Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-01-29
Friday Morning, January 20, ls47.
THE TRUE SPIRIT.

Friday III OrnlnSs january ~os iof"
THE TRUE SPIRIT.
We rejoice al The marked reprobalion will
which The House OF Representatives on Wednes
day refused to suspend III. rules, in order to al
low Mr. Schenck of Ohio 10 introduce resolutions
disgraceiu 10 The country, involved as j! is II
war. These resolutions, sin order 10 terminate
the war" request The President 10 withdraw al
our troops 10 the East side OF the Rio Grande, ant
disband all the volunteers now in the service oil the
United States. They al The same time Request
and advise the President TO keep the regular ar
my, along or near the Western frontier OF the
| United States, 10 repel or prevent any encroaeh-
menl or depreciation, BY Mexican citizens, on our
territory, property or people Proridcd, that this
shall not be construed to advise against retaining
possession of"the disputed country between the
| Western limit OF The State Of Texas and the Rio
| Grande," until dehnitive boundary line shall be
agreed upon. They also provide for the prose
/ culon OF Inc existing war against Mexico, ny
| bockading her ports and harbors on the Gull Of
| Mexico and the Pacific coast, until treaty Of
peace is made, settling all difficulties between the
Two countries; duties TO be levied upon a Il imports
into said ports OF entry, and the proceeds OF said
duties 10 be held as security against Mexico, I'M
Ill she shall agree 10 a treaty. The present re-
guar army no! 10 be increased by enlistment or
otherwise, but 10 be reduced 10 the number in ser
vice on The Isl JAM. l647. The resolutions fur
lher declare it 10 be against The policy and inter-
est OF this Governmental wage war Tor the con-
quest Of territory and that no additional territory
beyond The present limits Of the Union should
be acquired by any negotiation with Mexico.
Alter stormy scene upon points of order,
which beggars description, and in which Mr..
Schenck grossly insulled the good sense and pa
liencc oil The House, The motion to suspend the
rules was refused, BY The overwhelming vote OF
% TO l56.
II is cheering TO see So signal a rebuke upon
one Of the most mischievous and iaclious pro-
ceejngs yet introduced into Congress, in direct
opposition 10 the popular sense OF the nation, and
in virtual encouragement OF our nsnlent and in
aluacd foe. To dsband our volunteers and
withdraw our army from Mexico, al This mo-
ment, when Mexico has refused our overures OF
peace, would be regarded BY herself as proof OF
weakness and fear, and by The civilized world as
cowardly and dishonorable. We have sufficient
10 appealed 10 her sense OF justice and good feel
ings-,he only alternative left is TO use the right
arm OF force, and compel her 10 listen 10 reason
To back out from our position now-to retreat
from the ground we have won by the valor Of our
aims, and in the face Of her insulting rejection OF
our peace offer, would but proloag The war, and
might tempt other nations 10 interfere and COM
plicale il. Thanks, then, 10 Congress, for hay-
ing crushed in the bud so mischievous propo-
siiion.
But the course suggested Of blockading The
ports Of Mexico, ''in prosecution OF the war;" Is
most strangely inconsistent with Mr.. SIS object
OF terminating The war. Ii We Withdraw our
army for the sake OF peace why not make clean
work of the dsgraceiul retreat. and also with
draw our ships Of war? Why, too, maintain
the policy OF Selling the disputed territory" be-
tween The Nueces and the Rio Grande" As the
Union says "By holding The disputed territory
we affirm that the advance OF our army into it
was righttul We thus say, that we were right
fully there when Mexico attacked us, and, hav-
ing said this, we-,siren, Proclaimng our
quarrel TO be just. throw down our arms I"
The whole scheme i, factions, mischievous
and absurd, and has, we rejoice, teen stamped
with tie rerrobaiiun of The Hon.c, and, wc are
satisfied, u The American people This Ohio
Wing, Mr.. Schenck, is one OF The bilterest, most
concei!ed aud nos,,roubesomc partzans in Con-
gress lie resorts 10 The smallest political tricks
TO mike party capital. He is the same Wing
who, in Congress, sneered at the patriotic senti-
menl OF Mr. Clay al New Orleans, that he (Mr.
CT would like 10 have place in The army TO
"aysnge lie wrongs done us by Mexico. Mr.
Schenck, in his ardent advocacy 81 The Mexican
side, asked laun!irgly, whether this sentiment oil
Mr. Clay was uttered in the early or later p,Iion
OF The dinner! For this, Mr.. Schcnck has been
chrislened by The neutral N. 0. Picaynne as the
small potato politician" Alter his recent over.
throw, We doubt not, lie fell 'small" indeed.
But who can reasonably expect peace even
should We Withdraw our forces East nl The Rio
Gtane? A journal published in The city OF
Mexico, h, Opin,oa N0e'Onoi, is in favor Of
"war to the DEATH" a prolsactsd, annoying que
rilla war, and declares that il will result in our
again making proposals for peace, which "must
no, be received except on The other side OF the
Sabine and there, our armies face 10 face with
each DINER, The national standard raised along
side OF the cannon, lasting treaty Of peace
shall be illen on the tops Of the drums in clear
and precis. terms, and column raised on which
shall be sculptured this, or similar inscription:
sT1c Saline shall be a perpetual boundary 10 dtride
f,,ercr The Unitrd Mexican States from TIC Untfcd
States OF lie Norfh.' Thee are not exaggerated
preicnsions-this is mol fugitive defamation,
spripging from heated imagination" &c.
Here then il is The Sabine and not The Rio
Grande which will alone satisfy Mexican insc-
Ience. Why, then, should We show the white
feather" and, by retrealins, encourage and give
lille to the absurd and arrogant demands OF our