The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1847-08-27
Thc secret history Of the war.

We have had tor some days Detofe US :
a series of significant queries addressed 10 +
Mi. Secretary Buchanan through the col a
fumns Of the New Orleans National, but y
delayed 10 republish them in tho hope I
that the Union would find it convenient 9
to make some response, or to take some !
notice ola publication which, in our judg- Il
ment, seriously affects the character Of t
Mr.. Buchanan. In this hope we have j
been disappointed. The oficial-sol u
oyerprompt generally to- contradict au-
thoritively the thousand and one stories
eminating daily almost from Washington,
or given out in various parts Of the coun-
uy-has not a word to say in reply to
the following queries, which are never.
theless of nature that would seem to re-
quire some little notice from the official
mouth piece aud defender of the Prcsi-
dent and his cabinet:
Serious questions FIR AL. Buchanan TO
dRsWer.-lst. Were you not, as well as
Mr.. Polk, informed by letters that if en-.
Taylor moved his forces, and took a posi-
ton opposite Matamoras, a collision
would take place, and were not those let,
tiers from such u source, as you could not
and did not las subsequent events prove)
discredittiem! Have you notthesc let
tors on file among the private papers of
the Department Of State? and did you
not refuse last winter to give copies of
Them!
I'd. Wore you not shown the CORES.
poudence of Gen. Arista with IL gentle
man ofhigh standing inthe United States
one who had filled an important diplo-
matte Office i'll Mexico, in which Gen. Ar
ista stated that the Government Of the
United States could get by treaty or pur-
chase to the line of the Rio Grande?
Sd. Were you not shown a note ofCcn.
Arista in which he stated that ii the Gov.
eminent of the United States acquired
title by purchase or treaty TO the Rio
Grande, the provinces of Tamaulipas st.
Leon, and Zazatecas would unite them
selves with Texas, and come into the
c%oDiederacy of the United States! Is
not the letter alluded TO above, on the file
in your department?
4th. Were you not only Informed by
an express direct from the camp of Gen.
Arista, that the Government of Mexico
would receive a commissioner to settle
the boundary question, but would not re.
cieye a Minister and was not Mr.. Slidell
sent off on his useless GRAND after you
received the express from Arista's camp?
Have you not got the letter sent by
that express in your possession, and 9th
ers. subsequently written, by the same
hand in new OrIeansl
9Th. Did you not have several private
-- int rvicws in Washington, with the gen.
tleman who sent the express from Arista's
camp, in which you thanked him in be.
half Of the United States, for the servi.
ces he had rendered the Government
aud did you not endeavor to detain him
On in Washington, to avail yourself Of hi.
presence and informationl
C. 9th. Did you not at Cabinet Council
Ia lay before the members the whole cores
be pondenco and did you not concur will
ng Hon. X. j. Walker, and other member
ul, (the Hon. John Y. Mason, dissenting,
OF that the time tor aggressive measures o.
he the part of the United States had arriV
he ed: and did not the Hon. r. j. Walker
at the meeting, propose a plan to subju
la gate Mexico with a standing Army @
5000 menl
9TH. Have you not been urged by me
in and out of power, to produce the let
mo tiers alluded to above, to relieve you q
Ia the charge of acting with duplicity to
La wards Mr.. Polk, aud of pretending ie
norance of the facts contained in the COZ
y" respondence we have called?
Upon some Of the points alluded to i
in these questions, we have already ha
satisfactory testimony. The remarkabl
~ letter from..Consul Marks to Mr.. Buchar
-" an, which was made public through th
columns Of the Charleston Mercury orir
inally, and was thence reprinted all owe
the country, proved very clearly that br
Tor the inexcusable order to Gen. Taylo
Ing to advance from Corpus Christi to tn
The bank of the Rio Grande, Mexico woul
tho not have resorted to hosiilitios. Nor
ere than this, too, was communicated to NJ
en-, Buchanan. Ho was told hat Arista wa
Dor was then maturing a plan for uniting tn
an. northern provinces OF Mexico in an indt
yht pendent confederation, from which tn
he United States could easily obtain a It'll
md to the Rio Grando if desired.
Sc, He was assured that if Con. Taylo
an. were ordered to advance with his con
,ed paratively small force, the Mexican Ger
no eral would be compelled to attack hin
red but that if the Americans remained oui,
at Corpus Christi, no forward movener
would be made by the Mexicans. A
IT, this and much more was known to M
Buchanan upon authority, that he had !
IKE right to disregard. He was informed 9:
'eS' actly, how aud through what quarters, Il
zen tho questions in dispute between the w
or countries, could be amicabIy aud adva
DO %tageously s%ettled-but such a settlemer
would not forward Mr.. Folks views fl
the the succession, and all representatioI
'Fn' were in vain.
OF, War was determined upon-unneccs
aeu arily, inexcusably forced upon Mexico.
."0 and wo are now reaping the fruits.
rug What the end is to be, who can to
n,'" but DO what it may, let not TO count
gut forget the motives and the men, throut
any which, and by whom, the war was cor