Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-07-18
THE MEXICAN WAR.

ing on both sides sufficient forces for the renewal
and further prosecution of the between the two
North American Republics--sister Republics we
used in happier days to call them-operates, for the
time, as suspension Of active hosttes, affordng
favorable interval for reasoning among ourselves
as to the objects which we propose to accomplish
by the war, and the suficency Of those objects to
Justify the expenses in which it is deeply involving
the country.
Taking advantage of this pause, this cessation Of
TINT clangor of war which browns even the voice Of
humanity, the Morning News, a leading Democratic
pater las most of our readers know in the city OF
New York, has taken occasion, in article evil
deay very carefully prepared, to express its views
of the objects for which the war ought not TO be
prosecuted To proptiate its readers by what il
kuDws will recommend its article to their attention.
toe aNews" begins with a couple of paragraphs
10 which il pretends to understand the Wings to
object to the prosecution of the war by lawful and
usual means taking especial care to avoid entirely
the preliminary question Of the necessity of prose-
citing it at all. If the be just and necessary,
one knows better than the writer of that article
thst the Wings may be relied upon to find the
" avs and Means for carrying it on with as much
reodiness as they have already shown to do their
SHIRE Of the fighting. The two Introductory para
graphs of the (" News here referred to have at
racted our attention the more strongly from the
fact that the .sUnion" of Saturday last copies
them, for the purpose Of rejecting upon the Wings
hut in doing SO, wholly oyerlooks and passes by
the following next paragraph Of the same article
IN rec opposition to all that has been proclaimed
made known of the purposes of the Administration
ID The further prosecution of this Mexican war:
But it by no means follows, when we invade our
enemy's country, that we are bound or intend to
Keep it; nor have we seen even the slightest evil
dence of any intention on the part of the Admin
lstraton to acquire by conquest and hold perma-
nenty by virtue OF such conquest single foot OF
Mexican territory. Gould we, by any fair con-
sruction, infer any such design on the part of the
Government, we would be among the first to lifi
our voice against it. Nothing upon earth, or
aboUe or beloU the earth, can be further from The
Genius and principles Of This Republic than the
acqMsifion Of territory by military conquest.
The attempt would be as monstrous as it would
he new in our history, and short-lived indeed
would be the power and influence Of those who
should undertake it. They Uould be looked upon
as The toorsf Of traitors, striking at The life OF
their country, and laying the foundation for It's
speedy and certain rtan. We do not assume to
.speak by authority Of the designs of the Admin
'stration, but we have no hesitation in taking the
responsibility of assuring the Wing presses that
their fears upon this subject are wholly ground
less, and will be regarded by the people as so To-
tally absurd that they will not form respectable
shadow Of any ground for attacking the Demo-
'cratic Administration. Something more plausible
must be got up, or the Wing attacks will become
quite fiat and insipld-too much so to make the
contest interesting
Why did the government editor, copying the first
part Of the article referred to- which is comparative
ly OF no significance, stop short when he came to
this truly American and satesmanike paragraph
and refuse to permit it to go to his readers Can
any other reason be imagined than that it was the
severest rebuff that could be administered by one OF
its party to the designs of conquest which the
Administration hardly deigns to conceal, having re-
peatedly avowed, through this same official organ,
its purpose to dictate the terms Of peace if neces-
sary, within the walls Of the capital of Mexico
or, in stilted but usual phrase, "in the Halls
Of the Montezumas r.
We rejoice to discover this evidence, on the part
Of leading journal OF the Democratic party, of a
sober sense, which, assisted by that Of the mass OF
the American people, may, we trust defeat the rash
counsels Of those who have openly declared their
design to be to go conquering and to conquer,
for the sake Of conquest
The sentiments so well expressed by the New
York Democratic paper are but the echo of the
wing Judgment in parts of the country, too, sup
posed to be most disposed to the prosecution of this
military enterprise with view to the acquisition OF
more OF the territory OF Mexico than we have al
ready possessed ourselves Of In evidence of this,
we content ourselves to-day with quoting the fol-
lowing expression Of opinion by one Of the best
expositors Of the public sentiment Of the West:
We are well aware that il does not depend en-
tirely upon when war shall end but there is
one thing we do, and that is to make an effort
for peace, and if that should fail the future respon-
sibility will all be the other party We should
think that the prospect of peace is much more
fattering since the brilliant exhibition of Ameri-
can valor and skill upon the Rio Grande than il
was when vainglorious Mexico repaired thither
in all the consciousness Of her mighty superiority.
She has been taught memorable lesson, and we
suppose will be inclined to listen TO proposals of
peace. We now stand in position that we can
offer to her the olive branch without the slightest
stain upon our character In truth il would great
ly rebound to our dignity as nation il we were,
in the midst of powerful army and after SPLEEN
did victory, to say to our weak neighbor We
desire peace with you. We do not wish TO