The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-08-26

For the Unio
RELATIONS WITH MEXICO.

does not mean 10 declare war against US, but only 10
make upon us, by crossing the Rio Grande with
her troops. A mercisul distinction in our favor
She means TO dispense with all forms, and jump
into the thing ITSELF sans cersmo,e.
| The interest Of the subject mpes me to few
more reflections. ! do not doubt the foresight or
energy of our government in using against Mexico
all the force at its command; and this additional
4 communication for your crowded columns is sub
mited simply in the light of some little expression
/ ofpubc opinion and feeling in the sphere IN which
/ | move.
I. When, in 1901, during the war between England
and France, the northern powers, Russia, Sweden,
and Denmark PRUSSIA lending her aid too, entered
into confederacy for protecting the rights Of neu-
trail commerce and navigation, violated, as those
powers alleged, by England, what was the course
Of England Did she wait until actual nostilities
were committed upon herr Far otherwise. No
sooner was the confederacy formed and avowed,
than she moved forward the naval armament she
had been preparing under Admiral Sir Hyde Par
ker, with Nelson as his second. On approaching
the Categat, the British commander informed the
| Danish governor of CroDborg castle, which de-
Tended the entrance TO the Sound that the first shot
fired at the British feet would be considered as
declaration of war by Denmark The Dane fired;
and then followed that furious bombardment of
Copenhagen, which you, Mr.. Editor, doubt not,
| condemn, as DO. The judgment of history very
generally has condemned il; but mark the conduct
Of Britain. BY her naval thunders she Instantly
breaks to pieces confederacy formed with intention
to injure her, she declared but which had taken
no step whatever IN arms against her.
I And shall We pause upon highest dutiesi
Shall we hesitate to invade Mexico after she cross
es the Rio Grande to invade usi But she does this
| TO reconquer Texas, her own province Insulting
| preiext, and as mendacious as insulting Having
shown, for nearly ten years, in her efforts against
] independent Texas, an imbecility as contemplate
as her buster about reconquerng il, which is now
calculated to excite the disgust and Of nations,
she resolves upon invasion Of soon as be-
comes ours, under the wicked desperate hope, that
the chances OF war may raise up allies in her favor.
She this basis, and other; for it is impos-
sibe, utterly impossible, with all her bravado that
she can ever expect TO regain Texas by fighting sin
gle-handcd against the United States. Such nefa-
| rious political gambling in weak but revengefhl
nation, merits the heaviest punishment which this
republic may lawfully be able to infict upon that
nation We have too long been passive under
merons and aggravated wrongs from Mexico in
stead Of taking redress into hands, as other
nations did; and in her present conduct she is build
! ing upon our past forbearance Retrbution can now
be best dealt out to her. in the first stages at least,
by letting loose our ships to lombard her towns
whatever shores assailable, if she dares to
fire single gun at Texas
| Suppose England were to attack us in Oregon:
would we wait TO send troops across the Rocky
mountains to repel herr No, truly; we would strike
at her in Canada, in Nova Scotia, or wherever else
in our powernot forgetting the British channel it.
SELF Our first war with Britain was for independ-
ence; second for defence against unjust attacks
upon persons and property on the high seas and
elsewhere; third f we TO have i) ought to be
one of attack, not merely upon her petty provinces
on our border, but on her homesteads in Old Eng
\ land, she attacks in the United States--ese
should suffer the most, come what would otherwise
For what great advantage, still less glory, would il
be to this great republic simply to beat back British
troops, matter how many, sent to invade us from
a little island three thousand miles off; and for a
while actually doing 80, at immense loss, suffering,
and sacrifices to us in all ways.
i Let us instantly, then, fall upon Mexico with
4 strong hand, jfshe begins The Let our naval
cannon be made reach her every point possible.
BY this kind of naval vigor bursting upon her, fol-
lowed up by cooperation possible on the
part Of our troops and volunteers by land, we may
make the short. Let the second branch Of
n Montesquieu's remark on popular government on
this occasion be realized, that it, ''wh its hundred
: thousand feet, it sometimes creeps like snail, pit
can, at other times, with it's hundred thousand
arms, bear down oil before it."
4 As to war with England trust we not to
! have one. will never, until the very last, give up
the confident hope and belief that the Oregon ques-
ton may be peaceably settled without loss ofhonor
| to either party. But it is clear that war with
Mexico, il she will force upon us, will be the
i most likely way in the world to keep us cut of
war with England. II was the boast of Lord
4 Chatham, that he conquered America in Germany
meaning that, by occupying French armies in Eu-
Il rope during the war winch preceued the peace OF
1853 he was the better enabled to reduce all Cana
4 da, and expel France from this continent. On
i like principle, short triumphant war with Mexico
would give new phase to the Oregon difficulty,
ifnot rootit out entirely. First, it would stand us
in stead of further negotiation with England for al
4 though do not think she is nation to be intmi-
dated, she has calm-mnded and wise statesmen
i who let pass unheeded the crude and passionate
stuff contained in her press and it is out Of reason
that such men should not take into account, whilst
higgliDg about remote interest as Oregon, our
ability to right ourselves upon our own continent
if things come to an extremity-which, at present,
there is probably little belief in England that we
could do Secondly, to subdue and humble Mexi-
co, might have its influence in assuaging something
Of the feeling in this country against England,
at present existing. The late Lord Holland once re-
marked to an American minister 10 London that our
!. government cppeared suited to circumstances
adding his hope that we might not "put it to risk
by fopdness for war; 10 chch the erciiements apt to
arise under popular forms and the courage thai springs
from freedom, he feared made prone" The minis
ter replied, that our safety in the checks which
our constitution raised up; and, chiefly, that the pee
\ pie, who must suffer from the war, and pay its ex-
penses were tl3power who, alone, by their repre-
sentatives, could declare it"
i But for all this, it is to be disguised that there
4 are shadows of foundation for Lord Hollands re-
4 mark; STILL if Mexico, in her wicked rage and in
fatuation, throws war upon US, whether we will or
/ not making our cause as Just national
cause under heaven could he, then let
punish her. The blood would lie at her DOOR and
ii might suffice, heavy the evil even of short
\ and triumphant war would be TO us, TO merge all
undue desire for another and far different trial
of our strength with Britain, which nothing but
clearly authenticated wrong her side, and denial
all other modes Of redress, ought ever to make us
desire.
i For this reason--for all reasonsif Mexico should
fire single shot at Texas, under the safeguard
~ the Ifnion LET war he rolled bnck upon her at all
II points, in manner commensurate with our present
power and past glory. Let us not consider it title
war; This is the only rock we may split against
Let us go TO work as il il were war Of the first
magnitude in order to make success quick, certain
and complete. Let offers from volunteers be conn-
gently accepted under the full assurance that Con-
gress would go hand in hand with the Executive, so
that time might not be lost towards incpent organ
ization. This brave nation both likes and expects
in it's rulers decisions energy, holiness when crisis