Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-12-25
RICH MOND, VA.
Friday Morning, December rs, 1916.
The neutral papers may b. looked upon as SAT

ment Apply this test 10 Inc Presidents mes
SAGE, and we NAV reasonably inler that the cur
rent Of popular opinion sels strongly in favor OF
The whole policy OF the Administration in 'eler-
ence 10 The Mexican war. Even some Of the
strongest Wing papers pronounce The message 10
be thorough yindicalion OF the honor and high
bearing Of our country in her difficulty with Mex
leo.
n connection with this subject we publish
this morning the severe but just comments cl The
II. O. Delta, an able Neutral paper, uponihe Phi
ladelphia speech Of Mr.. Webster, and the conduct
OF many of The Wing leaders. Mr.. Webster de-
serves no favors al the hands of The press. His
deliberate assertion that the expenses OF The Mex
lean war were halt u million d0yhas been so
completely upse, by The official accounts, as TO
show him TO be reckless in his partisan views
Look, loo, al his denuncialions OF The President
Tor marching the Army 10 The Rio GfaIce, when
the records OF the Stale Department contain evil
dence that while Secretary Of State, he declared
10 The Mexican Government that the boundaries
OF Texas extended to that river, and had been SO
considered ever since 1919, the period Of the ces.
sion TO Spain.
But 10 the article from The Della:
THE WAR MAINTAINED BY THE
PEACE PARTY.
"iis remarks were far from being intended 10 justi
y Mexico or 10 show up our own Government Us In
the wrong. - Webster'S SPEECH in Philadelphia.
The above extract follows labored, sophls-
lical and inconclusiye Argument, extending
through Two long columns of The mammoth pa
per, The Inquirer, 10 prove what the speaker, in
The one little sentence we quote, says ne does not
intend to do viz: 10 "show up our own Govern
nent az in the wrong" This public tribute 10
his own and the patriotism Of his audience con-
vicls Mr.. Webster either OF iergiversation, mo-
raj offence; or Of an inability properly 10 express
his intentions; and this is weakness, The last
Mr. Webster would ever be accused OF. To what
purport is all the foregoing argument, but 10
prove that the Administration has provoked the
war by the invasion of Mexican lerritory-by
acts Of aggression against a weak and unohend-
ing enemy 7 that in every act Mr.. Polk has been
in The wrong that We had no right 10 annex
Texas-no right TO occupy the country between
the Nueces and Rio Grande-no right 10 repel
the hostile forces of the enemy7 that all these acs
were unjusiifable and wrong, and but for them
there would have been no war Truly is Mr..
Webster like the unfortunate Mrs. Candor, whose
intentions we're perfectly good, but praltling
propensity invariably lhwared her amiable i'm
pulses By giving currency 10 stories about her
best friends, which produced The greatest mis-.
chief. Or, perhaps This declaration, that ne did
not intend To "show up our Government as in The
wrong" was frank admission OF the fallacy OF
he argument made for that purpose. Or, per-
haps the argument did not suit the latitude OF
Philadelphia, as il had been prepared in the bleak
ba,a
tons, such as great heartness Of applause oil
all illusions 10 our victories or 10 General Tay-
or in The audience, induced him, with orateli-
cal skill, to give his abored argument against The
war, patriotic backset
Curran once appeared in suit alter dinner
and having Listened TO The testimony, proceeded
10 open, 10 most eloquent argument Tor the
plaintiff. The defendant rushed up, and whisper
ed 10 him, "Why, Mr.. Curran, you are retained
for me-" The asu,e advocate saw his error, and
escaped from il by quietly remaIking, that the
argument he had just urged Tor The plaintiff was
hypothetical statement Of what ne expected
would be advanced by the learned counsel for
,ir plaIniin and he then proceeded, with grea,
effect 10 refuie and overthrow his own argument.
So, perhaps Mr.. Webster, seeing himself on the
wrong side, look the back track in time 10 save
his patriotism.
We are sorry, however, that, Wills, Mr.. Web
ster could give TWO whole columns 10 The TASK OF
iraducing and disappearing his own Govern
nient in its contest with foreign power, he had
bu, one poor, little, rquivoca sentence to offer on
the altar Of patriotism and public duty. What
an inlolerablc deal of sack 10 but one half-penny
worth Of bread"
But il was not TO crilicise the speech Of Mr..
Webster that we took up our pen. i, was to
prove The truth of our text that The war with Mex
leo is now maintained and continued By the
peace party Of the North, Of which Mr. Webster
is one Of The mouth pieces. But for their traitor
Gus opposition; their continual croaking and out
cry against the Government their gloomy prog
nosIicalions; their il-conceaIed satisfaction at
every obstacle our arms mtel; their exulting e1-
aggeIation OF the difficulties and expessiveness
oil the war; and their wild romances about Mexi-
can parloiism-but Tor these act, OF The North.
ern peace party, The war, in our opinion, would
have terminated ere this. II has been an uphill
task for The Mexican papers 10 sustain the droop
ing courage and desI c ale fortunes ol The Mexi
can people Arguments for This purpose were
hard 10 find. Their pride was efectualiy crushed
BY their ingoriuus defeats. The safety Of The
government and The country seemed deeply i'm
perilled To what hope, then, could they cling
in such emersencies2 A volatile and sanguine
people would easily grasp al The feeblesl ray of
hope, al a shaw, al sha.ow. But fortunate, in
task OF upholding he spirits and confidence OF
the Mexicans, when they are supplied with such
pregnant evidence Of The unpopularity OF the war
in The United States, Of the opposition Of large
and influential potion OF the Union, as are af.
iorded in the speeches OF Mr. Webster and his
compeers and in the editorials Of so large por-
lion Of The Northern press
Here is some substantial encouragement for
The Mexicans. "Wilh such sturdy opposition
(lhey argue) 10 The Government, on a question
upon which il is mol permitted, in most countries.
that there should be any open discussion or dit
ference of opinion proceeding from such respecta-
BILE and powerful individuals and sections OF The
country, surely The Government OF the United
Stiles will not be permitted TO continue This war
any longer, and we shall he saved from eternal
iniamy and destruction" In proof OF this posi-
lion, We give The following eYlraot from letter
from Vera Cruz which only coLfirms The state
mens previously made by Us, respecting The pub
lie sentiment in Mexico
Extracts of letters from the United States are
published, in whichit is represented that our peo-
pie, especially in The Northern States, have be-
come thoroughly disguised with the war on ac-
count OF lis enormous expenses. amounting 10
half million Of dollars per diem! AMI that !, has
become so odious that it will be impracicab!e
tor our Government 10 raise the required nun.
Der OF troops! -lndl Tie SENATE VIII refuse any
further appropriations for the war that The Bril-
fish Government has insisted ON its mediation
being acce pied" &c.
We conclude then, as we began, by asserting,
lha, "lhe Mexican war is mainta ined by The peace
parry"
We understand that MIR. William B. Afcher's
Company has now the least number OF men that
can be taken and will be reported 10 The Execu-