least, for what we had taken from Mexico?were once more brought into play. In his Annual Message of December, 1 845, the Presi dent rang violently all the changes upon them, for the purpose of making out that case of a declaration of war which (as we have heretofore shown) he had put into his Message, but afterwards found himself forced, by Mexico's consenting to receive a Commissioner and treat, to omit; leaving in it, how ever, to bring about national irritation on both sides, a flaming exhibition of our wrongs about these very claims, thus repeatedly, in all good faith, yield ed up for what we had taken without any other equi valent. Nor is that all: in a subsequent negotia tion our (Secretary of Slate insisted that the question of boundaries even shall not be entered into, unless along with that of these indemnities ; for that these were, the cause of the war!* Now, Congress had, by the Resolution of Annexation, instructed the Pre sident to negotiate the question of boundaries, and none other; and yet here is the Executive setting up a tine qua non?these indemnities, for which wo had already more than once taken the consider ation, the equivalent asked by ourselves?which is to be a condition precedent of all that very negotia tion which he was ordered to begin ! Well: the war is made ; and now, among its di versity of contradictory causes come again, to figure in messages, documents, and all other Executive apo logies, the indemnities! Commissioner Trist nego tiates at the gates of Mexico ; and there still stand ? ??It is with nn little astonishment that the President Iim ? perceived, from the communication of his Excellency, [the ? Mexican Miniatei of Foreign Affaire,] that the Mexican ? Government has so far misapprehended the meaning of the ? under igned ai to auppoae that this Government either desir ' ed or intended to withdraw from the negotiation* for peace ? tub CArat* on either aide which lbd to thb bxistih? ? wai, and to consider tham merely ?ai a thing that i? paat, ? and belong* to history.' Very far from it. [The President ? would not conrent to bury the hatchet ] This would hare ' been to abandon the just and acknowledged ttaims of our ? injured citizens for violations of their personal liberty and ? leisures of their property, continued lor many succeed re ? years, and which, in the opinion of President Jackson, so ? long ago a* February, 1837, would have justified, in the ? eyea of all nations, immediate war ."?Letter of Mr. Bu chanan to the Mexican Minister of Foreign Relations, Sep tember %%, iM6. me inucnuiiucs, uiiNiwueu uj arrcim we nun. <n>.uo^ upon; and now, by way of satisfying them, these old claims, amounting to some five millions of dol lars, nothing el*e?--for Mr. Commissioner offers to give up the preposterous idea of Mexico's paying us the hundred millions which the war has cost us? the Executive instructions demand' that we shall have twenty-five millions' worth of territories ! Could any thing be more flagrantly unjust ? What pretence at all for<hgain demanding a " fair equiva lent " for these indemnities ? And, if pretcnce there were, what decent excuse for demanding a value so jnucli beyond them, that twenty millions of dollars must be paid back to Mexico, in order to make at all even the "fair equivalent" whjch we take first, then ask, and last of all declare (#t least Mr. Polk does) that we mean to keep any how ? The claim is five millions. We offered it for the right of peaceful annexation. Mexico did not make war upon us wh'en we annexed Texas. Should we not, then, have considered the debt cancelled as against her ? Next, we seized upon her posses sions up to the Rio Grande: was that not offset enough for the indemnities ? No: nothing we can lake pays them. We send an army to Santa Fe, to seize the great province of which it is the capi tal ; we have a fleet posted in the Pacific, to fall upon and secure California, as soon as a war shall have been brought about by the hostile diplomacy of Mr. Slidell or the pacific invasion under Gen. Taylor ; and presently near one half of Mexico is clutched, under this inextinguishable claim of in demnities ! But why two great territories), to pay five millions? If New Mexico and Upper Califor nia are worth twenty-five millions, one of them is worth probably the half of that, and either would alone be much more than a " fair equivalent" for our "just demands," which are still just, although twice paid already. Why, then, must we have two wide Departments of Mexico, when o)ie would be, at our own valuation, double the value of our pre tended claim ? Can facts speak a plainer language ? Or how should there be a