Tri-weekly journal., 1847-05-22

fKOM A HUMAN OAIHOLlC
The New York Freeman's Journal contains an
excellent letter from the Rev. Bernard O'Reilly
one of the Roman Cotholic chaplains of the
army now in Mexico. The Richmond RepuB-
lican copies the letter and says: 'We invite
the attention Of our readers to it, as presenting
a plain common-sense view of the inducements
for peace, from the pen ofa sagacious and i'm
partial observer which we think the advocates
of protracted war viii find it hard to answer.
Destructive to our army as has been the sick
ness on the Rio Grande, 'whichhave cut down
more ofour men than the Mexicans have lost
on the battlefield" itisas nothing compared
with the appalling havoc which we must wit
ness at Vera Cruz"
We present our readers with the following
extract:
The war now being waged is far more dis
astrous to us than is generally supposed in the
United States. We are always victorious and
lose much less men in action than the Mexi-
cans; bat then climate comes 10 their aid, and
cuts d01vn more of Our men than our loss on The
battlefield. Were the number of our men for
ever disabled by the service, with the deaths in
every form which have thinned our ranks since
the commencement of the campaign, accurate
ly presented, oar loss, considering The Smaliaess
Of our army, acOuld appear great, olalost arith-
ont parallel
There is now il appears to me, no end to
not escape imputation of folly and great error
in action, if, TO punish weak and harassed en-
emy, it inaicts infinitely greater injury on it-
self If we entered it for the. purpose of COM
pelling the payment of indebteness long with
held, we are, if we still continue it, in fair
way of compelling Mexico, long since bank
rupt, to the benefit of the insolvent act
If, for the recognition Of the Rio Grande as our
boundary, lUc haze bat TO TecrOSs that noble
riusr, my lrord for it, Meaico l1iH neUcr dis
pute our title TO that contemplate strip OF ter
ritOry. If the war is to be continued until
l Mexico indemnifes for actual expense, which
lis not, would hope, the national resolve, we
would be acting somewhat the part, but with
lgreater inhumanity, of the creditor who insists
lon the Incarceration of an insolvent debtor un-
til he liquidates the debt and also the expense
; of the incarceration. Ifthe appropriation OF
Mexican territory be intended as compensa-
tion, doubt much whether the result VIII
Justify the policy or the wisdom Of the act.
, This climate and country is suited 10 the Mex
/ leans but so little to us that the part taken
; will Ultimately be burden rather than bene-
lift.
We are victorious over this poor, harassed,
, and badly governed people; honor and glory and
r a succession of triumphs are emblazoned ON
our national escutcheon; we can well afford TO
be generous towards them. Mexican gascon-
ade has been kicked and walked on from 'Palo
5 Alto to Buena VISTA" and will continue to be
so, to the occupation of their capital II we Will
. it. Supposing that Mexico, in her infatuation
and weakness, still persists in her refusal to
make peace on our terms, would IT be sound pol
4 icv in us to continue the war? If still waged,
e it must be carried on, for the reasons giUe1t
aboue, at ut immense sacrifice of humane life and
i treasure, aad lCithout reaching an end not al
ready attained. All our citizens herc-nonc
2 surpass them for patriOtisn-drc 70 man Jor
d peace Their opinion is acoTth Sonlethlag.
The soldiers and officers OF he volunteers and
. regular army victorious against fearful odds III
so many hard fought battles, are, l1ithoatt az
/ exception, advocates for peace. They are stlll
willing, if their country so directs, to march
X again and again to the charge, till Mexico be
> brought 10 terms, but they see no object to be
d reached thatis notnow attained, whilst they
can scarcely consider honor glory to accure to
r them in future from victory over the Mexican
= army. Peace with Mexico is the ardent wish
of the great and good men who in this war have
done honor to their country-of the majority
lof our own free land, of the goodof the world.
: Let there then be peace. If those in our Ma
tional or State Legislatures.who advocate the
further prosecution of the war could, by some
= mysterious process, be transported to "Brazos,
or ssLobos. Island, there to fare as cur brave me
fare, thiswar fever would soon evaporate, and
they would become the most Strenuous advo-
Gates of peace.