Page:History of the War between the United States and Mexico.djvu/150

124 the Pacific coast, the harbor of San Francisco, asserted by many of the ablest and most experienced navigators, to be the best and the safest on the North American continent, now belongs to the United States. Its value as a dépôt of refreshments and supplies for American whalemen, and its importance in connection with the China and East India trade, can scarcely be over estimated. In the progress of time it must become to our commerce with the Asiatic governments, what the city of New York now is to that with the countries lying along the Mediterranean, and the eastern shore of the Atlantic.

Previous to the war, the trade between Santa Fé and the United States, principally carried on through the city of St. Louis, amounted annually to nearly two millions of dollars. The profits realized by the American citizens, whose active enterprise had established and fostered this inland commerce, early excited the envy of the Mexican government, and on the 23rd of September, 1843, a decree was issued forbidding foreigners, after six months from the date of its promulgation, from selling by retail any goods within the confines of Mexico. One of the objects of this decree was, to cut oil the commerce between the United States and the province of New Mexico, and compel the latter to become tributary to the towns on the Gulf, or to secure to the Mexicans themselves the entire monopoly of the retail trade. It also afforded the means of gratifying the cupidity of the officers appointed in New Mexico by the central government, and served as a cloak for imposition and extortion. Evasions of the ordinance were invited and connived at, only to be followed by the most arbitrary exactions. To such an