The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-12-28
Conquest.

popular sentiment to denounce the war unjust and
aggressive they obliged content themselves with
calling it "a of conquest" II they can find little
else say against it, they al least thus give il bad
suspicious name In this view, the National Intel
gencer of Friday last beats the air through an essay
five columns long against ''the lust of dominion" The
article, its opening. foreits all claim to consideration
by charging against all probability, and in the teeth OF
the paines proofs the contrary "hat il is the opinion
OF the President that the fact of conquest annexes foreign
provinces TO the United States" To sustain this asser-
ton-wholy incredible in ITSELF and directly conradicted
by the message Of the President in the recent
call Of the House Of Representatves-the Integencer
refers to the brief auson made in the annual mes
sage TO the progress OF country, the extern
sion OF territorial limits, and the rapid increase
of our population That the Inellgencer should delb-
erately rely upon such argument to prove such an
assertion respecting the opinions Of the Chief Magistrate
OF the nation, is, if possible, little more discreditable
than to garbe the passage in the message referred to- for
the sake OF straining out OF it meaning which even
such garbling cannot possibly elicit
After such Misrepresentation of the Presidents views
is not surprising that the Federal organ should charge
that the acquisition Of Mexican territories if not origin
ally main object OF the war; has become so in the course
Of its progress" The main proof of this charge the
Intelligencer finds in the suggestion of the President
that appropriations may be expedent fory and
during the war military possession Of the
territories which have conquered. II is but Just to
add, however that the Inelligencer as if ashamed Of
the msness of these petences makes the end of its ar
ticle forget the beginnings and after having acclaimed
against the "lust of dominion" through five columns
distinctly the Administration fromits censure
in the following terms:
"Such are ,he reflections which crowd upon the mind in
contemplation of the event Of be waged not to
the one hand 10 extend ndeanev Our e %iIong but on
or on the Other apPease national hate, and establish
according to the idea OF the exPesent of Texas the
premacy of the Ango-saxon the Hspano Mexican
race That purposes so epugnant to every just notion
ical liberation, of civil liberty and of humanity itself
these last those which have influenced this ndmins-
traton in getting into this war; have not quite so i'll
opinion of those who compose to believe Still
less would we mPue such reVengel and aggressive no.
to which we find ourselves opposed"
The fact is, the ntegencer, through its whole TRADE
breaches, rather against what it alleges TO be
the policy OF the government upon teri for which the
government is in shape in the least degree respon
sble Here is, cited by the Intellgencer from the
Journal of Commerce. We copy it in order 10 show to
readers the kind of anticpatons which the Federal
organ receives with so much Indignation and horror.
with California on the west, New Mexico and Chihua.
hua in the CENTRE and the country bordering both sides of
Mexico territories would spread in one broad
belt from the other giving nearly as much
settled by dense free white population reaching from our
most southern boundary with Mexico to the 18th degree Of
Of the republic
Talk of retrocesson! 1t is impossible. The permanent
expenses of a five years
g With bounds thus extended-wth rich mines to be
supply the and of Texas and Gdp ss to
ports the side, and the Sandwich Islands and the
regular trips India, between ports in the Pacific and
India and railroad or canal connecting them with
packets on the Aantchc United States would have
the control and controlling power Of the world With navy
yards and naval ornaments the Pacific, a scale fully
commensurate with our naval equipments on the Atlantic
which must in time be greatly augnented (or our theatre
shall become the greatest naval power the world
What glorious destiny is opening up for the future
Of freedom in other words constitutional representa-
ton civil and religious freedom The march of Angoax-
on institutions is irresstbly onward
Now, the probability improbabity of this picture
presented by the writer in the Journal of Commerce. is
not in question For aught that is yet known, it may
be fancy SKETCH not destined to be realized.
For aught that we know to the contrary, on the other
hand, the territory here spoken Of may yet in part or in
whole, become ours by treaty Of peace which shall
make reparaton full, though tay for the wrongs our
country SuStalneu nanuS OF Mexico 10 solve
this question: of course events must be waited for But
the point is that the nelgencer vehementy deprecaes
and denounces any such consummation as is here de-
scrbed Nay, ltdenounces the spirit which looks
to any such consummation as desirable. 1t emphasizes
its horror at any such catastrophe by quoting an adj
ditional illustration of the fell spirit which looks to
such territorial ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, a sentiment given
recently at a public dinner by the Honorable
Arson Jones, the late President Of Texas. The sem
ment is to the effect that in so far as the Mexican
and the American civilizations are antagonstic to each
other and in collision is doubtless for the inter-
ests OF both countries that the American should be r-
umphant
Such very atrocious feelings, and such abomnable
cpatons of the future growth and power OF this
try, the National Integencer can by means abide
They form, in its view, part of the horror of war OF
conquest The Intelgencer tasks its rhetoric and
"airs its whole vocabulary of defamation in its at
tempt to show the and the "curse" which would be
involved in such state of things II is worth while to
note this spirit in the leading Federal organ as throwing
some light upon the fitness Of those for whom it speaks
to be trusted in the adjustment OF differences and in
the guardianship of our rights against such neighbor
as Mexico.
II the best faults were written on his forehead
it would make him pull his hat over his eyes.
! Knowledge is silver among the poor gold among the