Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1847-10-20
TgHE HISTORY
OF THE MEXICAN WAR.
Letters from John P. Kennedy, to his Constituent,


10 the Citizens Of The Fourth Congressional ID
ftc'' ana particularly to the Mechanics a,
Vor''ng men Of that District of both Polite
! Parties.
, NY SUBJECT is now the Mexican war I mea
To devote tins and one or two other letters to III,
suD)ect, Tor TWO reasons: First that ntrinsicall,
Is a very important topic TO the people of the L
ni'ed States just now and, second, because ther
mas been great deal of studied and perverse mis-
representation spread abroad in regard TO il. with
vie" 10 orh2 the Wings into dises,ecm and {
cover up ana TO conceal very awkward politica
blunder made by Mr.. Polk. The outcry. bowey
err has not yet hurt the Wings in the opinion O
any lidicous man. nor has it been very successful
..' h'oi"g Ntr. Folks denquencies from the public
some men seem to think that to SANDER the Wbip
is the best way TO screen the President Mr. Poll
h'"iseir mas set the example in his last annual mes
sage, In winch he lntimaeS that any man who will
not adopt his opinion about the origin of this wo,
Is traitor traitor for not believing what Inc
(the PresidenO announces TO be fact Some nj
Tue organs repeat this miserable slang. One oil
mem says, for instance, "the treason of Benedic,
Arnold is nothing" compared To this refusal of the
wings to believe Mr.. Pok-for that is the amount
OF IL. when men write and publish such drivel-
ing nonsense rs this, it only shows what n con-
temp'uous opinion they have for those whom thew
expect to believe them
intend to give you history of the origin of
the present war. which shall take as much ne
possible from the official records of the country
ana from the recorded opinions and proceedings of
inc most distinguished leaders of the Democratic
parry. lheSe shall endeavor TO Law before Won
IN the simplest and ccarcst narrative | can give
fou VIII then be able to Judge for yourselves
whether the Wings are right or wrong in what
they have SAID and done about this war.
Ii is proper, therefore, before begin the nara
thnf Icl,, -.
ana are the opinions and resolves of the Whips in
regard to the var will do this in few words :
FIRST L he Wing party believe that whatever
wrongs or Injuries Mexico may have done TO this
connry-and we do not deny they were many
still the President had no right to make war upon
Mexico wHhom the consent Of Congress. to whom
'he making power exclusively belongs.
Second. That the present war did not begin Lu
Me act Of .tfec;co, rs Mr. Polk declared but beuon
by the act of Mr.. Polk himself in orderino an ar
my TO march into territory under the jurisdiction of
Mexico, for the acquisition of which our govern
heht mad proposed TO open negotiations with Mex
ico' In the hope of being able to purchase it from
that nation
Third. The Wings have held and still hold the
opinion Notwithstanding the manner this war was
commenced that, being commenced their duty
was to give 10 the administration all the supplies
OF men and money which it might ask for to pros
ecu'e me war to a successful termination and in
accordance with this opinion, they have voted for
every thing asked for that purpose by the govern
nehi, and Will continue to vote, if the war is TO
be continued
The Wings in common with the ,vhoIo CON,
try, feel grateful pride in the gaantry of our SOL
ders and III the glorious success of their arms I'm
PROOF OF their Willingness 10 encounter the perils
ana sacrifices OF the war; they have furnished their
sharc-dnd more Iran their S!me-of the bravcst
officers and men to the army Without therefore.
Boosting to he more patriotic than their opponents,
they treat with becoming scorn all attempts to rem
resent them wanting in love of country. or in a.
ny Just appreciation of its true glory
These are the views and sentiments ofthe Who's.
| every where announced and acted upon.
l. now proceed to show upon what foundation
their opinions have been formed in regard to Mr..
FOLK S conduct in the origin of the war
This will require that should recall a few facts
connected with the annexation of Texas The
treaty for the annexation was made at Washington
on the l;@ih OF April, 1874. This treaty was re-
Jcc'ed by the Senate on the Sih Of June following.
by n vote of 80 to l6-Messrs Benton and Wright
both voting against it.
have given these two names because they NAV
be considered undisputed leaders of the Democrat
ic party.
What were their objections to this treaty?
shall presently quote their own words to show
what their objections were but, before do So il
is necessary TO say word rs to the geographical
divisions of Mexico
! 1t has never been denied by any one that the ri
yer NueceS was always the boundary which dv
ded the province of Texas from the province of Ia
maulipas, through which latter province the Rio
Grande runs into the Gulf-Matamoras being ii:
capital. This was the old boundary And wher
| Mexico, in 1924, formed her confederation of nine
teen States, Tamaulipas became one State ant
! Texas another, with the same boundary to wit
! the Nueces, separating from the other as tn,
Potomac separates Virginia from Maryland. Ii
4 1889, the confederation broken up by SAINT;
/ Anna. Tamaulipas and the other States Joined thu
new government, but Texas refused. 1evolted a
! galDst that government and declared her independ
cnce as separate State. That Independence sh
secured by the battle of San Jacinto, in 1886.
A few months after the battle of San Jacinto
the Congress of Texas determined 10 enlarge Hei
boundaries, and accordingly passed law by whic
they declared their boundary the west TO be tn
| Rio Grande, from its mouth to It's source ; theme
due north 10 the 42nd degree of latitude and fror
that point along the boundary of the United State
to the Cult of Mexico. This boundary as yo
Will see by looking at the map-whch, | hope yo
will do-eXtcnds beyond the limits of the State c
Texas, as IT was known to the Mexican Confedera
ton, and takes a large part of four Mexican provn
ces, which never have revolted against that GOV
eminent, nor ever been conquered by Texas
These four provinces are Tamaulipas, CoahuiIa
Chihuahua and New Mexico
What right Texas had to extend her boundar
over her nclghbors has never been explained.
find that she even had it in contemplation to TAX
the ,ctotc of California into her empire. She onI
did mol dO His because u tras not Convenient NJ
authority for this fact is matter of public record
August, 1896, General jackson sent Mr. Henry n
Morrt TO Texas, as an agent the part of TN
Government, to inquire what was doing. and pa
tlc'iiarly TO look after the subject of annexation
This gentleman wrote several dispatches TO III
Government which have been published by Coz
gress. IN one of these he writes: The politics
limits Of Tcros proper, previous to the last resolr