The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-10-15

American heroes, of the modern stamp. 1t may bt
useless to expose the knavery of those in power, Sc
far as staying the evil of t~rampling under foot th'
rights of the defcncclcss is concerned, but the PEG
pie of this country should know how much they
have been duped, and how far thhey are partieipa
ing in the guilt attached to the prosecution Of thu
present war with Mexico. Mr. Child speaks as fol
ows
The Mexican Debt to American
Citizens.
The proclamation of General Taylor to the
people of Mexico defines the object Of the
war to be, redress for a long series of " out
RACES" This new pretext shows the dcsper-
ate prcdicament into which the authors Of the
war are brought by their very Victories
What will be their condition, should it come,
as come it may, to defeat?
The proclamation was unquestionably got
up at Washington. 1t has every mark of an
Executive manifesto, except the Signature
TAYLOR, a plain man of war, is not, we pre-
sumo, capable of any thing so Machiavel-
ian. At any rate, the President is response
BILE for it.
The cause alleged for the commencement
of the war, was, that the American soil was
III dNl0l Nv IL IOlCl2l " L lllo plOAi Ilttbl
saws not a word about invasion, but puts the
war on the ground of outrages of long stand
ing! This implies that the first pretence was
false, and that the inventor, conscious that it
was so, abandons it otherwise, why has he
substituted a new one, consigning the first to
silence, and, as far as he may, to oblivion ?
If the Mexicans had really invaded the soil of
the United States, this, by the law of nations,
would be an ample justification Tor carrying
the war into their own country, and continu-
ing it until full PREPARATION was obtained.
This new allegation is another in the series
of Executive falsehoods by which this people,
Boosting of superior intelligence, is deluded,
and led on to new deeds of guilt and shame.
The outrages to which the proclamation is
presumed to refer, for it cunningly avoids
specifications, can be nothing but the debts
due, or supposed to be due, from Mexico to
citizens of the United States. These arose en-
tirely from private claims for injuries to prop
erty, alleged to have been suffered at the
hands of the Mexican Government, Not a
single claim or complaint has ever been made
on our part for any national wrong or indig-
nitv. No consideration but that of pecuniary
indemnity was involved. There was moth
ING wanton, cruel, or extraordinary in the ma
ture of the alleged injuries. Nor were they
systematic and extensive, or authorized by de-
liberate DEGREES of the Government, rs in the
case of the capture and coniscation of eighty
vessels and cargoes, belonging to American
citizens, under the lawless DEGREES Of the rev.
dictionary rulers Of France, the claims for
which were released by our Government to
France for an invaluable boon to the United
States. The claims upon Mexico were on
account of im-pressmcnt of American mer-
chant vessels for transporting troops and pro-.
visions during the struggle of Mexico for in
dependence, and in the subsequent contests
of domestic parties, Or for forced loans on the
same occasions. To these, American resi-
dents, in common with Mexicans and other
foreigners, were subjected. Other claims
were for duties illegally collected at the Gus
tom-houses, or for the detention Of vessels
caused by disputes about the payment Of du-
ties.
Mexico never denied the general justice Of
these claims, and never refused to allow them.
She did object, and with good reason, to
their exorbitance, but she never refused to
adjust them, and pay all that should be found
to be really due. The two governments hay
ing failed to come to an agreement respecting
them, Mexico proposed an arbitration. A
convention to that effect was concluded. lhe
King of Prussia was made the umpire, and
Awo Commissioners were to represent each
of the contracting parties.
The king of Prussia appointed Baron Ro-
enne, a noble minded and straight forward
German, and a jealous friend OF peace, to
represent him. The Commissioner and UNI
pire met at the city Of Washington, IN All
gust, 1910, and continued their labors until
April, 1912. They examined and decided a
majority of the cases. The claims presented
amounted in round numbers to eight millions
of dollars, of which only two millions were
found to be honest and just. Tho umpire
expressed to his intimate friends great dis
trust at the impudencc and chicanery Of the
claimants. The claims not acted upon, many
of which were not presented to this tribunal,
(too impartial perhaps to suit the claimants
nurposes) amount nominally to about five
millions of dollars more but there cannot be
n doubt that these would shrink at the touch
Of examination more wonderfully than the
others. But Mexico showed no reluctance
to meet them. She Immediately entered in
IN and ratified a convention for disposing
If them bv means of q similar tribunal. By
the terms of this convention the Commission
ers and umpire were to meet and hold their
sessions in the city of Mexico. This seemed
hut a fair reciprocity, and especially as Mex
loo herself had considerable claims againstthe
United States for injuries both private and
national. of which the evidence existed in
bor archives. and among her people. But our
Government, pursuing the naughty and over
FEARING conduct characteristic of its whole in
tercourse with Mexico, and systematically
aiming to humble and degrade her, refused
70 rotify The Convention because the sessions