The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1845-01-03

openly traitor TO his country, usurping power
expressly prohibited to him by the Con sttution,
and, at the head Of an armed force. threatening
destruction to the men who exercise their CON
stitutioual rights. The proclamation OF Cana
lzo, suspending the sessions of Congress, aud
conierring the dictatorship on Santa Anna, was,
II is positively and no doubt truly stated, issued
after consultation with the latter, and was an act
OF treason ln ltseli-d gross overt act Ii boldly
threw defiance at the constitution of the coun
Try, and relied on the military 10 make aud TO
enforce the laws. These men relied on force
alone, and what right will they have TO complain
If force oyerwhems them7
The lntelligencer's sensitive feelings are
greatly aroused by the application of the terms
savage feroeily," "cold -blooded butchery,"
boodlhrsIy and desolating spirit" to Santa
Anna-ior he has been now for years ''the Go
venment of Mexico" And will even the Mex
leans themselves nOU dispute the proprety of
these epiIhets, when he has turned traitor, aud
is ready with "hireling military TO tear the
bosom ofhis country 2" Can any thing denote
ril," than for the sake of retaining power him
sell, to violate his oath to the Constitution, and
TO levy war upon his countrymen who still adj
hered TO t2 This is the genuine temper of
the maxim which Cicero tells us Caesar had so
often in his mouth
's vlolandum est jus, violandum est,
kegnandi srata, allis rebus Pletatem eoias.
And Santa Anna, a would-be Cesar, evil
DENLY thinks that usurpation is lawful for HIM.
Never 10 menIion hell to ears polite" was a
principle of which certain clergyman was
strictly observanr, who would have constituted
an admirable Secretary Of Stale, or diplomatlsI
of the first water, according to the tenor
Of the Intelligencer's remarks on Mr.. Calhoun's
instructions. In indicating the Texans from
the charges that have been heaped upon them,
by men 10 this country well as IN Mexico
Mr. Calhoun was not TO allude 10 facts going
strongly to prove traits of character the reverse
of those charged against them, because ii would
involve great impoliteness towards Gen. Santa
Anna To wound his feelings with statement
of Texan generosity, in giving him his forfeit
ed life, which he has since peThdlously employ
ed day and night in attempts TO harass them,
and exasperaIe all whom he could influence
against them, was objectionable" in Mr.. Cal
houn.n Ii was ''mentioning hell to ears polite,
in too direct manner. 1t was saying "thou
art the man" in a form loo palpable-with
liberty of speech that abandoned all that was
debonare and genleel 10 diplomacy. Nathan
and David lived in barbarous times, when men
had not grown so polished and decent as they
have become in these days of diplomacy and
good faith, proved by doing the reverse of the
purposes TO which il was plighted.
In vain is the attempt to smooth the unmti- |
gated barbarity and vilany of Wops procla
nation. 1t speaks expressly of determination.
Nor is it matter of surprise that they should
threaten this towards the Texans, when we
find them so frequently practising 1t towards
one another. How often have the hands of the
Mexcans reeked with the blood of political
opponents, slain in some one of their half dozen
of general political revolutions No quarter to
their domestic enemies, has been their custom,
and why should any one expect barbarity thus
nurtured to cease when hostility is directed to-
ward an enemy foreign in their origin, and OBJ
jects of peculiar hatred to Mexican superstition
and ignorance However lamentable, and
Justly TO be abhorred, no one can be surprised
at the conduct of Mexico in relation to
Texas, who has observed the vindictive,
revengeful, and bigoted character Of the peo-
pie. The aboriginal ancestors of the pre-
sent Mexican race made their affairs smoke
with human victims. Mr. Prescott relates
that, in the year 1884, sno less than sixty
thousand victims of their abominable superstition
persisted The equally detestable superstition
and thirst of gold for their Spanish conquerors.
slaughtered, in cold blood, vast multiludes ofin-
nocent vlctims-lhe Aborignes of the country.
To expect the mixed race, who are the deseen-
dants of this people-slill given up as they are
to supersition-to be humane, gentle to be
anything but barbarous, terocious and sanguina-
RVS to expect something very different from
the truth, and not at all justified by the igno-
rance and crime in which they have been edu-
Gated from generation to generation. Whether
they will ever be able to deliver themselves or
whether the deliverance must come by foreign
sword cutting away abuses with more discrimi-
nation than Napoleon did, although it Topped off
considerably, are questions of grave considera-
ton and which are likely to become subjects
of practical moment to people like ourselves
living contiguous 10 them, subject to be annoy
ed by their rapne injured by their perfdy, and
insulted by their unjust reproaches. Matters,
in this respect, are approaching manifesty a
crisis, to which the factious blindness of the
editor of the Intelligencer makes him insensi-
ble In the midst of that whirl of revolutions
OF volcanic explosions which, in continual
periodical circle, occurs in Mexico, what is TO
hecnme of our interests2 How can we keen