Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1847-08-13
THE OBSTACLES TO PEACE.

THE OBSTACLES TO PEACE.
While all eyes are turned southwark TO
watch the progress of The negotiations which
rumor whether truly or untruly) announces
TO have been commenced between the Mex-
can government and our own, it may be use
full to consider the main obstacles which stands
in the way of their successful termination
It is hardly necessary to assert-what IS 100
evident to be questioned-that all these dim
culties have their being III the existing
spirit and temper of the Mexican government
and people. Our government is now, as II
has been from the first, eager and anxious, to
end the war at once in a Just and honorable
treaty-a treaty which shall secure to our
selves only that which is just and RICH in view
of all the facts of the case. without inf1icting
any needless loss or humiliation upon our
enemy. Mexico-conquered in single year
and at our mercy--may have peace on such
terms, the moment she is wise enough to de-
sire it. Still the war is not yet ended, nor is
lis speedy termination yet by any means GER
tain.
Nor is it difficult to discover the real eau
ses of the delay of the return of peace Our
arms, glorious as have been their triumphs,
have fought at a disadvantage, because, even
while they moved on from victory to victory
in quick succession, the spirit of faction a.
mong ourselves has, with equal ardor, lncul-
Gated into the mind of Our enemy the whole
creed and lesson of pertinacious and desperate
resistance-of stubborn and blind rejection OF
all the Counsels of peace. At this very mo-
ment Mexico holds out in the war erctu-
siuely on the arguments and pretences which
the Opposition orators and presses among our
selves have framed for her, and instructed her
to employ. She says we have robbed" her
of Texas. She has adopted both the idea and
the phrase of it from the recognised organs of
the creed of the opposition. She says we are
fighting her to Cypress and degrade her, and
dsmember her territory. She flnds the very
terms she uses, set down for her in the oppo-
sition speeches and journals, and beholds the
opposition party of our country rallied upon
them as party motto. She proclaims that to
her the question of the war is a question of
national existence; and for proof OF her asser-
ton, she points to such devices as the ''lust OF
conquest and the "destructon of a sister re-
public emblaZoned on every federal flag
She calls her people to resistance and endu-
rance, and such predatory battle as they have
vet the power 70 make, avowedly on the hope
that the administration here must soon aban-
don the war; and, as reason for such faith,
she cites the labored diatribes in which the
leading organs of the opposition have again
and again labored to demonstrate that our war
has as yet conquered" nothing but the ''spir-
it of our own constitution and that its un-
popularity with the people must soon eject
r from power the councils in which it has been
waged. Her rulers tell her people that peace
is dishonor; and find their warrant to say so
in the federal invectives which denounce the
war on our part as Fruthess raplne and MUIR
r der,' and call upon the Mexicans to "arelcome
the invader with bloody hands and a hosplta-
bic grave" Her government journals an
: nounce to their deluded readers the approach
, ing advent of ''a better spirit towards Mexico
in our government; and for proof. they cite the
stereotyped federal motto Of ''no more MeXi.
; can territory.
Manly-nay, almost solely-upon such
+ federal " aid and comfort,'' the war of Mexico
2 holds out She looks for help to her allies ,
: here American faction fights her battle fol
t her, when she can no longer battle with hope
e of success in the field Our war has been full
y of glores Thanks to the ability with which
. it has been planned and organized, and the
S high souled valor with which it has beer
t fought, our conflicts have all been victories
The military proves of our people and of oul
institutions has excited the establishment anC
won the admiration OF the world. But the III
ry of faction has found, in the freedom o
a those same institutions, {" room and verge
) enough to rally ''peace party" with powe
l. {; to rob our victories, in large measure, O
q their moral effect upon our enemy, to inspire
u her with new courage, and so to protract he
hostilities even when the sinews of her wa
II are broken and withered We believe tina
It the pcople-anxious as the people always art
e and should be for honorable and permanen
II peace-seeing that our enemy is conquered
II seeing, too, that the administration has dom
e all that could be done, both by diplomacy an
n by arms, to secure such peace; and seeing
too, that Mexico, emboldened by the pledge
: and the eXhortations of the federal ''peac
: party" among ourselves, yet refuses peace;-
we believe that the people, seeing these things
will understand fully which of the two partie
y among us has been in this crisis the tru
l. friends of the rights, the honor, and the peac
a of our country, and will SO apply the grea
y remedies provided by our constitution nc
IT much longer to permit the base and selfish pun
! poses of faction to rob our victories of the
l. fruits, and to prevent peace which our diplo
pr macy has sought in all honorable modes, an
which our battles have fairly won.
T. Washington Union.