Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-12-26
THE LUST OF DOMINION.


United States and Mexico it is of little impor-
lance how the existing war began: that, being
in the War, we must manfully fight il out until it
shall please the Father of Mercies TO inspire both
nations at with spirit Of humanity and
peace but that, as between the People of the United
States and their public servants, it is Of consequence,
and of great consequence, to know not only hoW
and ,Dhy the war was begun, but also for what ul-
terror objects il is to be further prosecuted.
We showed at the same time, by reference TO
recent acts Of high officers of Government under
the directions of the President, and semi-ofical
limitations in the government paper of older date,
that the idea of conquest of the " mines Of Mex
leo" and the valleys of California''-of debating
terms to Mexico in !" the halls of Montezuma"-
has been familiar to the mind Of this Administra-
ton, as well before the forces Of the United States
were marched into its territories, or its seapors in
vested by our fleets, as since.& We referred to
the boast in the government paper OF the acqui-
sition" Of Mexican provinces by conquest, and 10
the yet more recent recommendation to Congress,
in the Annual Message of the President to pro-
vide for the security of these important con-
quests by appropriations of money for the con-
struction Of Notifications, and for paying the eX
penses necessarily incident to the maintenance Of
our possession and authority over them; such APP
preparations having no reference to mere military
possession, the expenses Of which are betrayed Of
course out of the military fund.
That it is the opinion of the President that the
fact of conquest annexes foreign provinces TO the
United States might be further inferred from his con-
gratuatons, in the Message, upon the acquisition of
military possession of five Mexican provinces, ga
territory" he says, charger in extent than that
embraced in the original thirteen States of the
Union, inhabitedby considerable population" &c.
For if the President does not conceive these terrific
res to be already annexed to the United States
to belong to the United States,'' as one of our
Military Commanders says; to be a part Of the
United States" as the other says-what is the
meaning of the following passage in the very first
paragraph OF his Annual Message to Congress!
g Since your last session no affecting dispense
ton has visited country &c. .sThe pro-
gress of our country in her career OF greatness,
not only in THE VAST EXTENSION, OF OUR TERRIFIC
'arhL LIMITS and The rapid increase of our popuka-
tfon, but in and wealth, and in the happy
condition of our people, is without example in the
history of nations
BY "the vast extension of our territorial limits :"
he does not mean that extension of them which
effected by the annexation of Texas because not
only that extension before the last session
Of Congress, instead Of SINCE" but at the opening
of that session ii was announced and then made by
the President special occasion of felicitation to
himself and to Congress. This vast extension
only allude, then, to the conquests referred TO
- The succeeding part or Tire Message, which, in
the language of certain expositors Of the President
views, it is his purpose to hold on
These passages of the Presidents Message, it
mst be admitted, go far TO sustain the differences,
from facts already known to the country, that the
c4usition of Mexican territories if not originally
main object of the war, has become so in the
course of its progress, and it may be apprehended
VII be found to be serious difficulty in the way
wisn the terms Of pacifcaiion come to be cam
yassed between the two Governments
4 is very certain, at all events that it, con-
trary to appearances, the President of the United
States and his constitutional advisers at no time en-
tertaned design to retain possession, after the end
of the war, of the Territories OF New Mexico New
Leon, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, and the CALIFORNIA;,
(named in the Message, and any other provinces
that may be yet occupied by our military forces,
such views are entertained by others, and, perhaps,
by the mass OF those who approve of the conduct
OF the Executive in bringing on this war.
Since we lately dscoursed Of the folly and the
madness ofs' Wars of Conquest we have met with
an exhibition of the Lust of Dominion which
goes to the fullest extent of our worst conception of
1t. This we find, too, in paper which represents
the Mercantile interest of our country, in the boz
som Of which we should expect TO find rectlude,
conscentiousness, spirit Of justice Of what
is due TO the comfy of nations, and of what each
nation owes to its own character, which would re-
celve such demonstrations with unmitigated disgust
and adherence. The Editors Of the Journal Of
Commerce, in whose columns this exhibition is
made, do, indeed, say that they ado not concur in
all the doctrines Of the communication to which
we refer But this is not the way in which they,
who have heretofore acity il in terms) encour-
aged the Administration to make war upon Mexi-
co-ior reasons which were no doubt sufficient 10
their minds-ought to have introduced to their read
ers such article as that from which we make the
following extract:
"With California the west, New Mexico and Chhua.
hua in the CENTRE and the country bordering both sides Of the
We reminded here Of an ntmaon Of the government
paper which coroboraes the impression made by other publ
cations i'm the paper thoughts conquest were