Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1847-06-25
NEW SERIES,...No.50


should have been projected and executed with
ont any instructions to their conquerors a. to the
civil order which was TO be set up in them
Were the officers Of our army and navy-unac-
customed to any but military rules-to be lcft t.
their own discretion their own nexperience
Incapable as we hold this Administration, wa
consider such improvidence impossible On
these matters the commanders must have been
furnished with nsructions-probably, indeed
certa inly, even with proclamations ready printed
for they were issued instantly on the act Of tax.
ing possesson-a good deal sooner than they
could have been printed in Monterey or Santa
Fe, where there were then no printing presses.
| Well, as we have said being furnished with
instructions, no officer could have dared to sct
up Government not in conformity to them
So much for facts preceding the proclamations
and now for facts subsequent TO them. They
have been disavowed have the officers issuing
them been punished or even censured for such
fragrant usurpations The very contrary Cen
KEARyrr has been promoted and sent on us
Governor of California. He has, then, incur
red no loss of confidence. But has the Govern.
ment annulled the regulations the laws, the au-
| thorites which it has dsavowed Nothing Of
the kind, in California ; and, in New Mexico.
some seven or eight months after the enactment
of these strange laws. they have lately been on
forced in their most dreadful and monstrous pro.
visions. Under their claim Of the sele-bestowed
allegiance of people unable to repel their in.
vader, many of the best and bravest of the New
Mexicans have been put to the ignominious
death Of hanging, for only attempting what En-.
NETT and kosciusko attempted-what Tell and
Washington accomplished the liberation Of
their country from foreign yoke
Elerenih,y. The war according to the lats
project of the Union for sequestrating the
Church property in Mexico) has one of its maia
causes in the existence Of the Catholic Religion
in Mexico. and should therefore adopt as one Of
its objects the stripping that Church Of its wealth
and influence there, and the bringing about po-
pular enlightenment by introducing there more
elevating forms Of faith
The government organ, it is true, suggested
this policy as one ,rhich the Government might
consider Of and presently adopt but it was the
polcu only, not the facts, which it stated as not
yet resolved. The facts it laid down as certain !;
and they being certain, success demands tho
policy. How far the previous orders to Commo-
dore SLoAT went towards the same object, We
/, have already seen: so that, if the Union has,
upon the exhibition of much public wrath at the
!. scheme, been induced, in the fervor Of its zeal
. for the Administration, to claim this excellent
idea as entirely the Editors, and as opposed to
the views of the President and Cabinet, ono
!, thing must yet be remarked: that the Unions
idea at least wants the merit of DISQUALIFICATION
they who drew up the Californian proclamation
are the true parents Of the conception. In short.
this skirt.clearing for the Administration by its
: organ is a sort Of effort not likely much to
9 change any body's opinion of the real source Of
t Tuclfhly. We come, as equally discordan,
e or bad, to the causes and objects of the war; q
i set forth in the lciest Government proclamation
It that issued from Jalapa on the llth of May by
z Major General Scorr, which it was our mair
c purpose to notice to-day, but in taking it up
). found the preceding train Of thought forced upon
; our minds.
4 The Proclamation of Gen. ScoTr sets ou
r with saying to the Mexicans that " truths which
t have been criminally concealed from them (by
: those at honey must be told them; y that what
, ever the origin of the war, the United State.
were forced to undertake it, "a phrase more thar
9 hat-admssive that we began it but see further
t presently :" by causes unknown to the greate
I: part of Mexico" (These causes, so little known
: in Mexico, cannot OF course, be the fact thai
/ they had invaded soil Of which IRE were in
D possession for how should people invade for
{ eign country without knowing it Nor thai
they had refused to receive Mr.. Sdell on hi,
5 ocn terms; for that all Mexico must know
= Nor to obtain indemnities for old injuries to ou
@ citizens for of that, as cause of war, all Mex
i leo has heard. Nor to overthrow the Govern
t ment of Paroles, nor to vindicate the freedom
: of the Press; for Mexico is no doubt well &C
; quanted with our Matamoros Proclamation o
: ith June, prepared at our Department of War
l and published to her by us in Spanish Nor on,
;. lngersollian necessity of creating valuable ii
!. nanca system, nor our desire to conquer
! peace" nor our determination to make her pa,
). for the war; for all this we have said long ago
!. and Mexico is fully persuaded of it all. No
+, IN these unknown causes be any thing els'
,ln bn, nod ,ovl,
= in its own justification. Still less can they b.
:. any thing which has been in negotiation be
, tween the two countries, and by Mexico publish
;. ed to her people We here can say, with LITTLE
fear of contradiction, that if the Mexican ruler
r. have only lab1red half as much to conceal thu
objects of this war as ours have done, their gull
q is enormous. But, whether known or unknown
Il either in Mexico or here, this new proclamation
is clearly about To reveal to both nations wa0
!. ONLY THEIR GOVERNMENTS hnor or could kno,c-
, the hitherto secret causes iriy they are fighting
N Come, then let us go on and learn.
n The Proclamation proceeds to say (takin,
. care, like the Matamoros one. to say nothin.
4, about Mexicos having invaded the U. States
j.; that - we regard the war as necessity" that
!. indeed, "al wars were so regarded by the ma
u tons who are parties to them" Especially
; properly kept in the dark by their Governments
J.. that in Mexico, with us, there is a war-part
aud peace-party; this thinking the war wron!
r that right. !" But that Governments hav
"A sicred duties to perform. from which they can
i. not depart and that en these duties impose, 70
If national reasons, 4 SILENCE AND A REsERv
d sometimes dspleasing" Gas the aro,rei reason
# of this Administration have been) Ito the ma
70 lority of those who, from views purely persons
Is and individual, make opposition" Our Gov
h eminent, that is to say, found itself forced
If dissemble the motives of the war, and incur re
10 proaches at home, lest, by speaking out to
=, plainly, it should as we shall presently see
n bring other parties into II against u.s. II
= these views Government cannot pay any NJ
gard, expecting the nation TO place in II the con
~, fiience merited BY magistracy OF their owl
)" election" &c. And now comes, at last TN
= secret of the Governments silence, or rather II
:. preyarications for it has talked abuhdantly
.. taking care only to avoid the truth.
9, Reason of high policy and OF CosrIsEsrM. AMER
cAN INTEREST precipifafed erems IN spite OF me e"
;, inspection Of the CABINET OF Washinsoh wnicn ar
IDENTITY desiring terminate It's DIN renccs win Mex
td leo shared no resource. compatible with honor an
Al dirn,rv 10 arrive at 50 desirable end and when
n. was indupnp the most atleIng hopes OF accomplish
. inc its aim by frank explanations and reasoning
= addressed 10 the Judgment and prudence OF the wr
as ,uous and patriotic Government ct Gen ID herrefe
the least looked for dspeied tins peasah
OF hope and at the same time blocksd upLvLhY AvtNu
,s ,pi,ch could lead honorable settlement oetoee
- he tso3 nations. The nep GoDernmtnt dlscsrde
the national Interests well ps thoee OF Conrnen'a
nc America and elected IN preference snreign hhueE.