Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1845-1851, 1847-03-17

might be necessary to vindca'e the honor of the
country and insure ample PREPARATION to orr injured
citizens And the latter said they fully concur
with the President that ample cause exists for taknr
redress into hands, and believe that we sA,G
be justified IN the opinion OF other nations for taknr
such step President Van Buren,, in December,
1881 in his Message 10 Congress- said that "thourh
our causes of complaint and some of the most Often
sive character admitted of immediate and salts.
factory reply, yet it was only within few DAYS that
any answer had been received aud that satisfaction
had been given offered for one of our public com.
plants, and that only one case Of personal wrong
had been flvoraby considered, and that but four
cases out of all, had been decided by the Mexican
government" President Van Buren, distinctly told
Congress that redress was beyond the reach Of the
Executive, ard could only be obtained BY the action
OF Congress, which action must, Of course be war.
As TO the conventions, which have since been made
by the two countries, and violated by Mexico
need not enter into their history they are fresh in
the recollection of all These three conventions. by
the Infidelily of the Mexican government, Lave
proved nearly frulllcss; and after thirty years Of
INJURY on the side, and OF remonsrance on the
other, there is nothing left for u.s. but to abandon all
hope OF redress, or 10 obtain it by vigorous prose-
cuti0n OF the war. is there another government on
the face Of the earth, which would have been thus
patient not to say tumble. during the long progress
OF such aggrcssions Aud II is now 100 late TO TEL,
Us that We have hastily and unnece ssar; commenced
war, when the war was commenced by tie enemy.
and when, if we had struck first stroke we should
have been stiiicd in the eyes Of the world and Of
po>tery.
But il may be SAID, aud il has been said that al
though sufficient causes Of war existed on our part
still 1t was not these causes which provoked immcd-
ate hostlilles. This view, If true has relation TO the
eNpodency, and not to the justice Of the war But
what are the general facts upon which Just conclu-
sion can be formed After the convention of Texas
had. fhatt lint
the United States, agrceaby to the term, held out in
the act of Congress, but before its contamination
by a vote OF the Texan people, we were under a
strong moral obligation TO protcc, her from any
foreign invasion, and more particularly from any
INVASION To which she might be exposed by the mani
festations of her intentions to attach herself the
United States | shall not argue this point No
illustration make IL stronger. AS soon therefore,
as the nc.pent steps had been taken, troops
entered Texas. by the invitation of the proper auho-
rites, and on the 18th day Of August 1913 they had
taken position at Corpus Christi, west of the Nue.
ces, and remained there tll the 18th of March, 49,
when they marched for the Rio Grande. So much for
our military movements.
Two causes alleged giving Mexico just
cause OF war against the United States The first,
which IS the annexation of Texas, is jointly urged
both III Mexico and in this country. The second,
which believe finds lis advocates only in the United
States, is that army occupied the country between
the Nueces and the Rio Grande.
AS To the first, 1t has passed the ordeal Of public
opinion, and received It's final Judgment. ] do not
iatter myself that could present any new views OF
subject 50 long and publicly discussed. But, as
IT stands in my way, and ! cannot AVOID it, l shall
venture to submit few reflections which nave occur
red to
The right of a country to reduce to obedience a
portion of It's territory asserting independence by
arms, is not denied The recognized principles OF
the law of nations require other powers to afford ne
aid TO either party during the actual progress OF th'
controversy. They may acknowledge, however, ant
IN fact they often do acknow ledge The independence
of the discretionary province, without giving TO In,
government claiming It's allegiance any Ju>t cause O
oeuce. They did MEXICO during the progress:
OF her revolutionary war with SPAN, and they did Sc
f 10 Texas, while similar relation existed between
her and Mexico Bat there is limit 10 this right
Such cannot last forever, and two nations can
not forever be kept IN this peculiar attitude, involving
delicate questions, that may at any time disturb III
peace of the world. When Greece declared her indie
pendence of Turkey, the Porte waged war of man,
years To reduce her To subsection. The primer a
rn'""r of Europe believing that a reasonable opp r
tunliy had bee" un;idcd
To rc-esablish It's supremacy, and In which effort
had failed, determined that an end should be put +
tie operations They therefore interiered, and an
nounced to the Sultan that the time had come whc
: Greece must be independent Aud this declaration
was maintained by force, and at HavarIno, to use
vlIhcd, but very proper expression, they conquered
peace. This is perhaps strong case for tins Inter
ference took place fogrdHte beL0, while a Turks
army yet engaged in operations to put down til
2 spirit OF freedom IN Greece. As general principle
1t may be assumed, that while both parties wagin
open to assert their superiority, other nation
= should look and peacefully bidc the issue. Bu
5 when the contest is actually abandoned, and tn
invading party withdraws from the disputed territory
and relinquishes all military operations the siruggl
i is oyer. independence Is established, and wlateve
n may be the nominal relations Of the two countries
they are henceiorh In the same attltude-eqnal pow
r er> among the nations of the earth The war is i
e effect over and lis ghls should pass away wit
: itself This is the true view OF the subject, an
applying these principles to the then existing reatlo
between Mexico and Texas, we shall find that III
: latter power was as free from Mexico a. we are froI
. England. No effort had been made by the MexIca
f government for ten years To reduce her revoed pre-
vince to subsection. Not hostile foot had trodde
: the Texan sod. A Chief Magistrate, and at the sam
: tine Commander captured; army &c
>royed; and all invaders repealed, the fruits
her cXeriIon. They crowned AZ once her patriotism
and sealed her fate. She hencefortli Independent
: And no decisive evidence Of this result can
furnished than the very conduct of Mexico herself
n What id she do, probably under other prompting:
when 1t ascerlancd that Texas desired admsslo
: into our concdcracy! She offered TO acknowlcdg
her independence, if she would pledge herself not
: Join the American Union A jealous and unwVrtll
# proposal which the one had no right 10 make an
n which the other Indignantly rejected. A propose
q which i'll fact the very recognition offered.
acknowledged the strength of Texas and the weakness
IS of Mexico, and that further efforts at subjugato
> hopeless. For myself have always consldere
1t that act of the Mexican government abandon
of the controversy, and admission that IeXa
was independent Of her, and beyond her power.
e When the act for annexation passed. the Nexica
Minister in this country Immediately protested agaln
, tia; measure; and in fact, declared II TO be IN