Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-12-10
FRIpAY MORNING, DEcEMBER

| commanders were ordered 10 conq!e- and hold
lhem SUBJECT 10 be disposed OF by treaty Of
! peace. These provinces are now in our uRdis-
/ pu.ed occupation, and have been SC for many
| months; all resistance on the part Of Mlxico hay
! ing ceased within their limits" Ian satisfied
that hey s.ouh never be surrendered u Mexico.
+ Should CONGRESS concur with me in mis- opn-
i ion, and thai lhey shnuid be Ie'ained 5rhe Uoi-
ted States rs inaemlily,' I can pe:cs:v: no good
reason WHY the ciVifjurisdieton ard lSws OF The
7 Ubited States should mol a, once be eS:,ndcd over
! them. To wait for z treaty ii pcacc, sch as We
are @illinStb make, BY which GU lel3iops TO-
wards them. would moi be changed, hnnot be
coed policy; whilst our o@,n iDtereti, add Ihal q
The people ihhab;!ins the.S ,rrqniie lha; sa6le,
1'respohSBle :na Rec government tEdT our a1-7
s,hsitysHould as soon as raataeeSql cs;sblish,d
bover lhem Shoqd Congless,. t5t!ehiet ttter,J
m neVenaIad tEese caoSlit}ss permanently, aid
fthai They shall Thereafter be cUbsi1rret as cgs>i;
tusnt parts OF our conu;ry,, The cary esla bsh;;
I ment Ut' territorial governments over tltln will
! be Important tor The more petlect protection oil
persons anG property; and Irec6tIiniend that such
Territorial governments be aesablishee. II will
/ nIomele peapa and Han9ui:liy Ara2na me Inha-
! hh;,...,t: ~ a4ayIhs al apprehension thai they
| may stilFeu,ertain of being again subjected to
the jurisdiction Of Mexico in?ite the earfy and
favorable consideration or CoIsrcss 10 his i'm
| ncteanl sd,tHeIs s>rA' 1855 ,a-i' ''t''' '' 70,
Basfits sNewe Mexico and The Carif6rnias,
there iafe otheT@rlex lean provinces which have
J been IedNeedtio onr possession o5 conquest.
trrhesc o,aer Mexican provinces are NV govern.
! I'd Syruar militia aud naval commfliceIs, un-
/ derihe general authority which - conferred up
90 acuiuueror ty Inc laws OF war They should
continue 10 b.. held as a means q coercing
! Mexico 10 acceu- 20 inst terms CT peicc. Civil
+~as well As nlit3ly CttIrgTs arc repaired 10 con
duct such a gottrnnlchI, Adequate 'o;npebsi.
! lion 70 be;drawh i.on, contributions fefied onthe
enemy, s5pu III BIZ f1rd4y law ior su,hi officers
as may. be thus employed a., fMhal luther pro
i vision may become NECESSARY, apd What H. y
disposition i!may be pLGl1s, !! make Ct theta,
must descend ua Ih, fa;Jle p1,sIcss q ,thes lrIt!
and Inc course WHICH hlc&yicosF ~ lbpk proper
thereafter 10 pursue: -.
WjibhlhSS yisws Ien'cI'ain ca9aqs lafat, he
policy i. len sasSss,id eias g %Is
J naled,line, ,an&simAy hold ands deshpii.' p To-
withdraw, oar myailoseliiek tdom, Heeonduesls
), they have made by deeds Of unparalleled bravery,
and al tie exneii.c Of so much blood ari treasure,
| in alast war on oj'r PART aid Ore whfh by he
! &C, o! ,bc cGcp.r We conld pot horot;bIyr have
avoided womb be Ii degrade III, na;hn in lis
own esi,n alton and in That ui'hc world
l. TeTctire 10 a line, and simply hold AID defend
ii, would rot terminate the wal, On it contra
~, il would encourage NexIco- to. peise'eGc and
lert 10 prd,ract II indefinitely Ii is MOTTO be cX
pcrttd mat Mexico. after Refusing 10 establish
! such line as. ipaimenent granddaughter onr
VicoLipus army ale 10 possess lon 81 hel capital,
! and in The heali ii her cQpnGy would is.iiiiu Us
y hold il without resistance. Tia: Sin w9p,c
! corlinic,h war, And in the ihnti hartassingand
annoring forms, there can te no doubt a bo--
der warfare OF the most savage character, ex.
| tending over Ion. line, would u. increasingly
waced II would lcqui.c 4 large army 10 s'.kcPi
constantly in tie field, stationed a pos.int saF'
risons along such linz, 10 protect and q. end i.
The enemy, relieved IRON The pressure cl our
| arm. on his c3ssls and in Inc populous iafis OF
the interior, wond direct his aiteiion o. has line,
and, selecting an ISOLATED post Tor attack, w"nlA
! concentrate his i1rces Upon il. This woul! be
CONDITION OF affairs which Tic Mcxicans, puTsu-
| ing lheir'tavoriic sys,cm OF guerrilla warfare,
wont! probably prefer 10 any cher.
