The Daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1845-1850, 1847-01-28
THE wAR-wHAT SHALL BE DONE?

the Editors of the National Intelligencer. Gen.
T. was recently our Minister to Mexico, and he
speaks as one having authority -
1t is not to be denied that the Mexi-
cans have refused to negotiate, and will continue
to do so, from reliance upon our own divisions
from hope that our energies and resources will
be fruitlessly exhausted, and that if long pro-
tracted other and more powerful nations will in
terfere. | am not prepared to say that either of
these calculations is wholly groundless the last,
am quite sure, is not. If it is not, it behooves
us to consider whether there are any means OF
terminating war which may produce much ev.
ii, and from which no good can result The COM
MERGE of Mexico is of great consequence both TO
France and England With the exception of the
United States, it is believed that England has not
so large and profitable commerce with any 9TH
er country in the world as with Mexico, Is this
commerce to be indefinitely interrupted and its
advantages rehnquished? Much the larger por-
ton of the foreign commerce of Mexico is carried
on by English houses. The most valuable of the
mines are owned by English companies and
Mexico is indebted sixty millions of dollars to
English subjects. Is it Just and fair that besides
the reputation of the large debt of some of our
own States, we should interrupt the payment of
the interest on the Mexican debt to that country
can see nothing like certain prospect of the
termination of this war for the next ten years.
The privation of the commerce of Mexico to 9th
err nations TOR that period will be no light matter
Will it be quietly submitted to? II the prosecu.
ton OF this war on our part were restricted to
perpetual blockade of the ports OF Mexico would
such blockade be submitted to by other nations
There is good reason to believe that but for the
interruption of the entente cordiaEe between
England and France, there would have been a
joint nterposition before this time. Is it asked,
what right has any other nation to interfere p
lie must be very ignorant of history who would
ask such question. We have at this very time
an example OF such interpositon in the war be-
tween Buenos Ayres and Montevdeo The al
legged reason for this interference is the sanguin
airy character of the war. The time is not dis
tant when our war with Mexico will furnish the
same pretext. Thus far it has been conducted
with proper respect for the code which modern
civilization had established. How long will this
continue Let the characteristic ferocity of the
Spaniard and the Indian answer the question.
we nave now rumor of the massacre of one
hundred and fifty prisoners on the Pacific coast.
Such acts must OF necessity be retaliated. But
pretexts will not be wanting for, with nations
as with women, wherever there is will there is
DGy.
1t is greatly to be feared that, with the most
united and energetic efforts to prosecute the war
we are yet far, very far, from the end of it
That which is generally meant by an energetic
prosecution of the war, is the advance of our ar
mics to the city OF Mexico. That | believe TO
be possible, but by no means so easy and unex-
penslve an achievement as many suppose, But
II we had possession OF the city and had an army
there OF nifty thousand men, should we then have
conquered peace,'' as the phrase isl Are we
In truth, any nearer the conclusion of the war
Have we not in fact thereby indefinitely protract-
ed 1T! l could only answer the last one of these
question affirmatively
Mexico is not city empire like France, where
when an enemy has conquered Paris, he has con-
quered France. Would the English have Grip
pied or given strength to this country, if, when
they captured 1t an age ago, they had kept poss
ession Of this city for twelve months We have
already taken two of the Mexican towns. Have
these towns been injured thereby Certainly
not, but in every way benefited. Why should
1t be otherwise with any other OF the Mexican
cities There are fifty other towns and cities 70
which the government can remove Shall we
chase them through all these towns, and garrison
them to prevent their return? 1t would be mad
ness to attempt the expedition to the city of Mex
leo with less than fifty thousand men, Suppose
that we had succeeded; the American army is IN
possession OF the city, and the President and Cab
met following an illustrous example, have fed
The first solicltude of the American commander
would be to follow their example, and leave the
city as soon as possible. He would soon find that
the possession OF the capital gave him no more
power man lne possession OF any other city, and
that his army could not be subsisted there If
we pay for the provisions supplied us, we shall
not njure, but benefit the Mexicans, by furnish
ing them market The drain of specie from
this cause must seriously affect our currency;
Tor Treasury notes, with or without interest will
not answer the purpose. Is our currency in
condition to bear tins abstraction of specie or ev-
en- that which will be required for the paw of so
large an army Let it be remembered thatit
was precisely the same cause.-The large dis
bursements for foreign wars-which caused the
suspension of the bank of England, and continu
ed it for twenty-five years. If we do not paw tor
these supplies, we shall not get them The
Mexicans will destroy them, rather than let us
have them without compensation. But the truth
is, the supplies not there, either for us to buy
or TO take without paying for them If they
were, how should we get them' The valley of
Mexico produces literally nothing. That valley
is walled IN, not with mountains, but with lodges
OF mountains, piled upon each other for two or
three hundred miles. In small and disconnected
valleys in these mountains, their gram is cultva-
ted and carried on the backs OF mules to the CITY,
Could an army supply itself by foraging parties
in such country, even ii the supplies were adj
equate, which they are not? Our army, there
fore, must be supplied from home; and the ouly
mint from mhich ha