Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1846-08-20
FROM the SArioNAL ISrELLIoEScER.
THE MEXICAN WAR.

readers the Confidential Message of the President
of the United States to the Senate, aud the Docu-
ments accompanying it. showing the grounds taken
by the President in his Intercourse with the Execu-
tive Council (the Senate) in relation to the Mexi-
can war; from which our readers will have learnt
that the President Is in communication with the
Government OF Mexico, OF which PAREpEs is the
head, with reference TO Negotiation for Peace and
for an adjustment of Boundary.
We now lay before them in another column \
Proclamation issued some time ago by Gen. TAy |
LoR, at the head of the Army of Invasion which,
though bearing the signature Of the gallant General
IS, upon the face of it, elaborate Manifesto prc
pared for him, and undoubtedly issued, by Execu-
tive authority. 1t is for the reader to reconcile in
whatever way he can, the inconsistency between
this annuncation to the People of the objects of the
Executive, and that very different annunciation Of
its purposes and designs which the President has
30 recently made to the Senate.
In the Message to the Senate the President is
not only anxious to make Peace with Mexico, but
announces that he has entered into negotiations with
President Paroles to that end. In the Proclan,a-
ton to the People of Mexico the object of the war
rs declared, and reiterated, to be to soverthrow the
tyrants'-meaning the actual Government with
whom, since the publication of that Manifesto the
Executive has invited negotiations for Peace =
How are these extraordinary contradictions to be
reconciled2 ~
Again: the object of the War is declared in the
PROCLAMATION, to be to obtain indemnity for claims
Mexico. In the Message of the President of the
United States of May lth, so promptly responded
to. In which he asked Congress to shoulder the
War, and appropriate men and money to carry it
on, the prosecution OF the War was demanded not
To obtain indemnity for claims &c.-and much less
to overthrow the Government of Mexico-but be-
cause OF Mexico having ''passed the boundary of
the United States,'' s'invadcd our, territory, and
shed American blood upon the American soi". 1t
was TO rcpet tncasion Of oar te,ritory-to defend
Sn hat t1n aIloI,
gress to appropriate men and money, and not to
CELEBRATE the people of Mexico from despots,' or
-'to overthrow tyrants," who declared to have
usurped power them.
Who can possibly determine the real objects or
intentions OF the Government i'm prosecuting this
War, when the highest official authority gives such
different, contradictory, and opposite versions of
them?
Is there yet some other purpose, not revealed or
limited mt In any OF the Executive communications
to Congress or to the People, even tn the Peo-
pie OF Mexico, the disclosure of which, when it
comes, will furnish the key these irreconclable
inconsistencies?
PROGRESS OF THE MEXICAN WAR.
The following Proclamation has been issued by
Major General TAYLOR, and is published in both
the English and Spanish languages in the Matamo-
ras papers
PROCLAMATION
~ TUG ocHcfM commanding tHe .1IMn Of The
United States Of .4merica
To THE PEOPLE OF MEXIco After many wears
OF patient endurance the United States are at enrth
constrained to acknowledge that a war now exists
between our Government and the Government Of
MeXico. For many years citizens have been
subjected to repeated insults and injuries our YES
sells and cargoes have been seized and confiscaed
our merchants have been plundered, manned, i'm
Prlsoned, without cause, and without reparation-
Al length your Government acknowledge the JUS
tlce OF our claims, and agreed by treaty to make
satisfaction, by payment of several millions OF dol
lars but tins treaty has been violated by your rr
1ers, and the stipulated payments have been with
held Our late effort terminate all difficulties by
peaceful negotiation has been rejected by the Die
tator Paroles, and our minister of peace, whom
your rulers had agreed to receive has been refused
hearing. lie has been treated with indignity and
insult, and ParedeS has announced that war exists
between MS. This war, thus first proclaimed by
him, has been acknowledged an existing fact by
our president and Congress, with perfect unanimty
and will be prosecuted with vgor and energy a
galnst your army and rulers; but those of the MeX-
can people who remain neutral will not be moested
Your Government is in the hands Of tyrants and
usurpers. They have abolished your State Co
yernments, they have overthrown your Federal
Constitution, they have deprived you of the right
OF suffrage destroyed the liberty Of the press, des
Poled you of your arms, and reduced YOU TO an alb
solute state Of dependence upon the power of mi
litary dictator Your army and rulers eXtort from
the people, by grevous taxation by forced loans
and military seizures, the very money which sis
tains the usurpers in power Being dsarmed, you
were left defenceless, an easy prey to the savage
Camanches, who not only destroy your lives and
property, but drive into captivity, horrible
than death itself, your wives and children. 1t is
your military rulers who have reduced You 10 this
deplorabe condition. 1t is these tyrants and their
corrupt and cruel satellites, gorged with the peoples
treasure, by whom you thus oppressed and i'm
poverisbed, some of whom have boldly advocated
monarchlcal government, and would place Euro
pcan prince upon the throne of Mexico. We come
TO obtain reparaon for repeated wrongs and injuries
we come to obtain indemnity for the past and secu-
rity Tor the future we come to overthrow the ty
rants who have destroyed your liberties, but we
come to make no war upon the people Of Mexico,
nor upon any form of free government they may
choose to select for themselves. Ii is our wish to
see you liberated from despots, to drive back the
savage Camanches, to prevent the renewal of their
assaults, and to compel them to restore to Won from
captivity your long lost wives and children Your
religion, your affairs and churches, and the property
OF your churches and citizens, the emblems of your
faith and its ministers, shall be protected and remain
Invlolate Hundreds Of our army and hundreds of
thousands OF our people members of the Catho-
lie church In every State. and in nearly every
city and village of our Union. Catholic churches
exist, and the priests perform their holy functions
In peace and security, under the sacred guaranty of
our constitution We come among the people of
Mexico as friends and republican BRETHREN and all
who receive us as such shall be protected whilst
all who are seduced into the army of your dictator
shall be treated as enemies. We shall want from
you nothing but food for army and for this YOU
shall ALWAYS be paid i'm cash the full value I