Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-02-22
THE WAR WITH MEXICO.

the entire satisfaction Of every unbiased and un
preiudiced mind that The war has been forced up
on the United States, through the folly and obs'
| macy Of Mexico That our cause is just, anc
| that The Administration will be sustained in VI
eorous prosecution oil the war, 10 an honorable
termination, the alacrity with which our people
have responded to The call OF lh"ir country is a
sure guarantee The repeated injuries and as
sressons oil Mexico-ker spolialions upon oui
commerce-lhe many Insults offered TO our flag
with her Righteousness in lie proposed negola
lion for adjusting all disputes, would have Ju>li
fed The United States in The eyes oi the whole eli
yiZed world, in the declaration of va long since
But anxious 10 perpciuate friendly inleTcnuI st
between the two Re publcs, our Government bore
and forbore until tuIbearance ceased 10 be a vir
tue. Notwithstanding This marked oIbearance-
Notwithstanding overluIeS OF peace were Offered
and Twice rejected BY her AFTER having given as
suTauces that they would be entertained not
outstanding she commenced hostlities by sri-
king the first blow-nolwilhsianding all these
and many more evidences, there are men 10 be
found amongst Ms, who denouncc the wal as I'M
lust, cruel and rapacious, and a, having been
wantonly brought on by the President for party
purposes. But, fortunately for him and The dig
nly of The nation all the official documents offer
full reiuaion vi every charge, which must,
sooner or later, lecoii upon Inc heads ol his ir-
vilers.
These malignant thIusls al the President will
but serve 10 brighten The page ot history which
records the acts OF his administration. When
party spirit shall have subsidized, and reason is
permitted to resume hei empire over The mind,
then, and not till then, will justice he meed out
to him. From the Revolution which led 10 that
civil and religious liberty which is now, under
tho nTn tie npnS IN
its blessings 10 millions OF eemen, The great, 81
and best men have had to pass through the fiery
ordeal The pure, the viruous and The brave
have been subjects ol vituperalon. Even The
Father OF his Country was not suffered TO escape.
While engaged in the service OF his county,
fighting her battles and ready 10 shed his last drop
OF blood in her defence, an effort was made TO su.
percede him in the supreme command.
This same spirit manifested itself in the late
war with Englani, and this same spiTi: is now ai
work, 10 render The war odious and unpopular. But
for This anti American feeling, The probability is,
that the olive branch rendered to Mexico would
have been accepted, BY which peace honorable
to both nations might have been concluded. But
to crafty This reckless and suicidal spirit, the
President has been denounced as the author Of
this "unholy war;"
Now lei US scan for a moment the Presidents
position, and see how he stands in regard to This
charge.
In The first place. let il be borne in mind, lha,
the Presidents oath of Office requires that he
should see the laws OF Congress faithfully ex-
ecu,ed and secondly, lei it mol be forgotten, lba,
our Congress did pass resolution for the admis
sion of Texas into the confederation. In my
humble judgment, il is for the contamination oil
this measure and mol the army al the Rio Grande,
which has been The entering wedge, and il wrong,
the whole country must bear The responsibility,
for both Wings and Democrats participated in
its contamination; and, il my memory serves
me right, Milton Brown, Esq, a thorough going
Wing, introduced into Congress the resolution
which brought The "Lone Star" into our conslel-
lation Ii is The contamination oi this aci, and
not The marching Of General Taylor to the Rio
Grande, that has caused The war. Mexico her
self said annexation would give sufficient cause
for war. But admit that the marching oil our
army 10 the Rio Grande excited The Mexicans 10
resistance, hope to BIZ able 10 establish the fact,
that our army was attacked by Mexico upon
American, and not Mexican soil, the opinion OF
others 10 the contrary Notwithstanding. The Ter
ritorv of Louisiana which, in 1903, was coded to
The United States BY France, extended west TO The
Rio Grande and is that portion which is now
embraced in The Stale Of Texas After the Flo
tida treaty, in 1919, b. which this territory was
ceded 10 Spain, the United States asserted and
maintained their right as lar as that boundary;
and in 1886, Texas, by an Act OF her Congress,
asserted the Rio Grande from lis mouth 10 its
source as her true western boundary. At The
memorable defeat of the Mexican army by the
Texans, a, San Jaeinlo, Santa Anna acknow-
lodged this boundary. admit that Santa Anna
was prisoner al that lime, yet the whole soye-
reign power was concentrated in him. and he,
not being coerced 10 do 80, is evident, SO Under
stood The western limit Of Texas. The country
between The Nueces and the Rio Grande had
yeen represented in the Texan Congress and in
the Convention which had been convened 10 de-
eide upon annexation. Again ln 1915 Con-
eress passed law establishing collection dis
trict west OF the Nueces and port Of delivery al
Corpus Christi. Yet, with all these facts, with
many more, il is commended by some that the
Mexican soil had been invaded before the battle.
Up 10 the collision between The armies OF The
TWO Republics, | believe Mexico has never as
serted that il was for the invasion OF her soil that
she had appealed TO arms. No, il was mol Tor
that that she had appealed 10 the God OF Battles,
but to regain her lost territory, which had be.
come asf,ee and independent as she had by throw
ing off the Spanish yoke, and which had been &C
knowledsed as such by the principal powers of
Europp. II was mol in vndcaion oil her nation
al honor, but 10 recover Texas, which she had
been unable 10 subject Tor len years, that she
attacked our troops on The plains of Palo Alto and
Resaca de la Palma. For that rash and III ad.
vised step she must stand as The asgressor before
all nations! She gave the first blow and on her
head must rest The responsibility But TO crafty
The caplious, admit thai the country between The
Nueces and The Rio Grande does belong To Mexi-
CO, what act, ak has The President committed
which iustifes the clanor raised against him
Was he not bound, under his oath, as we'll as IN
der an imperious sense Of duty 10 protect the soil
over which Congress had established jurisdiclion2
Could he have done less Than 10 take precauton
airy measures 10 repel all and every aggression
Surely not Had he refused to DO SO he would
have been recreant TO his high official obligations,
and would have Justly deserved every anathema
which the rancor of party spiri, has hurled
against him. Now, | ask which ought 10 be
condemned by an impartial tribunal Of the ma
,ion-,he President for sustaining the national
honor, or his deuactors 7 Let the impartial his
torian decide. ANXIOUS.