The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-05-23
-

preach OF friendship with Mexico. He greatly
evils In It, Besides the evils common to all wars-loss
OF hves distress Of families interruption of commerce.
ruin to many merchants, and load of debt and
besides all these ordinary evils he saw others OF new
ana extraordinary kind in war with Mexico. She
rspuolc, ana weak one, and our neghbor, and had
oe US .e nohor 10 copy our constitution and form Of
government, and had maintained civil wars to keep Il
up She was one Of the Spanish American States which
stretch southern boundary the United states
to Cape Horn, the whole which had copied our form
established close political andcommer
ca relations with u.s. All these States had
themselves from European domination adopted the
republican system, and taken the United States
ior their model and their frisnd-the elder sister
ana parental guardian Of the Gordon of republics
which stretched across the two Americas The position
OF the United States at the head of this long chain of
Puphcs was grand and impressive, and imposed upon
her an enlarged and enlightened system which had been
carefully acted upon by all American statesmen from
the time these Spanish American States began to estab
lsh their independence Europe had a system of mo-
marches, consolidated by a Holy Alliance The new
world had its system Of republics TO he cementeJ and
united by sympathy and friendship. To maintain our
position at the head Of this republican system in the
new world, was due to ourselves and to the human
race To preserve and perpetuate these republcs-to
preserve their friendship and their commercoto CON
tinue to be their political mentor-to continue them in
the republican system Of the world and prevent
their relapse into the monarchcal system of the old
world--this wa: our true policy War with any one Of
same origin religion language customs thew wouS
naturally sympathze with each other, and in having
war with one the friendship Of all might be jeoparded
He (Nr b. had endeavorcd to act upon these enlarged
principles, orginatng.not with him. but with enghten-
ed statesmen before he came into public life He had
endeavored to get back Texas without war with Next
co. and was certain it might have been done with all
ease, by leaving Mexico and Texas to make peace and
treating Mexico with the respect and deference due
to a sister republic-the more proud and sensitive
because weak and unable to contend with US
The first great error the annexation treaty Of
ls42, and the manner in which it was conducted
That the work of the Tyler administration and for
selfish and unworthy purposes The great error
alternative resolution and despatch of the midnight
messenger to Texas with the absolute resolution of adj
mission on the night Of the Sd Of March, s45-that,
also, was the work Of the Tyler administration and in
the last moment Of its expiring existence The first of
these steps-the treaty-woud have made instant war
II 1t had been ratified by the Senate the second made
the and the great question is to finish It. How
to finish 1t! That was the question which every body
putting to him. and on which every one present no
doubt would wish to hear him speak But this was not
the time to speak upon that point. The time would
come but II was not now His opinions had been asked
by the President and given to him, and approved by
him, and In time would be given to the public.
But he could say, that he relied more upon policy
than upon arms to finish this war with weak and
proud neighbor. Fight battles she could not That
proved from San Jacinto Cerro Gordo and where
Bay Of San Francisco victories would come as often as
fights came; but there danger to be feared-the
danger Of fanatacism-snd the conversion of tho war
into q death contest for country and religion. The
Spanish race is susceptible Of deep national emotion
fanatca both religously and politically and Of which
Old and in the New World; and from the time of the
Carthagenians and the Romans to that of the French
under Bonaparte Policy more than arms, but combined
with arms he considered the road to peace
He would not say that victories alone would not
bring peace; they might do SO; but not the kind Of
which was not merely cessation Of hostties but re.
storaon Of the fruits and blessings Of resto
ration OF friendship and commerce. and of position
hoad and chief parental guardian of the system
Of Republics in the New World
Mr. B. said he stood upon ground which he could not
explore; he alluded to subjects which he could not un
fold but he could say that it great to
found the whole Mexican people-the whole eight mil
lions Of their mixed population under any general
view either politically morally, intellectually or in
their feelings towards the United States and the war
1t would be great error to confound this large and
mixed mass under any one general view; and a worse
to act upon that view either military or politi-
cay 1t had its divisions both Of Of political
parties and leaving out the terate impoverished and
depressed part of the Indian race which signifies no.
thing politically though the half Of the whole popula
rank and Ale Of the srmy-eayiur out that decreased
half the other halfs radically and divided
in political systems and in all the affections and views
which result from that division The larger hafis
publican and have struggled since 1874 for the estab
ment of form of government and always carry the
eectons the other part il monarchical and strongest
though least numerous because 1t has the sinews of
war-money and arms 1t rests upon the church and
standing army of near twenty thousand officers and not
much over twenty thousand men. The policy Of the
Republicans leads them to peace and friendship with
the United States the policy of tho Monarchts leads
thies But there is point at which they all unite-the
pride Of nationalitythe love of religion and Of
try-and which makes them unite in the against
Mr. b. said, he had expressed his opinions publicly
and responsibility In the Senate both in speeches aud In
votes and privately and frankly to the President when
ever asked He had done more; he had been willing to
resign his place in the Senate and go field Of ope-
rations, not so much to command armies as to make
military movements subservient to diplomatic policy,
friendship, and not mere truce extorted by force from
weakness, and leaving the anmositics Of behind.
He who had refused embassies to the first courts of Eu
rope, willing to 20 to Mexico he who had refused
to let his friends propose him for first major general
May 1885, which would have put him at the head of the
army was willing to have taken commission when the
began to take the appearance Of continuing long
and becoming fanatica and giving strength to the
narchical European party. He willing to have
taken the place Of lieutenant general for that would
have shocked military feeling and displaced no mi
tary man, and would have allowed policy approved
by the President to have been completely carried out
He could sayno at this time upon that point but
when the plan which he submitted to the President
comes to be made known 1t would be that the mi
lltary men would have had nothing to complain Of
that General Taylor instead Of struggling at Buena
Vista with 5000 against 10000, would have been ad
vancng with 20O00-that General Scott instead of an
enrenched army at Cerro Gordo would probably have
found the road open to the two generals
Mexico-and that diplomatic mission, nationally con-
suted both in geographical and political sense and
attending the army might have concluded peace, So
lid and lasting, more readily than 1t will probably
be done
Mr. b. passed to new subjcct-and which had not
yet excited the public attenton-but which in his opin
Ion pregnant with much danger and required early
attention 1t not question of foreign war, to be
settled by diplomacy, but Of domestic legiss
tion to be settled by public opinion and by votes He
alluded to the slavery propagandt resolutions ntrodu
and which he stigmatised fire brand the day Of
their introduction. On their face these resolutions
template subverson Of the Union, throwing the guilt
Of the subverson upon those who oppose their enact
ment into law; at the time they propose what
citizen Of -slaveholdng State stand and
what many from the slaveholding States himself In tho
number would not stand If they could. They propose
the abolition Of all compromises past and future the
slavery question and treat vioators Of the rights Of
the States and Of the Constitution, and subverters
Of the Union all who will not to extend slavery to
all the territories Of the United States even to the most