more glaring case of in consistent arrogation than in all this Executive course of claiming indemnities ; then taking what was to pay for them ; then claiming something else for them ; then taking that; and, at last, swelling the exaction by each successive obtaining of it, de manding (but they were taken already) two separate territories, each double the debt, as the only terms on which we will make peace ? Yet it is to sustain inconsistencies so glaring and pretences so transparent as these that the President now demands of Congress thirty thousand more men, and nearly a hundred millions of dollars for the ensuing year's expenditure, to further prosecute the war into '' the vitals of the enemy !" 'Major John P. Gaines, a Representative in Con gress from the State of Ken tuck j^Pbnd lately at tached to the Army in Mexico, arrived in this city on Wednesday last by the cars from the West. The President of the Senate has appointed Sen ator Thos. Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, a Re gent of the Smithsonian Institution, in the place of Mr. Senator Cass, resitrned. The Speaker of the House of Representatives some days ago appointed the following Members of the House Regents of the Institution, to serve until December, 1849, viz: Mr. Hilliaro, of Alabama, (reappointment,) Mr. Marsh, of Vermont, and Mr. McClelland, of Michigan, to fill the places of Mr. Owen, of Indiana, and Mr. Hough, of New York, whose terms expired last month, and who, ceasing to be Membcjrs of the House of Representatives, could not be reappointed. Nearly six huridred persons attended a Compli mentary Dinner given to Commodore Stockton, at Philadelphia, on Thursday evening last. The newspapers report it as having been a very hand some and agreeable entertainment. Speeches were made by Mayor Swift, Com. Stockton, the Hon. Isaac E. Morse of Louisiana, the Hon. Mr. Levin of Philadelphia, and Mr. Potts of Trenton. Hon. John Van Dyke was among the guests. The Commodore responded to a toast compli menting his services. He goes for increasing the army, in order to civilize Mexico and extend to that people the benefits of civil and religious liber ty. For this purpose he is reported to have said that 1'Jiffy thousand more men pnust be sent to Mexico," and ** the war to be prolonged for fifty years" if need be, though it should cost money enough ." to demand frotn us each year the half of all that ice pottetaAnd these sentiments are said to have been loudly and repeatedly applauded. RE8P0NSE FROM THE PEOPLE. We have before us the proceedings of the Whig County Convention for the county of Ashtabula, in the State of Ohio, held on the 29th day of last month, (December,) 1847; and, among the resolu tions, it gives us satisfaction to find the following, which were unanimously adopted : Heaolted, That offensive war ia contrary to the plainest dictate* of our religion and the geniua of our free institutions? that territory acquired by arm* mu?t naturally by arm* be re tained ; and that the only material question on which our Go vernment and Mexico are still at issue being whether more or less of the territory wrested from the latter by our victoriooa troops shall be ceded to and retained by us at the restoration of peace, we therefore do most earnestly call upon out rulers to put an immediate stop to the unchristian and unnatural war in which our neighbor Republic is the arena and our fel low countrymen in part the victims. knotted, That duty to ourselves and country, as well as a regard for the plainest principles of immutable justice, de mands of ua to call upon our Government for the entire and immediate withdrawal of our army from the territory of Mexjco, as we are opposed to sustaining or prolonging the war with a view or purpose for the subjugating or dismember ing any pert of that unfortunate Repablic. Htmtvrd, That we cheerfully concur in and adopt as our own the resolution* offered by the Hon. Jon* M. Uott*, in the House of Representatives of Congress, on the Slat instant. Rt&Jrtd, That we are altogether opposed to and do utterly protest againot tip further appropriation by our General Gov ernment of men or money for the further prosecution of the present war with Mexico, unless the same may be alwolutely necessary for the safe and honorable removal of the United 8tates troops from the Mexican territory to the proper and in disputable territory of the United 8lates. It is with siicere regret that we republish the fol lowing from the Annapolis Republican : Death or RosaaT W. Bowta, En.?