The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-10-08

winch Woulo warrant q military movement in ds
fence of the territory in dispute. But it appears that
on the LIST Of March, nearly four months pteytous 10
this, Cen. Taylor was instructed to hold his oo,n
mand in immediate readiness to take the field. ard
await marching orders. And on the 18th Of ,Juns
he was despatched With tho army " to the res.a am
frontier of Texas and ordered to take q positio,
"on or near the RIO Grands del Norte."
Now the line of this river is the last limit To vbi.h
we should even venture q claim, in the event Of an.
%nexation; while the resolutions of Congress prov7d
CD that the question of boundary should be left to
the treaty making power. Can this order, then, Ia
considered in any other light than as an unprovok
ed assault upon Mexico? Was it not an unparalleled
assumption Of power, in contravenfion of the law and
intention of Congress ? Ard did it not involve g Vi
olation of public fam, as well as of the Contribution P
texas had declared in 1886 that tho Rio Qra1ds
should 6e-not, that it had been-her bourd.rv
But what said the Spaniards of Tamaulipas to tb,s ,
Did they acknowledge its validity ? or acouiese or
participate in its rule2 Never, to this day.. Al
though this state was included in one Of tha Cor
gressional districts Of Texas, now represented by
Mr. Pillsbury in the American Congress, that gen.
tleman was obliged to acknowledge when interroga-
ted by the Hon. Solomon Foot as to his oonstituen
cy, that he did not receive q vote in all that part Of
his district.
And how was our army regarded by these peo
pie? One of its officers, writing from the " MEXICAN
state of Tamaulipas,' says, they are actuated by q
universal feeling of hostility towards the United
States, and on our approach have deserted their hah-
itations and crossed the river
Notwithstanding the admirable and friendly oircu
lar of Gen. Taylor, that the property and persons
OF the inhabitants would be unmolested" "a measure
scarcely required among our own people y still they
fled before the army in terror and distrust, leaving
their houses ard their harvests to the mercy Of their
enemies.
But the U. States understood this question Ct
boundary perfectly, and Congress had provided tia
mode of settling it, in tho resolutions Of annexation.
not only az an admission that Texas proper did not
include this territory, but as an evidence that the
rights of Mexico were to be respected and establish
ed. Mr.. Polk vainly attempts to justify his coursa-
by affirming that it was adopted Sin anticipation Of a
threatened Invasion" While it appears from q dis
patch to Gen. Taylor from the war department. on
the 10th of October, -four months afterwards) that
e the information then had at Washington rendered
1t probable that no serious efforts would at present
be made for an invasion of Texas"
We are not given to understand whether the Pres
ident intended to say that no anticipated an dctuas
or merely a threatened invasion. Only as thora
seems to have been no ground for real apprehension
up to this late period, indeed, as our adversary had
not even made preparations to defend herself. we
are obliged to adopt the latter corstruction-that th.s
gallant flnctionary was afraid she pouH threaten 10
invade orr territory, and SO he makes m inclusion In
to Mexico!
But in addition to this refuse p~retence, grea. stresa
is laid upon the insult offered by The rejection Of thu
overtures Of Mr.. Slide!l. The circumstances. how
ever, connected with this mission-and to which we
last weck-furnish q most remarkable refr-
tation Of the assumption. For Mr.. Sli9ell was not
commissioned until the 10Th of November, lS45, and
ne only reached Vera Cruz on the 3Oth, or last day
IF that month. Whereas, the orders which actually
ed to the commencement of hostilities, were issued
II June, one month before the admission Of Texas IN
% the Union, and five months before the opening Of
he mission.
Now suppose our minister had been receited-
NN NASAS '"o SSOA AS~1Ei ~ DoI4bNC, SONS Al
message, that the government of Herrera was
DESTROYS of receiving him, although fnally
obliged to yield to the opposition Of its enemies"
Who would have been responsible for tie In
nense expense incurred in the naval and military
preparations then made ? Congress had cu.loF-
no appropriation, and the country IecoguiaoIn DO
Or S,,ppora Mr. CIi1a1 bo5 hnnp co.-os;toJ 49, .I,o
new government, in accordance with his cxpecta-
ions. As he wrote from Jalapa,on the LIST OF March,
1916, that "his letters from Mexico spoke confidently
# his recogniaoa."
Should we net have been the aggressors in this
var? ard guilty Of treachery as foul as that of KIN
Who plunged a dagger where he had only preferred
kiss? On the one hand our envoy was making
of friendship, while on the other, our az
ny was invading her soil.
Is it not evident, from these considerations, that
he war originated with the President of the United
States? That it is essentially an executive war,
ustained by false and frivolous p~rotences, and I'M
lertaken for mere conquest or personal aggrandize-
nent? Such, at least, we regard it. Mr.. Polk had
'een frightened cut Of his Oregon position by En-
,land, and the military ardor enkindled in that en-
found a sort of safety-valvo Certainly a
afer one) in the weakness of our ~ncighbor, through
which to let itself off. With all the firmness of Il
7~alstaff, therefore, he recounted the dangers and dr-
les Of the emergency, and, before submitting the
ase to Congress, involved the country in war.
That it must be deprecated in every stage of Is
progress, and from motives of principle, no one a.
this belief can deny. Nor are the objections
ess obvious, that arise from the extravaganza ard
,~rodigality with which it has been prosecuted.
In the first place, our forces were ordered to Texas
many months before they were needed, where tho
Of sustaining them, and Of establishing lines Of
'ommuication would be greatly enhanced.
Ater the battles in May, large numbers Of volun-
who rushed to tho scene of danger, under the