Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1847-01-07


''Del Norte"-[Ile he leaves out the NNester
I frontier. and thereby misquo,es his own message
as by this time he had left Corpus Christi and wa
fighting on the banks of the Rio Grande for 9Th
,chote or none ''This force" he SAYS. .wa
; concentrated at CORPUS CHRISTI, and remainct
.nere until alter received such information from
eXlco as to render it probable, if not certain tina
1.-THE Mexican government would refuse TO receive
our envoy" Here the gentleman lets the cat
out OF the wallet, aud shows the true origin of this
war; which was to resent an indignity supposed to
nave been offered either TO himself or his unaccre-
dited minister, Mr. Sdell, that he boldly grasped,
within one mile OF the Capitol under the very nose
OF Congress, then in session, responsibility, from
which his sober second thoughts have shrunk back
In terror and dismay and is now endeayorinp to
screen himself from the punishment that an indig-
nant people will demand, an atonement for vi
dated constitution, by misrepresentation of the
whole affair. We shall see anon. Hectorinr and
bravado in the hour of ntemperaDce. is usually
succeeded by pusllanimity and cowardice when the
senses are Gained and find il hcre-and
yet, every man who does not look upon Mr. Polk
as demigod and his conduct as irrepruachable is
TO be stgmatized traitor. giving laid and com
fort to the enemy well by the President of the
u. States as his official and oflicious organ Hyh
times these! Let them learn, that while we will
protect the lag OF the country will not suffer
them TO sacrifice the constitution. or the honor of
the nation And when Mr.. President wants to as
certain what powers he may exercise, either in ma
king war or i'll governing conquered territory eli
Their as President or Commander in Chief. instead
OF looking into Nattel for the rights Of SOpercignS
we Will point him TO a written Constitution, under
which his duties are limited and prescribed ; and if
he wishes them TO be enlarged, he must look to us
the People; and that, far us the law of Nations
relating to the rights Of SoccrcigRS over conquered
territory Is concerned, 1t appertans, far appli-
cable, to the government, and not to James K Polk
In the one capacity or the other. But am getting
OIL upon another branch of his conduct not less re-
prehensibe, but which is undergoing review in the
proper place. mean, by the representatives of the
! people; where am disposed to leave it. There
are enough there able TO do il justice. Now does
he stand convicted or not by his own solemn deca-
! ralions! If he does, shall he not be impeached?
"A violated Constitution, an abused people, the
tonal honor and the blood OF our citizens all de-
mand it. If he does not stand convicted then
confess am incompetent 10 sit on any jury, or de-
eide question Of ''meum and tuum" between man
and man.
! L will now undertake to show. first. that there
was no well founded ground of complaint euen
much less for war, against Mexico at the time this
war was commenced, growing out OF the spolialons
and other injuries we had sustained and, secondly,
to show how this war brought about-which
was perhaps as much the result of folly as wicked
ness but none the less culpablc on that account as
lar as the consequences are concerned it being at
tended with gross usurpaton of power, iusiityng
| the nfilctlon OF the severest punishment known 10
our form OF government
by an attentiSe perusal of Mr.. Folks communi-
cation. 1t Will be found that, whatever might have
been the provocation for resort TO hostlities "a
galnst Mexico AT any former period. for the wrongs
and injuries, which Mr.. Polk mourns over as if
now existing, they had all been settled and obc-
rated. Let it be borne in mind that all that had
| been asked or expected of Mexico was that she
should indemnity, In money, our citizens for the
losses they had sustained at her hands Well a
bout the close of Mr.. Van Buren's administration,
10 VIII, on the lth of August, 1889. Mr. Polk HIM
self tells lis, the negotiation between Mexico and
The u. D resulted in 'sa convention for the adjust
ment OF claims OF citizens of the United States of
America upon the government of the Mexican Re
public" Moreover, ''that the joint board Of com
mIssioners created by this convention was not Or
! gained until August 1910. and that under the
! terms Of the convention they were to terminate
their duties within eighteen months "a provision
/ Tor which the United States government was quite
as responsible that of Mexico and il was proba-
bly, inserted by the L. S. negotator to hasten the
/ settlement. lie tells us, furthermore that at the
expiration OF the eighteen months they had not cot
ten through with their business but has ascertain
ed the sum OF two million, twenty six thousand
one hundred and thrity-nne dollars, and sixty
! eight cents to be due - which sum the Mexican
government promptly recognized, and agreed to pay
/ by instruments as stipulated by a second conven-
ton, concluded on the 30h of January, 1913; and
| IN compliance with that agreement she paid. on the
Both OF April 1913, all the interest due on the a.
wards which had been made i'll favor of the claim
ants, and three of the twenty instruments Two
! other Instruments. due in April and July 1874 were
PAID by Mexico to the American agent, whose re-
celpt was given for the money whereby Mexico
was discharged from all farther responsibility he
I having taken orders an English house i'm Mexj-
co. in high credit but which afterwards failed
| The circumstances were such that the l.. States
! felt themselves under an obligation to assume the
debts, and paid then over to the claimants II be-
| ing manifest to both parties that the time allowed
(of eighteen Inonths) under the convention of 1889
had not been sufficient TO ascertain all the claims
due TO American citizens Mexico promptly agreed
by the convention Of January. 1913. to enter into
another convention for the settlement of all other
claims due to the government and citizens Of the
u. States from the Republic of Mexico. and vice
versa and, accordingly, in November, lSA3 "pro-
vision was made for ascerlaining and paying these
claims" In January 1874, this convention was
presented 10 the consideration of the Senate of the
u. States, who did not ratly it. Gas Mr. Polk SAYS
they did, with two amendnens.) but who refused
to ratiIy it. by adopting two amendments which
owing 10 various causes that might be deemed rca
sonabe and sufficient, have yet been acted ny
on by the Mexican government By the bye il is
left for Mr.. Polk 10 discover that treaty or con
venhon cdn be ratified ,ciM amendments they
must fatiiy or reject they may offer amendments
In winch case they refuse TO ratify but still do
not reject, absolutely for if they did raify there
would he an end Of the matter Thus it appears
u was owing to the action Of our own Senate that
this convention for final settlement of all claims
was not concluded, and not the action of the Mexi
! can government. But il the blame can properly
be laid at the door Of Mexico. it becomes question
whether our relations with her. growing out of tho
annexation of Texas. then in progress was no; suf
hcleni cause (shc believing il TO be her territory