-We are pained to learn the death of Rosiest W. Bowib, Esq., of Prince George's county. Mr. Bowie has filled many important sta tions in this State. As a member of the Executive Council, as State Senator, and as a member of the House of Delegates, he was ever foremost in maintaining the honor of the 8tste. He waa a fear lea* and consistent politician, alwaya seeking the approval of his conscience rather than the popular applause. He died in the meridian of lifo, deeply regretted by a large circle of friends throughout the State. . We have great pleasure in observing how more and more wholesome is becoming the pulsation in the great arteries of the Nation. If we had no other evidence of it, the late votes of the House of Re presentatives, in which popular opinion is more truly and directly represented than in any other manner, affords gratifying assurance of the fact. All indications, indeed, froin every source entitled to coniidence, are to the same effect. That there are conflicting opinions in refer ence to the Mexican War, its origin, objects, and prospects, we are not so absurd as to deny. But they are, in general, so obviously the result of exuberant party, ilfeal, that they are not entitled to the respect which one would willingly pay to the opinions ' of the same persons, expressed in private. Nay, it Is very well known that some of those who feel themselves most stringently bound by party ties to follow the Administrationas far as he that .goes the farthest, are deeply impressed with the unfor tunate influences and tendencies of this most un happy war, and* if they were sure that a majority of their political friends were of opinion with them selves, would very soon put an end to it. Of this latter class certainly we should consider the [ greater part of those who composed a 44 Democratic Convention" lately held at Milledgeville, in the State of Georgia, whose proceedings are published in the party organ in that city. Among the resolutions we find, for example, the following : 44 Resolved, That the war with Mexico should ? be prosecutcd with 'vigor and energy ; that the ' 4 country in our possession should all be retained; | ? that our conquests should be still further 4 extended ; and that our progress should be on 4 ward until "Mexico should sue for peace, upon 4 such terms as are consistent with the interests and 4 honor of the American People." We need not Wll our readers that this is mere repetition by rote from the President's Message,, and that the authol of it had obviously never ex amined the reverse of the picture presented by the Message, and much less reflected to what dire cala mity and ruin he would subject every thing dear to liberty and humanity, by adopting the President's notions, of what the44 honor" ot the nation requires. As to the interest of the nation, we presume that there is no man who has dived into Dilworth as far as the Rule of Three who supposes that the in terest of the Cnited States does not require this war to be broujht to the shortest possible end. Far different, far more enlightened, far more ele vated, we are l^appy to say, is the sentiment of some distinguished individuals of the Democratic party. We will not bring before our readers by name those members of Congress of that parly who may be thus classed. It is enough that there are such Our object to-day is only to present to our readers who are of that ptrty, as worthy of their imitation, and to our Whig readers as worthy of their admira tion, an extract from a Southern paper which is j by no means Whig, and whose political sympathies have heretofore been with the Administration. Here is the extract, every word of which is God's i truth : FftOH THE ch ARLF.SToV KVKXIXG XZWH OF IIECEM H EH 31. I 0 m ? h country Was precipitated into ! 4 the war without any anticipation of it. Is it un 4 reasonable to apprehend that we may - be hurried 4 farther in the pursuit of ends and objects than we 4 now contemplate ? The peace that would be sat 4 isfactory to-day might not obtain the honor of a j 4 consideration a month hence. Now a comforta 4 ble slice of Mexican territory would perhaps sat 4 isfy the popular appetite for land?more land ; but. 4 who can tell how soon its cravings will refuse to ; 4 be satiated with any thing short of the whole ? * Is it wise, is it statesmanlike in our rulers to aban 4 don themselves to the current of events ; to let | ? things take their course, in the uncertain hope 4that the end will work itself out right? A more 4 miserable fatuity cannot be conceived. This ap 4 petite for land, for an extension of the area, as it 4 is called, is becoming the prevailing passion of 4 our people. Already they cannot bear to feel the 4 touch of their neighbor's elbow. Nor is any thing 4 better calculated to feed and to madden thra pas 4 sion than an offensive war, prosecuted without 4 definite purpose, and for which the acquisition of 4 territory can be our only indemnification. 