The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1847-12-28

| aoainst us, Wis the. war Conducted e-on our
lplrt. Provisions AMI other supplies furnish
| Provisions ,anl olhsr sppp!ies furn she'd to
our army by Mexican citizens, were pad Tor
at far and liberal prices, agrecdsuponsby-.he'
plries. Alter the lapse of few months,
lis bccsmes apparent itbiq thssos assurances,
and this mid treatment, htye failed 40 pro-
.duce the desired effect Hpon-ihe Mexican
pop.l ,ton. The war has. boen cenlncled,
upon cur part, sccOr Ing 70. the most hnnans
and liberal principles, observed by % civilized
nations. 1t was waged IN q tar dlaeraal sPlr-
lii on The part of Mexico. 4. Not sppreciating
our torbearance, the Mexican people gsne
J rally becone hostile TO lh4 Uailedo Safes,
and ayailcd theNselyes Of, the opposluniy to.
| comnit the most slyaycae xcassess upon OH
trosps. Large numbers Of The, population
took up arms, nnd, engaging N guefrllawar,
fare, robbed and murdered, IL, the most cruel
m,hner, individual soldiels, pr,Hnll pltle'
whom accident or olhor caAs;ssh,disapefat
ed from The m tjn body Of oar amy. Ban Is
Of the guerillas, and robbers inlpsted the
roads, hlrrassed our trains, and wIlsneyerl il
Was in ther power, cut OF Dlr supplies, ~.
! Tic Mexiclns having thus shawn ihen-
selves TO be wholly Incapable etapWeclatlng
our iorbearancs aud lbprby, twas doem-
ed properlo change the mannot otconuctlng
the war, IN ,king them feel It's pressure ac-.
corljng to the uslgas observed unler slmllr
circumstances, in all other civilized n.lions.
| Accordingly, as crly as the 2!l of Sep
tcmber, l94G, ,ins;ruc'lons were given, by the
Secretary Of War, to M,jor Gen, Taylor to
draw supplies for our army from the enemy,
paying for them, and TO require contributions
for its support, il in that way he was satisfied
he could get abundl ant supplies for his forces.
IN directing the execution oil hes. insuuc.
tons, mach WAS access ,rily left 10 the DIS
cretion Of the commanding officer, who WAS
b. 0. acquainted with M, circumstances Ny
winch ha was surroundad--ihe wants Of the
army --aud the pra,icability Of enforcing the
nlcasure. ..aY ..u.Tl 80, WI bsrH.9a d
Genr Taylor. on the 2 i,h Of Oct ), 1915,
replied from Monterey, that it would have.
been imposs bic, hitherto, and is 50 noS, To
suslaa the army by forced Con routions vi
supplies. br~ e.g..sa ag.. a... ,u0e. g,t
| For reasons assigned by him, he did not
adopt The policy OF, his, Instructions, but dec
Jared his readiness TO do SO, should The AMY,
in its turturt operations, reach a pvr. ION Ut
the country which may be nude 10 supply tho
troops with alyanlag-. a-s-.r!.s fs,I.4tt
! H. conlnued'to Ply for The articles Of sup
| ply which were drawn from tho enemy's
country. -.t..... l.rs. .s5Lae ~ $50
Similar Instructions were issued to NJ ,ipr
Icncral Scott. on the 81 of April, l54I, ,who
replied, from JalApl, on HE 2Osh of My,
lS47, that il it b. expected that the army is
10 support itselfbY fpfcad Contributions lev
ied npSn tho couhtry, we may ruin and ex
asperate lhe inhabitants, and siarge ou solves.
The same discretion was given to him iha,
had been given TO Gen. Taylor in this rss
pact. Gen, Scott, for tbs reason assign d
by him, still continued 10 pay for articles o!
supply tor the army which We're Jrawn from
the enemy. ..a. r.... r..p.q u.,s ..g5{
Alter the army had reached the hearl of
he most We. lthy portion of Mexico, i! Was
supposed that The obstacles, which bad be-
fore that time preynted, would not be such
as TO render iInplactca6le the lsvy OF forced
contributions for i,asupport; and, on ihe first
Of September, and on lho 9th Of DC obor.
| 1917, The order Was repeated ia dispatches,
addressed by lie Sccr9laly Of Wrto ieuur-
al Scett; and his attention vas again cailed,
10 the Importance ofmaking tn, enemy bear
The burdens of ha war, by requiring ihu,n to
! Furnish the means Of supporting our army;
and he was directed 10 adopt this pol cy, un-
less by d3ng 50 there WAS danger Of dcprv-
| ing ho army OF n 3cessry supplies. Copies
OF these dispatches were forward ID To Geu-
real Taylor, for his gsyernmeni. ,.'- .rai@
| On the 3lst Of March last, caused an
order to be issued 10 our Military and N,val
Commanders, TO levy aud colecl military
1con,ribution. upon all vessels and merchand-
iso which might enter any of the ports oil
hlcXlcc in ourmiIitlry occup p4ton;and to ap-
| ply such contributions towAr Is d..lraying the
IeXpenSes ,o!, tho war. BY virtue ,pf !le right
Of conqaest, ,sand the laws OF war, the cDnaI
qIeror, co,lsulng his owa safoty or conven-
ience, may seuher exclude foreign comm .rce
altoge ether from all such pats, or psrmi! il
upon such Terms and Conditions as he may
prescribe sBaiore, the principal gppris ni
AIpxles, .w,srs blockaded by oar Ntvy, the
rey4upes dafiyed ftorn impnrt, duiies, unle,
the laws osIIexcp,s Ware pridjn'o tifs Nc X
,ican urasaty. 10 Aliea these p,rtslhld fallen
into quf mllltlly pssSys 81, ,.tiis blockade WAS
raised, ,tand cornnelcs vitp ,ih,'u, permitted,
upon prescribed teials sul cenIlli ,nA s'rney
were open - tnelrade OF ietpl l.ioas, upon
the payment OF dutivs, alnar,s ifoherate in
their amoant, thin these wuiolr mad boen pre
yiously leyiedby Mexico; and the revenue
which was formerly paid into the Mexican
treasury, was directed to be collected by our
Military AMI Naval officers andappied to the
uaa of our army and navv C.ra ,v,s ,,La,