Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-07-01

Christi to advance into the Mexican territory
has proved as sad n blundor as ever was made
by arhmctcians counting the blood Of thou
sands for nothing, in u problem from which they
thought to work out power, reputation and pop
ulurity Tor themselves. They should surely have
felt, by this time, that their own dividend OF the
public favor and reputation expected from this
war has been good deal worse than nothing
that its successes have redounded to others, its
reproaches alone to them
Thus far, there has been continual shifting
OF all the allodged causes and aims OF the war.
And while, in general, the setting up different,
even If not inconsistent, pleas for action, is
proof enough that all men must be weak and in
sincere, here the varying allegations have been
such as in nearly every instance, 10 annihllate
each other. SO little was the art with which
was managed all that prevarication in which
the war found its only defence!
In our paper of the 20th of March last, we
traced, to the number Of eight successive ones,
the grounds and objects of the war; which had
then, at different times and in several quarters
been held out by the Executive and its organs.
All these we then substantiated by the citation
Of their official sources: for, upon such grave
matters, we choose never to argue without proofs
which are lncontestable. Onitting here, as 10
longer neccssary-.frSt because they can be re-
ferred to in the paper already mentioned and,
weary our readers and us.-the documents out of
which we then established these conflicting dec
laratlons OF the Administration and its agents,
we shall merely recapltulate their effect and ten
or, in order that the public may once more COM
pare them, not only with each other, but with
certain additional and incompatible averments
of cause and purpose, which it has pleased the
Government subsequently to make, and more os-
pecially in the Proclamation lately addressed to
L. IL
Gen. SCOrT, in the name and of course by the
orders Of his Commando Chief the President.
First Of all, as we then showed, the Executive
alleged that This ,cdr iras merely defensire; toaS
forced upon by .WericoS crossing The Rio Grdnde
INTO our territory, and there Staying our people !;
was, in a word, according to the Executive Mes
sage of llth May, 1916, n war of which the
cause was the shedding of American blood up.
on American soil" by Mexico; while the object
of the war was to repel inudSion.
.Nert, emitting all the previous allegation,
when talking to the Mexicans themselves the
President by a Proclamation furnished to Gen.
TAYLOR on the 18th June, 1876, stated, as the
justiiyng cause Of the war, The refusal Of .Meri-
co TO pay The indeninieS due for the spoliation OF
our citizens. The object of the war was, in the
same document, declared to be, not to repel in
vasion, but 10 procure indemnity for lie old inju-
,ieS, and to re-esablsh free government in
Mexico, instead of that of Paroles.
Thirdly in his Annual Message of December
last, the President forgetting that the final rup
ture between his Ambassador, M. Slde, and
the Mexican Government, under Gen. Herrara
did not happen until about two months after the
fact of which he made it the cause-stated to
Congress that he directed Gen. Taylor to adj
vance to the Rio Bravo (which all must now
admit TO have been the first and the fatal overt
act OF war; in consequence OF The refusal Of The
Mexican Government 10 receive M. SHdeH as our
Minister.
Fouthly, in the Proclamation already cited,
sent from this city, General Taylor was made to
say that, besides the obtaining of indemnilies,
the objects of the war were, 10 opertun The then
eristing Gouernment Of .Merico TO re-estabhsh
the freedom Of the Press; and TO SET up a Repub-
lican Government in .Nerico; which designed
"Republcan Government" is plainly avowed in
the Presidents last Annual Message TO have
been meant to be that of Santa Anna
Fythiy in the Report of the Committee Of
Foreign Relations, (H. of r., Feb. Oath last, its
Chairman, Mr.. c. J. Ingersoll, speaking, frou'
that confidential position of the War and the
Message, said that the war had created new
and admirable System of Finance, worth more
than all its (the war's) charges" The system here
meant is inconteSlabiy The FREE TRADE system o.
Finance which consists las every body knows
and Notes TO fill the void. Now, this system is
that with which the present Administration began
its existence. If, then, the war was necessary 10
create that system, the war was designed before
the system; or, at least as its creative cause
must have existed before the passage of the Free
Trade Tariff, in August, l645; and accordingly
we know that Gen. Taylor's first orders TO pass
the Nueces are older than the date of the ne"
Tariff Act If we consider that, without the war
Il, fnr nj
and Scrip, and that the Free Trade party were
the original Annexation party, we shall bette
understand Mr.. lngerso.'s assertion Of the rela
ton between the war and the Mckay Tariff.
Sirihly, the object Of continuing the war IA
the President assured the country, in his las
AnnualM essage) is 10 secure a peace. If he ha
said that the object of peace is 10 secure war, h
would have uttered truth as profound, justiii
cation equitable. AS the most appropriat
means OF securing peace, breaking II is Ger
tainly an odd one: especially as, besides, Mr.. Ii
gersoll says war Is the appropriate means OF c
recting valuable systems of Finance; and til
President himself had already pronounced it tn
means Of repelling invasion, of procuring indem
mites, Of getting Ministers received, Of ove
throwing tyrannies, of substituting for them re
publcs, of indicating the freedom Of the Pres
Of las he will presently assure u.s. paying you ft
the expenses 1t puts you to in short, there
nothing Ike 1t: 1t Is the most economical thin
in the world, but requires large indemnlies fl
It's expense; it is very repulslve and very attra,
! tive--Hat, to drive out invaders this, to get
: a minister; it is very subversiye of tyronts, ve
constructive Of free governments; 1t is exec
2 lent for liberatlng the Press in Mexico, and f
ensaving 1t in the United States; but, above
things, there is nothing like war for its peacefu
= ness
n .Sevenihly, in the same Message, the Preside
It cy promises thus: 1.-THE war will be vigorous
= prosecuted there lin Mexico) with view to 0
$ tain an honorable peace, and thereby secure al
= . pie indemnity Tor the expenses Of the war"
4, Thus san honorable peace" becomes the obje
re for which war is prosecuted, which both A
V Benton and Mr.. Calhoun (who never agreed
s, any thing else) agree-supportors of the Pre-
2, dent as they are, or have been Ought to ha
= been avoided, and might easily; but the pea
: thus obtained is clearly TO be "honorable' only
+ "securng an ample indemnity for the eXpens
IS of the war;" So that, with delicious conusi
3. OF ideas, we have wUr set on foot TO repel
!. invasion, which we either made or marched
70 search of; and we are keeping up the war in
"a der to extort an ample moneyed indemnity of
le expenses (for the President will not ayow any
ID QUESTION OF territory as his object) from matt
so moor. so mort 0n ued and hVDothecated in