The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1847-02-02

7 have conquered peace as the phrase is
J Are we, In truth, any nearer the conclusion
of the war Have we not in fact thereb,
indefinitely protracted it l could only an
, swer the last one of these questions affirma
lively.
r Mexico is not city empire like France.
where, when an enemy has conquered Paris.
he has conquered France. Would The Eng
fish have CRIPPLED or given Strength TO this
country. if, when they captured it an age
ago. they had kept possession OF this city foi
twelve months We have already taken
two of the Mexican towns. Have these
towns been injured theiebyi Certainly not.
but IN every way benefited. Why should ii
be otherwise with any other OF the Mexican
cities There are fifty other towns and cit
les TO which the Government can remove.
shall we chase them through all these towns,
and garrison them to prevent their return
IL would be madness TO attempt the espedi-
ton TO the city Of Mexico with less than ff-
ty thousand men. Suppose that we have
succeeded; the Americans are in possession
OF the city, and the President and Cabinet.
following an illusrrious example, have fled.
Ihe lrst solicitude Of the American com
mander would be to follow their example, an6
leave the city as soon as possible. He would
soon Ind that the possess on of the capnol
gave hin no more power than the possession
OF any other city, and that his army could
not be subsisied there. five PAY for The
ProvIsIEns supplied us, we shall not iniure.
but benefit the Mexicans, by furnishing them
market The drain of specie from this
cause must seriously affect our currency
iot Treasury notes. with or without interest.
will not answer the purpose Is our cur
rency IN condition TO bear this abstraction
CT specie, or even that which will be re-
quned Tor the pay of so large an army
Let 1t be remembered that il was precisely the
same cause.-the large disbursements for for
eisn wars-which caused the suspension of
the Bank OF England. and Continued il for
twenty-five years. If we do not pay for
these supplies. we shall not get them. The
Mexicans will destroy them rather than let
us nave tnem without compensation. But
the truth 49, The supplies ars not there, either
Tor us 10 ouy or to take without paying fer
them' II they were. how should we get
them The valley Of Mexico produces lit
orally nothing. That valley is walled in.
not with mounfalns,bu with lodges of mouu-
talns, piled upon each other for two or three
hundred miles. In small and disconnected
valleys III these mountains, their grain is
cultivated and carried on the backs Of mules
to the city. Couldany army supply itself by
ior'Sln5 parties IN such country, even if the
supplies were adequate, which they are not !
Our army therefore, must be supplied from
home; and The only point from which these
supplies can he transported is the city OF
Vera Cruz. do not say this lightly or
without full Information. The city Of Vera
Cruz, then. must be taken. From, this time
TO the first of April is about eipbty DAYS.
Does any one believe that our army can be-
concentrated there before that time! And
then the yellow fever ia raging with the mos
destructive violence, and the chief use we
shall make Of the city when taken. will be
as grave yard. have heard it said tina. Of
the twenty four thousand troops which we
have had for the last eight months on the
RIo Grande, eight thousand have died or
been disabled by disease and wounds. and
have been sent home; and the climate TO
which they have been exposed is by no
means so unhealthy as that of Vera Cruz.
If we take Vera Cruz. a garrison must be
permanently kept al that place-the most
pestileniial spot on this continent Carl
sons must also be established al different
points on The road to Mexico. besides de-
tachments 10 convey the provisions and mu
nlilons of war; and all these men and this
multitude OF horses and mules are 10 fed with
provisions carried from this country TO Vera
Cruz, and thence. packed on mules, TO the
city oil Mexico. distance of two hundred
aud seventy miles. The daily consumption
OF such an army will be more than the city
oil Baltimore. Can we raise the funds to
meet This enormous expense? | doubt it,
Gan we place In Mexico an army Of fifty
thousand effective menl Still more do
doubt that. The enthusiasm for volunteer
ing has had its last paroxysm. Nothing
Will cause another, unless (which Heaven
forbid some disaster befall our armies. and
then our people will rush to the rescue.
How long will our armies have to eudure the
prlvations aud Tolls Of such service, aud our
people It's cos; II were TO venture pre-
dictloD, would sooner say ten wears than |
any shorter period. We have 20 deal with |
the two races. the Indian aud Spaniard mos 1 |
remarkable for indomitable iorritude-caII il |
obstinacy, II you please, in our enemy. In |
like circumstances ourselves, we should call |
it fortifude AMI heroic virtue, and go the |
void will call it in the Mexicans. What
motive will Mexico have to make peace |
Thus far, the war has not injured, but in
every way benefited her. Why will it be
otherwise for The futurel / confess I can
not see. Certainly, the possession ofthe
halls Of the Montezumas'-ifany such halls
eyisted-will have no such effect, but one ex
acly opposite. 1t is not By singing and ir
ritaring her with ncttles that Mexico is TO be
brought to terms. Nothing much short Of
utter demolition will make her succnmb.
Are we prepared 10 go TO that extreme
The spirit Of the age. justice, humanity, and
policy, forbid
Our armies, however, are not yet at the
city of Mexico nor will they ever get there
without an enormous
Waste of wealth andloss of blood
So many are the miracles Of which the histo-
ry Of war informs us, that one can hardly say
anything is impossible to genius. couras e aud !
firm resolve. lfany thing is, should say
that it was the march OF a large army from
SaltilIo to San Luis Potosi-a distance Of
more than two hundred miles through great
Sahara, the most accurate description OF
which is that given by Burke, Of the Carnat-
&c. after it had been desolated by Hyder ]