Weekly national intelligencer., 1847-12-11

respondence between our Minister and the Mexi-
can authorities was still going on when the army
of General TAYLOR was, as if for the purpose
of preclpltatng events, marched from Corpus
Christi to the Rio'Grande. About the same time as
we know from the Presidents Message of last year.
he was himself in secret negotiation with the exiled
Military Cheitain, SANTA ANNA, for what precise
purpose can only be inferred from the fact, that the
day after the war was declared to exist directions
were given TO our vessels of war to allow him to
pass into Mexico. All these concurring crcum-
stances show that war was premeditated by the
President.
That the war might have been then averted by
Mexlco's agreeing to surrender to the United
States California and boundary on the Rio. Grande
we do not doubt; nor do we doubt that the Presi-
dent and his Cabinet have been willing, ever since
the war began, end it whenever Mexico would agree
TO surrender TO their demand all Of her territory that
they have set their hearts on and that this is what
the President means when he speaks of " conquering
peace" But we have still less doubt that the
original object Of this war, and the sole true cause
and motive OF it, was CONQUEST or, in other words,
the coercion of Mexico to surrender territory which
Mr.. Polk ambltioned the eciat of annexing" to
the United States. Mr.. Secretary Bancroft, in
letter OF instructions to Commodore SLoAT, (then
commanding in the Pacifc,) on the 18th of July,
l846-two months after the war was legalized by
Congress-very frankly disclosed this fact. The
OBJECT Of The United States" said he, is, aaader
its rights as a behfgerem nation, TO POSSESS IT
SELF ENTIRELY Of Upper California" And, further,
said Mr. RaNcROrT The nhiaot Of tba Init tod
States has reference to ultimate peace with Mex
'ico; ultimate, observe; possession of her cove-
ed territory, being the penuldmate object and
if at the peace, the basis of the uti possidetis
shall be established, the Government expects,
through your forces, to be FOUND IN ACTUAL POS
SESSION Of Upper California;
The President declared to Congress, it is true,
in his Message of last year, that this war with
Mexico had not been waged in spirit of conquest
Would any one suppose, with these instructions to
our Naval Commander, and corresponding instruc-
tons to our Military Commanders, that he under
stood the import of this disclaimer. No one can
at least misunderstood the purport of his present
Message, breathing, as it does, nothing but war, a
Conquerors peace, or the alternative of the annihi-
lation of Mexico.
Nor does the President seem to understand him.
self in another respect any better than lie did when
he disclaimed any purpose of conquest in the pro-
secution of the war with Mexico.
In setting forth, for instance, in the beginning of
this Message, his own love of Peace and strenuous
efforts to preserve for us its blessings we must look
on him as exhibiting very signal example of self
delusion. No mans pacific merits could well be
less. His course, thus far, in his high office, on
the contrary, realized to the full, in almost every
instance what we said oft ayear ago namely that,
having seen that were popular in this country
and felt that he himself was not too popular, hehad
thought to himself, Il will be ar-Presdent,
and that will make me popular and render all my
opponents and competitors odious." Accordingly
his very Inaugural had full-bown quarrel with
England in it his first Annual Message announced
that he had done nearly all he could to bring thai
quarrel to focus meantime he had secretly ta-
ken steps for another with Mexico, by way of
making sure of war somewhere. So that no
sooner had the interposton of the Senate foilcd
him in his original war-pan,. than, by diigent
improvement of his time, he had another fight ready
to substitute for that which had been refused him.
Grown more wary this time, he took care not 10 be
foiled by any body's discretion; and, though Con-
gress was sitting for five months before he had
brought every thing to bear, contrved to have
war completely in blaze, and our succorless army
placed in what their prowess unknown) seemed an
almost hopeless predicament before the country or
Congress knew one word of what he was about
Such are the general and the larger facts, as to
that merit Of loving peace which the President APP
proprates to himself. If we look closer and scan
the particulars of things, must not only say that
President Polk is not possessed of that virtue of
ruler which he claims, and-we regret that we must
say t--has shown, and every where in this Mes
sage shows himself, utterly indifferent to the car
mage and calamtes of war.
OF little less than stone, indeed, must his heart
be, who can look, without the strongest commiser-
ation upon the spectacle of nation reduced to the
extremity of distress in which Mexico, known from
the first to be incapable of resisting us, stands.
Not one spark of compassion can his breast ever
have known, who, after infcting upon wretched
people, destitute of any against but their
hereditary obstinacy, all the slaughter and humia-
ton which we have every where inflicted upon
Mexico, can cooly resolve in his heart that this is
mn o,oo,,0b not blood enonuh not tears nnough