44 What could we do with Mexico were it at this ?moment all our own ? Do we expect to hold it as *a subjected province, to be plundered and inis 4 governed by rapacious pro-consuls, or to incorpo 4 rate it into our Union, with its ten millions of an 4 inferior race, who have neither blood nor sympa 4 thy in common with us, and who never can be as. 4 siinilated to ourselves T This is a startling alter 4 native, and one that ought to arrest the attention of 4 those who give direction to the current of public 4 sentiment. The day that our country shall so far 'depart from its appointed and appropriate duties as ' to undertake to govern or to incorporate a reluc 4 tant and conquered nation, that day will it begin to 4 feel the unsettling of its foundations, and to sink 4 and fall under the weight of the vast and incon gruous mass that will hang like an incubus upon ? its prostrate energies." Gen. Sam Hoiston has been re-elected to the United States Senate from Texas, for the full term ! of six years from the 4th of March last. Mr. Clay.?The Hon. Henry Clay arrived in Baltimore on Thursday night from Martinsburg, Virginia. He is the guest of his old friend and for mer secretary, the Hon. Christopher Htohes, with whom he will probably spend two or three days.? H ultimo re American. General Taylor visited Natchez, M ississippi, on the 2'id ultimo, and was welcomed by public hon ors, in which the people joined with great enthusi asm. He was accompanied by Major Bliss and Capt. Garnktt. To the address of welcome Gen. Taylor made the following modest response: "Mr. Mtvoa : The warm and affectionate welcome with ; ?kkh th? people of Natchrt hare honored me can be but feebly acknowledged by any worda of mine. Few now re main who were on the active scene of life when I fiiat became acquainted here , but I aee their children around, me, and the open bands and hearta of their sons, and tlx- bright ayes of their daughter*, render thia greeting doubly welcome. 44 You have alluded to my eervicea in the field in such flat tering, though, 1 fear, undeserved term*, that I moat tay a few worda in reply. To the bravery of our troops, regular* ?rid volunteer*, are our succeears in Mexic-i due ? to their bold hearts and atout arint w? moat Mcribe the brilliant victo ries which ha?e ahed ao much lustre ufum our arm*, and none Among them have been more conapicuou? (ban the firat regi ment of Mississippi volunteera. For myself, I can only claim the credit of having performed my duty to the Iieat of my ?bilhy. "Again, Mr. Mayor, f convey to you, *nd through you to the people of Nate hex, my moat heartfelt thanka for the high honor they have ahown me." A part of the cererooniea of reception consisted in escort ing the Goners) to the Free School Buildings, when he waa ?ddreaeed by Judge Dcasi**os. At the conclusion of the Jadge'a speech, the five huodred pupils sung a triumphal ode with great good taste snd spirit. A young Isdy, at the con clusion of the ode, advanced and placed upon the old bero'a brow a beautiful wreath of flowers, which, saya the Natchez Cosrisr, " quite disconcerted the General, who? however, eoon rallied, and made a response in appropriate terms, which was greeted with thundering applause." , The House of Representatives on Monday signal ize^ itself by a homage to Truth, the more brilliant and striking because unexpected at so early a day in the session, though not doubted in the end by those who believe, as we. do, that the ultimate tri umph of Truth over Error is certain. Monday being Resolution-day, Mr. Houston, the Whig Member from Delaware, having pre viously given notice of his intention to do so, in troduced a resolution of thanks to Gen. Taylor and the army under his command for the great achievement of the Battle of Buena Vista. This Resolution, Mr. Henley, one of the Demo cratic Representatives from Indiana, moved to amend by adding to the words describing the army these words: " engaged as they were in defending the rights and honor of the nation." This amendment Mr. Ashmun, of Massachusetts, moved to "further amend, by adding these words : " in a war unnecessarily and unconstitutionally begun by the President of the United States On agreeing to this last amendment, the yeas and nays were, ordered; and the vote being taken, it stood as follows: Yeas 85, nays 81. So that the House or Representatives has, by a solemn vote, declared that the War with Mexi co was unnecessarily and unconstitutionally 1JEGUN BY THE president