Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-03-18

by whose agency the uIost efficient "aid and
comfort" have been rendered to the public enemy,
but who of all others is most obnoxious 10 the
charge of treachery to his trust and OF treason
to the country.
Do this, sir, and then follow ou;, if you please,
the suggestions of late number Of the execu-
tive organ" and enact your law with its sane
ton OF pains and penalties against "n,oraL trea-
son." and the grand inquest OF tho nation will
not be slow to present you with an illustrlous
respondent. And then, if you please to carry out
the further suggestion from the same source, and
to open your registers for the enrolment Of the
names of those who NAV be caught in giving
aid and comfort" to Mexico, you will be in no
doubt with what name to head the list. If he
who sits OF the "executive organ" and grlnds
out such music only as is most agreeable to roy
al ears, who manifests at all times an amable
readiness to do his masters Will, aud who occas-
lonay assumes the congenlal office of task
master, to lash into proper submission such
, naughty Democrats as are sometimes presump,u-
Gus enough to think for themselves, and are at
times little FESTIVE under the party collar; if
he, say is DESTROYS Of finding SUBJECT obnox-
lous to his threatened penalties, it may be re-
lief to him to be informed that he need not pass
beyond the shadow of his own patron. And
while he utters the lbellous intimation that the
army OF Santa Anna would be strengthened by
the accession of some thousands Of American
citizens, but for the restraining fear Of the hal
ter, and that they therefore merit the penalties of
overt treason, we are prompted to ask how much
less mertorious is he, who, by the extreme eXer-
, else OF his appointing power, gave to that army
its commander in-3hief?
Sir, there is no justification for this act. There
is no excuse for it. There is no paliaion tor it.
, Whether regarded as a bunder or a crime, it
, admits OF no extenuation. In the most favorable
, view the utmost charity can take of the trans
, action, it was an extra piece of diplomatic CHI
; canery, which has no parallel among enlighten-
ed nations, and which the world will laugh at,
while most dopore it. For all the dishonor,
, and all The attendant and disastrous consequent
ces of this act, your President stands arragned
before the public bar; before the great Areopa-
gus of the American people. They demand of
, him to know, why and wherefore the ucknowl-
edged and most inveterate enemy Of the United
States, the nan under whose administration and
3 under whose countenance the long catalogue OF
n wrongs AMI outragcs upon our commerce and
upon our citizens was committed, the recital OF
n which makes conspicuous figure in the
Executive message; the man as notorious for
y his peridy as for his crimes; as notorious for
r his treachery and his tyranny, as for his ha-
h tired to the American people; why was this
o man, they demand to know, this monster OF in
Equity, then poweress exile, permitted, aye, may
1 | not say, advised, persuaded, entrcated, to go
4 back to Mexico, where he now stands at the
head of the most formidable army, in point fnum-
y bers, if not Of scipine and desperate determin-
= alton, ever rrayed upon any battlefield on the
$ American Continent
Why, Mr.. Chairman, it cannot have been for
o gotten, that when the return Of Santa Anna to
$ Mexico first became known in the United States,
r the question was every where propounded, " how
r could he have got back !" show could he have
n passed our blockading squadron in the Guf?'
S And when it was intimated that his return must
Q have been effected through the consent or conni-
@ vance of our Executive Government, it was stout
@ ly denied, and written down as "Uhig SANDER"
q upon the Administration. But now this imputed
= SANDER turns out to be yeritable fact, upon the
l. Presidents own confession reluctant confess
!, sion though it be, extortcd from him by the pop.
d ular clamor at so extraordinary an occunen zee.
= And when the reason and excuses which he as
q signs for giving orders TO commander in the
d Gulf not to intercept the passage of Santa Anna
# to Mexico were read from the MESA ge at yodr
Il Clerks desk, who does not remember the inyol-
d untary sneer it ased through this Hall; who
8 that did not feel his sympathies moved for the
4 man, who I" in ertremiS," was laboring to cover
= his conduct under excuses and pretexts SO friyo-
lous and so futile?
n PURPOSES OF THE WAR.
/, But, Mr.. Chairman, my time admonisbes mo
! to pass TO the consideration of other questions
n connected with this general subject. And here
n let me say that | am not about to enter upon n
$ discussion of the origin and causes of the war.
, | have done that upon former OCCASION Itbas
a been often done by other and ADLER speakers who
n have preceded me. 1t has become more impor-
tant to-day to enquire when and how the war is
o to be ended, than how it was begun. 1t is of
n higher moment now TO enquire what are the pres.
r ent and ultimate purposes of those who have the
n conduct of the war, in its further prosecution,
Il than whether 1t might ought to have been
avoided. The American people, who are called
9 upon to pour out their treasure and their blood in
p this war, demand to know, as they have right
n to be informed, definitely, with what design and
e to what extent it is to be prosecuted. The per-
e tinent aud anxious enquiry of every honest man
A and patriot is, for VIII IS the war waged? To
# what extent is ii to be carried on? What are its
s objects, its aims, and purposes? | need not say
h what every body understands, that the war is not
# now conducted as a defensive war, or for the
!, purpose of repelling INVASION Not hostile foot
q stands upon our soil. The enemy is every where
driven far back from our borders. 1t is no salts.
. factory answer TO say that the war is carried on
:, for the purpose of obtaining an "honorable
. peace" The language is vague and indefinite
q 1t means nothing at all, or rather it means what
ever any one may choose to have it mean The
conquerng despot could say as much, and say
it as truly.
- Call it, sir, by what name you may and dis
. guise it under what pretexts you may il is nothing
more nor less, 1t is nothing else, but war Of in
: vasion, of conqest, of aggression, and waged for
;, the purpose of acquiring territory. The Presi-
- dent, to be sure says "the war is waged with no
= view to conquest and yet he reoces with cx-
~ ceedingj joy" and congraulates the country upon
. the vast extension Of our territorial limits.b-
y "Thc war;" lie says -" is waged with no view to
' conquest" and yet he sends abroad fleets and
armies, Napoleon-like-no sir, beg pardon not
!, Napoleon-ke the comparison is inapt and in
- appropriate. Compare james X. Polk with Ma
- poleon Bonaparle!--as well might you compare
i the dog-star's pale and sickly light to the eifu.
:, gent and dazzling brightness of the comets blaz
u ing, boundess pathway through the skies but
= rather like the maniac, who, in the wildness of
y his dellrum, imagnes himsefthe commander. in
= chief of all CREATION and in the fanced plenitudo
: of his Infinite authority, from some lofty pima
= Gle, eXclams, "attention the universe I" liking.
doms to the right Wheel" So our commander
ln-chief, by his sudden elevation struts forth
npon a somewhat less magnificent theatre, but
. with hardly less magniloquept tones of command,
J and sends abroad his generals and his commo
y dores, his Satraps and his Tetrarch, not to meet
and vanquish the enemy in battle, but to conquer
{ whole States and provinces by proclamation I
The war is not waged with any view to con-