Were ne 10 assunia 4 Intensive aiiiinds Oh
sucl line, all lhc att9ar!age. OF sGea stale 81
war world BE- on the i'd q: re euemy. We
conlf levy no contribution u ~ him, Of in any
cui,Ar ,.e ,i.c.,za,! III! -S. ire % III war,
| but mnsl remain inacivc, AM ~ >! tlis arproach
being in constan; pnceraiEiY > $ha, roia, o.:
the line, or al what line he nigh liz an assanir
! He may a-sennt!- uni organize an over
whelmns force n the Inferior, onhis own side OF
he line, ard, cdnceaEg his purposes, make
sudden as. auI upon eome one our pose, So dis
Ian from M. o.:cr. as % lIeventihe possibility OF
timely. succor .ior reiniarcemenis; and in This
| way our gallant army would be e1pnsed TO the
danger OF be:rg cut oil in de!aiI; or il By their M
eQuailrd bravery aud pEoWess oVeiy phe:e ex-
hbied ,dnrng Ibis war, they should TpaiSe Inc
fcnemy, their number stationed al am ono post
may he i0u.sulalLlo pursue MIN. ii 'he chrmf
he repuised in one attack, he would havc nothing
10 do but TO retreat 10 his own side vi lie line am
being in no far Of a pursuing army may rein
! force himself! a. leisure for another atac:; on Inc
same or some other post. lie mag, 10. cross the
line between cur posts, make TapichtcuTsnns
into the country which We hold muIter 'he nina
bitanls, commit Gcprcdalions en- hen, and hen
retea, to the ihleriur, before sulicie1 force can
he concentrated 10 pu sue him. -.''.
Such would probably be the haTra$ins charac-
ter of a mere defensive wat on our part. III our
forces, when attacked, or threatened win attack,
be permitted ~ cross the line, drive JACK Inc en-
emy, ard coEqucl him, this waad leaaain, TO 10.
wade the cnrniy!s coDnTy, after havn2 lost ali
the advantages Il The couqucss %c.ha"e already
made by having Voluntarily abandoned them.-
To hold such line successfully aud in security:
il is far ircm being ceiiain that il wo1ld mol Ie-
Quire as large an army as would be necessary t'l
buId all the cuaquesls We have already made, and
4 10 continue rthe Prosecution 'ct The var in the
+; hear, OF the enemys county. his also far from
being certain that the expense Of The war would
be dmniah1l by suth'a police.
...aI am persuaded hatthe best means OF vndca-
ting the national honor and interest," and OF bring
ing The war u an honorable close, will be 10 pro
sccaie il with increased enersy and power in the
vital parts of The enemy's country.
In my annual message 10 Congress oil Deem
Der last, declared that "he war has not been
waged with.a view 10 conquest, hut having been
cvmmenced by, Mexico, il has been caffied into
the enemy's country. and WILDE vigorously prnac-
cu:ed there, With a view 10 obtain an Honorable
pea ce and thereby secure ample indemnity ."r
The expenses OF the war as we'll 10 our inuch'ln-
| iufcd ciiizsns, who hoi! large fecuniary demands
against Mexico" such, in my Judgment, con
,inues 10 be our lrpe policy indeed The only poll
cy which will Pr badly secure permanent peace
II has never been contemplated by Inc, as an Oh
jccl of The war; "a make permanent conquest
OF The Republic I'll Mexico or to aohih'lale ter
separate exisien If an independent nation. va
lie contrary, it ha :ver been my desire That shr
should maintain her nationality, and, under IL
good government ada pied TO hcr condition, be a
free, independent, and p'0sperons republic. Inc
Unite States were The first among Inc naiions 10
recognize her independence ard have ways de-
sired 10 be on Terms o; s,i,it~ nd good nsishbnr-
| hood With her. Thisshe WOE not suffer ny her
Town conduct we have been :APclled 10 engage
in the present var. IL its prosecution, We seek
not her ovrrtirow as nai1c; .b'i:- IN Vinoical-
ios' our national honor weseek lnJ2blain redress
for The wrongs she has done W., and indemnify
I for our just demands against her. We demand
an honorable peace, ard lhat peace must hnns
with it indemnify ioI the past and security Tor The
future Hitherto Mexico has refused all accom-
mediation by which. such peace could tc OBJ
tanned.
Whilst our aIn,ies have advanced from victory
10 victory, ON the commencement Of the war,
i, has always been win The ove.braneh Of peace
In their hands; and ii has been in The power OF
Mexico, al every step, 10 arrest hosliii'ies by ac-
ceptns it, IL ...., -. !o .>,... .r'...
One great obstacle 10 the attainment of pace
has, undoubtedly, arisen. fomthe iacI tina, MeHi-
Cd has been so long held in subsection by one tao
ton or military usnrper. after another, and such
The condition Of insecurity in which their success
sivc governments have been placed, that each has
been deferred from making peace lest, Tor This We.
~ cause, a rival faction might e1pel from
1 power Such was The fate Of President Here