OF THE UNITED STATES. INTERRUPTION OF THE MAILS. [mow orm daily papkr or moxiiay labt.] This day four entire daily Mails from all,the country South of Richmond are due at the Post Office in this city, the mail having failed altogether yesterday, as it had done on the two preceding days. As no mail arrives here, so no mail reaches the South from this plaoe any more frequently than it arrives here from the same quarter. It is vain, under the present arrangement, or rather derange ment of the Southern Mail, that newspapers are issued drily from the .press of this city and of other cities North and East of us. Our papers might as well be printed once a month as once a day for any certainty of their transmission South. In fact, for all useful purposes, the whole South is cut off from communication with us, and the seat of Government cut off from its wonted connexion with lower Virginia, the two Carolinas*Georgia, Florida, Loui- 1 siana, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, and Mexico. It is high time that a stop was put to this absurd arrangement; absurd, because impracticable. It is absolutely demonstrated now, whatever might have : been before supposed or hoped, that the Mail cannot be transmitted with any regularity by the route of Chesapeake Bay and James River. Hitherto storms and fogs and dark nights have interrupted i its transportation. To these causes will soon be added ice in the James River and in Baltimore harbor; and the cessation of the communication, which is now only experienced by fits of four dayfe at a time, will bccome total. ? It is not to the South owly, of com se, but to every State in the Union, that this is a great and crying grievance. Every interest of the country demands that a remedy be_ immediately applied by the proper authority. Instead' of passing in hot haste bills for raising thirty thousand men for the further pro- | secution of a War ol Invasion, the object of which no man will risk tiis character as a Statesman or a Christian by undertaking to specify, the People of j all parts of the country would like to see Congress engaged in re-uniting the two great divisions of our own Union, now efft#ively severed by the conflict which has arisen between those tw * great domestic powers, the Postmaster General and the Richmond and Fredericksburg Railroad Company. FINANCES OF MARYLAND. The Annual Report of the Treasurer of Mary land shows the operations of the fiscal year ending December 1, 1847, have been as follows : The total receipts into the Treasury for the year were $1,374,903 92, viz. in cash $051,293 72, and in coupons $723,010 20. The promineut sources of revenue from which this aggregate was derived were? . Auction dutiea. $21,859 26 Washington railroa 1, one filth passenger receipts 38,528 30 Susquehanna railroad 33,000 00 Dividend* on bank stork 33,071 32 Licences, (by clcrks of Baltimore rityiuid county) 123,675 94 Hoad stock dividends 42,749 00 I Suiiu}m 52,458 32 Lottery licenses 17,992 90 i Stamps on lottery tickets ; 17,302 16 Susquehanna and Tide Water Canal Companies 66,550 00 Direct and income taxes and tax on officer* 769,821 88 Of this last item $46,211 68 were in cash, and #723,610 20 were in coupons. Of the total receipts of the year the sum of $251,127 05*vas for revenue which accrued before the year 1847. The disbursements of the Treasury for the fiscal year were 91,101,452 87. Of this aggregate the payment of interest of the public debt took $026,666 74. The balance in the Treasury on the 1st of De cember, 1847, was $328,100 46, which sum was subject to charges which woultl leave a nett balance of $227,220 31 applicable to future demands on the Treasury. The report goes on to say that a comparison of this annual report with those of the two preceding j years shows a gratifying improvement in tlie revenue of the State generally, but more especially in that portion of it de rived from revenue laws enacted within the last three year*. This, together with the fact that the receipts in each of theae years exceeded the annual liabilities, warrant* the conclusion 1 that revenue sufficient to relieve the State from her late hu miliating embarrassment* has now i>cen provided. The following statement shows the assessed Ya lue of real and personal property in each separate county, Howard district, and Baltimore city, for the year 1847 : Allegany $4,082,244 Frederick 17,669.508 ' Anne Arundel.. . 6,944,494 Harford Howard district, Kent 3,517,832 A. A. county .. 3,524.748 Montgomery 4,985,840 Baltimore city .. .70,305,140 Prince George's.. 9,051,940 Baltimoreeo... .