Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-10-09
NATIONAL INTELLiGEN GER.
THE WAR NEWS.

examining the several alleged giouhus ol Tie exist
inc War with Mexico, and showing the absurdity of
some the falsiy Of others, and the insuficiency of
Them All taken together to constitute rational
ground OF war on our part, we said, that at that
, moment. more than twelve months after our army
was ordered to advance into the territory west of
the Nueces, and sit down before Matamoros no
human intelligence could any more foresee the
events Of the war than it had pleased the headong
majority i'll Congress to scrutinize the commence
nent. Every man, reasonable or unreasonable
we said, :. must confess that the prospect darkens
as we advance; that we now seem much further
from the termination Of this war than we did at
its outset; that the millions and the lives which
have been lavshed haze rendered nothing certain
: but a still more profuse expenditure Of more
millions and more lives And we referred at
the same time to the then thickenng gloom of fatal
party compliances to Executive usurpaions; to the
desolation, the ilegality, the domestic waste, the
corruption and the imperial Presidential power that
were growing up from this contest, and must be the
consequence of its proongation.
Sooner even than could have expected this
anticipation OF coming events has been most signally
realized. We have, it is true, no official accounts
Ol the laleSI occurrences IN MEXICO; out lneIe 10
no reason 10 doubt that the blood of our fellow
citizens and it is apprehended of many of the most
cherished and best beloved among them, has been
again lavlshy poured out amidst the rocks and
ravnes by which the capital of Mexico is approach
ed and surrounded That the arms of the United
States have been again triumphant, is as little 10 be
doubted Notwithstanding which, can there be
generous heart that does not slcken at tbe partcu-
lars, even family they are yet described TO us,
of the renewed scenes of horrible carnage between
the contending forces of the two greatest Republics
of the earth
And how does our Administration, the author of
this war-responsible to the country for all this
bloodshed to the Mother for her Son; to the
Widow and her Children for her Husband and
their Father 10 Society for its thinned ranks, its
wasted wealth, and its deteriorated moras-how
does this Administration receive the news which
announces the death of thousands of our fellow
citizens, we may say almost without figure, by
its bloody hand Why, thus il receives it:
FROM 'rHE UNION" SATURDAY NIGHT
The Capital taken by General .ScoH-Our
Flag flying oUer the Halls of the Montezunas!
We have the proud satisfaction of announcing that
we have conquered the capital. Glory covers
our arms We have stricken down the Mexican
eagle, standing upon the prickly pear, with the
ratle-snake in its mouth, and have substituted
our own flag and our own North American eagle
Thanks again TO our gallant General - &C.
II is impossible to read or to repeat the headline
oil Tins extract from the government paper without
recurring TO the original conception of this conquest
of Mexico-of this reve in ." the Halls of the
Montezumas"-to this dream of an unholy ambi-
ton, which is at length realized and proclaimed in
tones of exultation which would be nothing but
ludicrous if they were not porentous of yet greater
evils than the slaughter of friends and brethren,
which hang over our country, and are prefgured
IN the boast of our having substituted :" our own
flag and our own eagle as the emblem of sove
reignty over Mexico. How long has this design
of subjugating Mexico been entertained Is il only
since the breaking out of this war Have any Of
our readers forgotten the first conception of this
crusade TO the Halls of the Montezumas % Let
us refresh their memory at this moment now that
the fact has become more important than it was
when we heretofore alluded to it: The idea was
preached las we told our readers year agol
not since the beginning of this war-when the
possibility Of such an event, though certainly not
desirable one, might not unnaturaly have entered
into any ones head-but in cold blood, by the or
gan of the present Administration, within the first
three months after its establishment in office, and
within one week after the Editor Of the new gov
ernment paper took his post. In The Union" Of
the 9Th Of May, ls45, referring to some specula-
tons Of London newspaper upon the supposed
designs Of the United States upon Mexico. our
Government Editor took occasion to saw that not
$4,000 men nor 10000 would be necessary. In,
that 10000 men would be enough, 10 march upon
Mexico, adding follows:
Sound the bugle through the West and South
west-le the United States raise the standard to-
morrow, and in this proclaimed crusade 10 the
Halls Of Nontezund and the Mines of Merico
twenty thousand volunteers would appear &c.
And, on the 22d Of the same month, replying 10
the Cincinnati Gazette's exception TO the spirit and
temper OF the above intimaton, the Union said
/" Was it wrong in us to tell the London Times
that, though we might not have regular troops
enough, yet volunteers would start up al the first
sound OF the bugle by the Government Of the
United States sufficient 10 oUerrun Merico, occ,pu
The Halls Of Nontesuma, and conquer The raleys
Of California;"