Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1847-02-24

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!, lasns phemeral, rs members are ,bds
lst II 1orning and die III the eyenin,
strations succeed one another, y nj,
9 We s<elies Of a theatre rathenthansth thesl
Z life, and still less of events in tn
d Life of q nation. The rulers do nee~dane,.t
|, doyastice in such case as this. 1t migf
. cost them their places, to which they hol
: on as tenaciously as though their tenur
5 were a secure one. There is strong ex
citement in that country against us. No
, thing shows this more distinctly than tn,
scene which lately passed there, when thei
President swore that the nation would new
} er yield one inch of its territory, nor make
peace with the invader till his foot was of
its soil. A dangerous resolution to be thus
publicly proclaimed, and one more easily
proclaimed than kept. The sublime and
the ridiculous may so easily touch that ma
tions should be chary in such exhibitions
which may belong to the domain of the one
or of the other as subsequent circumstances
my stamp their character. Whatever iudg-
ment, however, history may pronounce
upon this ceremony in Mexico it is signif.
cant enough of the disposition of the people
towards us. Hence the difficulty of the
government is increased, and hence the
necessity of their gthenng themselves.
Their revenues are drying up. They are
always in debt in all their departments.
civil and military. By prompt payment
into their treasury upon the ratification Of
a treaty, the government will be enabled
to satisfy the most pressing demands, and
thus to do IN act Of justice at home to coun-
teract any i'll effects of an act ofjustice a.
broad. And this is the very point of the
whole matter. We may thus tempt them
10 do right, while so many other strong cir
cumstances tempt them to do wrong. As
to the application of this money, after it
reaches the treasury of Mexico, it is no
question of ours, any more than was the
application of the consideration money
paid to France and Spain for the purchase
Of Louisiana and Florida. We cannot fol-
low it, and it must take its fate with the
other resources of the country. 1t has one
advantage, however, and that is its publici-
ty. lfthe silver or gold were carried by
wagons to the palace Of the government
the transaction could have no more publ.
city than it has now. And this throws upon
the authorities much greater responsible
ity than do the ordinary payment, and one
less likely to be abused. If all this is bribe.
ry, am fully prepared to take my share
oft. it is bribery, let the honest gov
ernments of Europe make the most of it.
AS to the comparison instituted by the
honorable senator from Maryland, between
this act and an attempt Of the Mexican gov
ernment to bribe General Taylor, it GER
tainly gives me very little trouble. We
have nothing to do with Santa Anna, as
the general Of an army. We deal with
the government Of Mexico The very au.
thority that makes the treaty is the author
ity to which the payment is to be made.
| II General Taylor were the American gov
ernment, and had the power to cede away
a portion of the American territory, the a.
nalogy would then exist in fact, and now it
exists only in fancy. And this obvious CON
sideraton answers all the objection pre-
sented by the senator, when he expresses
such an apprehension that the money would
slip from our fingers before we secured
consideration. Not dollar is to be paid
till the treaty is ratified and the country
thus made ours.
Passing now, sir, from the considera-
ton of this subject to the course before us,
| would observe that there are but three
plans of operation by which we can escape
from the difficulties Of our position.
The first, is an abandonment of the war,
and an inglorious return to our own coun-
try. s-S
The second, is the establishment of line
over such portion of the enemy's terrific
ry, as we think proper. and holding the
country on this side of it without any fur
ther military operations
Ahe l'iifa, Is vigorous prosecution OF
the war, agreeablyt to tie public expecta-
ton, and the experience of the world.
AS to the first, sir, I do not place it in
the category ofthings proposed; and I cast
it from me with contempt.
The second, sir, is a very different, prop
osition, supported by high names, civil and
military, and it was yesterday presented to
US with great power ofargunent and beau.
ty of illustration by the distinguished sena-
tor from South Carolina. | shall state as
tsuccinctly as 1 can the reasons which in
duced me to consider this an inexpedent,
not to say an impossible proposition.
A plan of operations, seeking to hold a
portion OF a country properly guarded by
fortresses and furnished with the necessary
lines accommodation, and seeking to do