*13,383,368 (Jueen Anne's... 3,990,992 Calvert 2,191,424 Somen** *3,271,564 Carroll 6,350,400 St. Mary's 4,186,512 Caroline 1,389,392 Talbot 4,380,288 Charles .... 3,369, *.68 Washing ton 12,057,676 Cecil 4,961.924 Worcester. 3,466,244 Dorchester 4,055,644 ????? $190,723,788 The aggregate amount of the levy on the assessed value for 1847 m $476,809 72. ? From the counties marked with the asterisk no returns have been received ? their itxHcsMnont and levies are from re turns of former years. Hkavy EaasxciiMiNT.?We were informed yesterday of a heavy embezilement of the fund of the United 8tate? Mint of this city, by RixnALL HcTcamaox, one of the clerks, who on Monday last absconded, taking with him a Urge quan tity of the public funds, which be had in hia immediate charge as clerk of the incidental and other expenses of the institution. Upon the facts becoming known, an investigation of his ac counts <Vc. was instituted, when he was found to be a de faulter in the sum of $29,000, which he had eml?exiled from the funda in hia keeping. Ha left the city on Monday morn ing, and was on Tueaday aeen in New York. David P- P***, Eaq., Principal of the Slate Normal School of New York, died on New Year'a morning, tgfd 37 yean. At rather a late hour yesterday we were favored with a copy of the late Speech of Mr. Calhoun, as revised by himself, upon his resolutions protest ing against the conquest, by the United States, and holding as a province or annexing, of the Repub lic of Mexico. We lose no time in placing a Speech o! such consequence?though not going quite as iar as we could have wished?before our wiile circle of intelligent and observant readers. < >iher interesting Debates and Proceedings relat ing to the Mexican YVar will be found spread over different pages ol this sheet, as we could find room for them. i he principal subject of discussion in the House ol Representatives this week has been a Resolution which proposes to eusure greater regularity in the transportation ol the Southern mail by restoring it to the Potomac route. .The subject is not yet dis posed of. GENERAL SCOTT. Not having room, in this ediiion of our paper, for the Speeches which were delivered at the Pub lic Pinner given in this city in honor of Generals Quitman and Shields, we extract only the annexed brief remarks of the latter gentleman, complimentary of the Gfeheral-in-chief of the Army: (?eneral Hhiklum rose and said : Mr. President, with your permission and the consent of the company, I wish, as a subor dinate officer of the American army, to give the health of that distinguished commander under whbin my honorable and gal lant friend and myself have had the honor to serve. I feel it due from me to lien. Scott, [applause,] first as one of bis otiicera bating returned from the headquarters of the army which he has so nobly and successfully commanded. I think it still further due, returning as I do with a conviction that that army bias been commanded in nuch a manner by Gen. Scolt as to call lorth the applause, and estimation, and high regard, not only of his countrymen, but of the whole world, it would be a i useless and a foolish undci taking on nay part to attempt ade quately to describe before this intelligent assembly the skill ' arid high military knowledge displayed by Gen. Scout in the conduct of that Army from its landing at Vera Cruz until it ' entered the garita at Mexico. If I should attempt the task I should fail. I could not portray with justness the conduct of that distinguished commander in the hazardous enterprise in which he has been engaged. But f will eay this, that in the history of the world?in the annals of all mi|itary afioirs and enterprises that I have ever read, I find no enterprise compa rable with the capture of Vera Cruz. One of the strongest positions in the world?so strong, indeed, that it was deemed almost impregnable by the military minds of the world, and yet on a coast the most difficult of access in the world, it fell tiefore an army of 12,000 men with the loss of only two score. [Applause. ] And the same skill which enabled him to accom plish this undertaking marked every movement of his progress until he entered the gates of Mexico. In the remarks of Major Gen. Jesup, respecting the brave ry and gallantry and intelligence of the officers of our army, I heartily concur. Neither England, France, nor any other country in the world has such s body of intelligent young of- . fleers in the field as those who accompanied Gen. Scott into the city of Mexico; and, if ever I entertained a thought against West Point, I now make ihe amende honorable, and recall any thing to the prejudice of that institution that I may have thought or uttered. [Gre;?t applause.] Soitis