3rd. To establish a military cordon along its northern frontiers.
4th. To occupy by naval detachments and military garrisons, all its principal ports in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
5th. To establish these ports temporarily, and during the continuance of the war, as American ports of entry with a tariff of specific duties.
6th. To throw these ports open for the admission under any friendly flag of all articles, foreign or domestic not contraband of war.
7th. To encourage the admission and sale of American manufactured goods and the staples of the country, “particularly that of tobacco, which is a present monopoly of Mexico, and yields to the government a large revenue.”
We should thus get a revenue to pay for the expenses of the war.
The advantages of Perry’s plan, stated in his own words, were that, “Instead of our waging a war of invasion, it would become one of occupation and necessary expediency, and consequently a contest more congenial to the institutions and professions of the American people.”
“The cost of the war would be reduced three-fourths, the results would be positive, and there would be an immense saving of human life. Commerce and kindness would remove false ideas of Mexicans concerning North American people, ideas so actively fomented by the Mexican clergy. As an argument in favor of humanity, the Mexican people would be led to pursue agriculture and mining, so that it would be hard to rouse sufficient military spirit in them to dislodge forces holding their ports.” The “baleful influence of the clergy would be lessened,” and the despotic power of the military be almost annihilated, so that the people would sue for peace. In short, this plan, if carried out, would be a great educational measure.
The Mississippi in those days was among ordinary war vessels, what the racers of the Atlantic to-day are among common steamers,—“an ocean greyhound.” Fleetly the gallant vessel moved south, passing exultingly the Bahamas, where many of our transports were waiting for a change of wind. Many of these were “ocean tramps”—hulks of such age and rottenness, that a norther would surely strand them. The Mississippi stopping at Havana, March 15, 1847, was after two days then pointed for Vera Cruz, arriving on the evening of the 20th.