Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1847-12-02
}WhOle No 9lO.

blood Is TO be further shed, and their
treasure further expended. instead Of the
knowledge OF 1t being locked up and con-
! cealed IN the bosom Of one man. We
should no longer perceive the objects Of
the war varying, from time to time, ac-
I cordlng to the changing opinions of the
X Chief Magistrate chargedwiih its prosecu-
ton. But do not think it right to stop
here. Ii is the privilege of the people,
III their primitive assemblies, and Of
1 every private man, however humble, TO
| express an opinion III regard to The pur-
/ poses tor which the war should be con-
/ tinued and such an expression will re-
! celve Just SO much consideration and con-
+ sequence as it is entitled to, and no
more.
! Shall this war be prosecuted for the
! purpose OF conqusFIng and anncXing Mex
leo, III all It's boundless extent, to the
! United States
n | will not attribute TO the President
Of the United States any such design
but confess have been shoes and
alarmed by manifestation, of il in various
! quarters. OF all the dangers and mis-
/ fortunes which could beial this nation,
/ should regard that Of its becoming a
war like and conquering power the most
| .direlul and fatal History tells the
/ mouruiu tale of conqueriug nations, and
conquerors. The three most celebrated
! cOnquerors in the civilized world, were
/ Alexander, Cesar and Napoleon. The
first, after overrunning a large portion of
Asia, and sighing and lamenting that
there were no more worlds TO subduc,
met premature and ignobe death His
Lleutenants quarrelled and warred with
each other, as TO the spoils of his victories,
and finally lost them ALL Cnsar, after
conquerIng Gaul, returned, with his trlum-
| phant leglons to Rome, passed the Kub-
con, won the battle of Pharsalia, ,trampled
! upon the Liberties of his country, and
expired by the patriot hand of Brutus.
/ But Rome ceased TO be free War and
1 conquest had cnervated and corrupted
/ the masses The spirit Of true liberty
was extinguished, and long line of En-
'perors succeeded, some Of whom were
/ the most cxecrabe monsters that ever
existed in human form. And that most
4 extraordinary man, perhaps, in all history
after subjugaing all continental Europe,
occupying almost all It's capitals, serious
ly threatening, according to Nj. Theirs,
proud Albion itself, and decking the
brow of various members of his family,
~.tA crowns torn from the heads of other
monarchs, lived to behold his own dear
Z France itself III the possessson of his
enemies, and was made himself a wretch
ed captive, and far removed from coun-
TRY, family, and friends, breathed his last
on the distant and inhosptable rock of
( ST. Helena. The Alps and the Rhine
I had been claimed as the natural bound-
aries Of France, but even these could
not be secured in the treaties to which
she was reduced to submit Do you be-
ieve that the people of Macedon or
Greece, Of Rome, or OF France were ben
Gifted, individually or collectively, by
the triumphs of their great Captains
!. Their sad lot was immense sacrifice
Of life, heavy and in,oIcrable burdens,
and the ultimate loss ofliber'y itself.
That the power Of the United States.
is competent to the conquest of Mexico,
is quite probable. But i. could not be
achieved without frighifII carnage, dread
iul sacrifices Of human life, and the crea-
tion of an oucrous national debt; nor
could il be completely effected, in all
probability, until after the lapse of many
years. 1t would be necessary to occupy
al It's strongholds, to disarm It's inhabl-
tsHts, and TO keep them in constant fear
aud subIection To consummate the
work, presume that standing armies,
not less than hundred thousand men,
would be necessary, to he kept perhaps,
| always IN the bosom Of their country.
| These standing armies, revelling III
! foreign land, and accustomed to trampIe
I upon the liberties Of a foreign people, az
some distant day, might be tit and ready
instruments, under the hand Of some dar-
ing and unprlncipled chlcftain, to return
to their country, and PROSTATE the public
liberty.
II Supposng the conquest to be once
/ made, what is TO he done with lit Is 1t
/ to be governed, like Roman provinces,
/ by proconsulsl , Would it be compatl-
/ bic with the genius, character, and safety
| Of our free institutions TO keep such great
country as McSico, with a population OF
not less than nine millions, IN state oil
constant military subsection
/ Shall it be annexed to the United
States Does any considcroie man be-
licve it possible that two such immense
countries, with territories of nearly equal
extent, with populations so incongruous,
so different in race in language, in relig-
ion and in laws, could be blended together
: in one harmonious mass, and happily
governed by one common authority :
Murmurs, discontents, Instructions,
rebellion, would inevitably cnsue, until
the incompatible parts would be broken
asundcr, and possibly, in the irighinl
struggle, our present glorious Union
itself would be discovered or dissolved.
We ought not to forget the warning
voice of all history, which teaches the
difficulty of combining aud consollda-
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