Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1846-10-02
The War with Mexico.

The Sentinel and Democrat insists upon it that
the uncxamplcd obstinacy and depravity OF
Wing Senator has entailed war upon this
Country for months, perhaps for years"
Is it not rather singular that locofoco ncwspa-
pcrs all over the country, the Sentinel as well
as the rest, have been pouring out walls of wrath
and denunciation upon the Wings for months,
for OPPOSING this Mexican War! They 1.-THE
Wings have been branded as enemies of their
Country, British Wings, traitors, and all manner
of enormhies, because they have, from the begin
ming, rcsolutely opposed both the commence
mcnt and the continuance of this Polk-and-Dal-
las pro-slavcry war and now this consistent
Sentinel is equally beside itself with rage and fu-
ry because the Wings, as it says, have 'entaied''
this locofoco measure "upon the Country!'
What is the Sentinel driving at Is not the
war Just as necessary now as it was four months
ago? What has been achieved by it !? Why
should it be terminated nor. lift were erer called
for? Has Mexico been conquered, or humbed
even? Have we conquered Peace ?" Has
Mexico paid the 1ndemnity-money. or has she
promiscito? Has Decentralization fddlcd
and danced in "the Halls of the Montezumas?"
Or has any one thing been accomplished for the
attainment of which the whole power ofthc Uni
ted States has been for months arrayed against
the poverty-stricken, distracted. and feeble. Re-
public of Mexico? We will thank the Sentinel
to answer any one, or all, of these questions, and
then we will be prepared to discuss with it the
"unexamplcd dcpravities " and the 'moral tur-
pitudes Of which it makes so wonderful dis
play. 1t has "blown hot and co!d' about this
Mexican War about long enough. Let it " de-
fine its position and let its readers know 'chy
the war should be stopped, or why it was begun,
and its opinions and charges may be entitled to
respectful refutation.
To the pottifoging of the Sentinel respecting
the cause of the defeat of the bill giving Polk
S2000,000 for the purpose of purchasing peace.
we have a short reply. The pretcnce that the
war need or will, be continued one single hour
in consequence of the failure Of that bill, is too
preposterous and absurd to merit a moments at
tention. The $2.0UO.00O was no more nceded
to give the President 'aWhoriy' as the Sentinel
with Mexico" than to give him "auhority' to
negotiate any other Treaty The President had.
and has all the necessary authority in the prcmis-
es. The defeat of the bill, therefore, neither adj
ded to, subtractcd from, nor in any respect atl1c-
ted the authority of the President to conclude
Treaty ofPcace with Mexico. VIII the Sent-
mel deny this Whence. then, originate its
tlrocs of we-allected anguish over the "dc-
privl,y' and the ''turpitude' and the 'dcspera-
ton ola Wing Senator who deemed it his duty,
as it unqucstionably was his duty, to oppose the
striking out provision in the bill prohibiting the
use of this S20O0,OOO for the acquisition of Slave
territory?
But we again affirm that, whatever consequent
ccs may be chargcable upon the defeat of this
uncalled-for and highly Objectionable bill giving
the Pres dent the unrcstrained use of 50 900 OoC
# the public money. they lie at the door Of Dix
on H. Lewis, the Locofoco Senator from Alaba
ma. lie it was, as the Sentinel admits, who. q
tew minutes previous to the hour Of adjournment
moved TO STRIKE OUT tne IollOWlnH prOVlSO IN the
bill, which we again publish for the instruction
of the Sentinel -
"Pr0ridcd, That as an express and fundamental
condition oi the acquisition OF any territory from tht
Republic OF Mexico by the United States, by virtue
any treaty which may be negotiated between them AM
to the use by the EXecutveoi any moneys herein appro
$ priated, NEITHER SLAVERY NOR INvoLUSIARY SERvI
tube SHALL EVER EXIST IL ANY PART OF SAID TERRI
TORY except for crime whereof the party shall first
duly convicted"
Wan this proviso the bill might have passed
Enough we are glad it was defeated, any way .
but with this proviso Southern pro-slavcry Lo
coiocoism resolved it Shoud not pass, and. to us
T (not to adopO the elegant and refined languag
of the Sentinel
by this deepdyed and dnmnable plot, by the "mor
al mrpitude" Of notorious dcmngoguc, base enoug
10 become the willing instrument to do the bidding
demons, the Mexican war was enailed upon the coun
n tn, perhaps for years to come
. Our army swore terribly in Flanders" but
r was nothing to this