with re gard to Gen. Scott: if I ever harbored aught against him, politi cally or otherwise?for a ?? hasty plate of soup" [laughter] or a slow plate of soup?I recall it -all, and make the amende to him also, and say that I should be very unwilling to see any other man take an army of ten thousand men into the valley of Mexico and attempt to land them in safety. Such an un dertaking requires not only unquestionable bravery of the soldier and gallantry of the officer, but a great superintending milita ry mind, that had conquered and made himself master of him profession, and thus fitted himself to accomplish such an al most miraculous enterprise. With your permission, Mr. President, and that of this com pany, I give you the health of Major General Wijiukld Scott. [Great applause.] APPOINTMENTS BY THE PRESIDENT, By and with the advice and consent of the ?!Senate. Seth Barton, of Louisiana, Charg? d'Affaires to the Republic of Chili, (appointed in the recess.) John W. Davis, of Indiana, Commissioner to China, vice A. H. Everett, deceased. John Rowan, of Kentucky, Charg? d'Affuires to Naples, vice Wm. H. Polk, recalled at his own request. Nathaniel Niles, of Verfnont, Charg6 d'Af faires to Sardinia, vice Robert Wickliffe, jr., re signed. Thomas J. TMoroan, of Ohio, Secretary of Lega tion to Brazil, vice R. Walsh, recalled. Wm. J. Staples, of New York, Consul at Havre, in place of Mr. Beasley, deceased. Charles Huffnaole, of Pennsylvania, Consul at the port of Calcutta, vice James B. Higginson, recalled. Hi/oh Keenan, of Pennsylvania, Consul at. the port of Dublin, vice Thomas Wilson, recalled. John McPiikrson, of Virginia, Consul at the port of Genoa, vice C. E. Lester, recalled. Geokoe J. Fairfield, of Maine, Consul at the port of Buenos Ayres, vice Thaddeus Sanford, de clined, and who was vice W. Greenhow, declined. Adolphe Kknard, Recorder of Land Titles at St. Louis, Missouri, vice L. Spencer, deceased. Robert VV. Pooler, Surveyor at Savannah, ? Georgia, from 1st July, 1847. Eleazer P. Kendrick, of Ohio, Surveyor of Virginia military district in Ohio, vice Wm, M. Anderson, resigned. Abel M. Bryant, Collector at Kennebunk, Maine, vice James Osborne, removed. William P. Porter, Surveyor at Cily Point, Virginia. Alexander Somervillk, Collector at Saluria, Texas. Edward Fitzoerald, Surveyor of the Customs at Corpus Christi, vice George W. Collingsworth, resigned. Henry P. Norton, Surveyor of the Customs at Copano, Texas, vice John F. Stephens, resigned. MONEY MATTEKS AND THE WAR. moM mr. jormiL or coxmsrcb. The n sources of the Government are coming within a small compass. The rash in the Nuhtreasury here ia but little mora . than half a million,-with heavy draft* constantly making upon it, and mull receipts ?? the amount of duties ia moderate, and a large portion of them ia paid in Treaaury note*. The hanks h< ru have now live millions and a half of specie. They have contracted their liabilities six millions since the first of November, so that their poeition ia easier than it was then. The Philadelphia hanks have reduced their liabilities five mil lions. Money in the street is uow one to one and a quarter per month : but the >snks discount so liberally that very few persons have occasion to go elsewhere. The Secretary of the Treasury has, as we understand, in stituted some inquiries as to the terms upon which further loans could be obtained. Nobody thinks that they could bm procured at par while the Bulitreasdry exists snd the Mexican war has no end prescribed to it. About ninety-five per cent for a six per cenL stock. But for the war, every thing in bu siness would be cheerful. The disturliance occasioned by the disaster* in England has from the beginning been considered as of short duration. But the war, while no point of termi nation is fixed for it, compels every merchant to see that the Government will be constantly an immenee borrower, so that there can be no certain calculation for the future. A good deal of the difficulty resulting from the shipments of gold to England has been causfd by the war. The silver dollars which were on their way from Mexico to England are pur chased hy our army providers and paid for by drafts on New York, which are here paid in gold, and the latter is sent for ward to England in place of the dollare. Would it not be mora honorable in the present generation, if they choose to have a war, to pay the expenses on the spot, instead of en tailing upon posterity a vast debt * We have courage to fight; , we should have courage to pay. The Oharleslown (Va.) Free Press announces the ?udden death on Monday last of ALtXAJtBBm 8. Tidbail. Esq., oi \JkI vv incfM Swij v