Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-02-13


millions, which produce this result Sir am but touch
ing the shell of this matter yet Is there any certainty
that you will reach the city Of Mexico you reach it,
there any certainty that you dictate peace there even
in possession of the city These considerations which
command our attention They considerations of the
most magnitude But there others which be
overlooked An offensive war looks ultimately to subduing
the country against which it waged and taking this be
the object of il, have scarcely commenced an offensive
II is true we have acquired two thirds of the Mexican ter
toy by this in that part Of Mexico that adjacent to US
and let he remembered further that this acquisition gives us
larger extent of country than the whole valley of the Mis-
sssppi, aud in this immense space have than
five six thousand inhabitants.
j Now have this adjacent country to this vast
extent, and with this thin population hardly man of whom
had Joined the forces OF the enemy and what has the
result of thus getting possession Have conciIated the
Mexlcans who occupy that vast country Not at ALL They
more hostile to than they first and ready
to take advantage of opportunity do injury Can
hold these possessions then without large force Not all
II must require several thousands of best troops What
then have accomplished We have hardly approached
the confines of populated Mexico have but entered her
Interior provinces Mexico proper consists of that remarkable
high land OF which the city may be said occupy the centres
region extending down the Pacific, and south
side of the Gulf of California, containing millions of
populaiona population ten times that of the
country which have captured Here is the of her
wealth and of her power of her strength in Defence
lance What description of country it 1t is
mountainous any region in the world 1t may well be
compared with Atlas in Africa, and with the Caucasus in
Europe These mountains nterspersed with enormous
/
difficulty This is the character of the country
about conquer How we these diff
cues The plan first understand it, to take Vera
Cruz Now what the description of country in that
region The country about Vera Cruz like the province
of iucaan, is hot and sicky region, the home of
the yellow fever for eight months in the year. and during
the months that is exempt from this scourge, is subject
to the most violent storms which endanger navigation and
make it difficult for ships to land. April is very sicky
month March not SO sckly. We the middle
OF February We may have force enough take Vera Cruz
hnfI 10 all ,ln
enough to march to the city of Mexico Sir, will not say
that have not but will say this there certainty
that we have 1t is altogether contingency. We may not
be able reach the Mexico before the cky season
commences, and if do not all lost for this campaign
Mexico will be encouraged, and discouraged before
remedy the disastrous effects of this result of our ineec
tual attempt to reach the city.
But suppose do reach the city of Mexico, die
tate peace Whom have to deal with A peope--a
above all others renowned history for obstinate
ance when assaeda people who held out when their indie
pendence refused to he recognised for twenty years.
These the people have deal with, and is there any
certainty that bring them propositions
peace, provided get there WE'LL if there no certainty
but, the contrary there every probability that another
campaign will be inevitable, (and be so if either of
these contingencies happen, must then have second
campaign. r.
Now, a solemn question comes up. Can we raise the
means And we must remember that it will be necessarily
much costly campaign than the FIRST great distance
from place where procure supplies The expense
must be proporonaby great and this be continued for
ii
do not conquer peace must then have guerrilla
warfare such exists between Russia and the eau
Well, sir; we have the meet this
expense In the first place, the men, let tell
that the spirit of volunteering gone that spirit
when with broken constitutions when men, who
went for glory, return with disordered health You will
get more volunteers You must depend upon the ordinary
Of recruiting army and that be sufficient
give 20 900 men for the third campagn il it takes place
Well sir, suppose this difficulty surmounted you pro-
vide the ways and means fear there will be difficult
y in this than you imagine remember that you have only
reliance your Treasury and such money you
borrow. You must either borrow impose what
you impose Your upon imports give
you but small supply you TO internal axes-a
measure which abhorred by the people of this country
perhaps than by those of any country upon the face of the
earth But there circumstance which should lead you
u avoidance of internal taxation be avoided by
possibility and is, that many of the States indebted
than they pay you lay internal tax it must b, laid
uniformly throughout all the States and If you lay upon
those States tlrs indebte will reputation extend VIII
the people pay the tax Will Pennsylvania with debt OF
forty mions-wi those States which unable discharge
their obIgations-will they bear such tax No, sir.
But suppose this difficulty to be got over-suppoe that
get all the wants. there sufficient unanimiy
and zeal in the conduct this enable
It successfully to the termination which you desire Docs
the experience Of this session furnish evidence that such would
be the No, sir there is much division of sen
men There too large proportion Of the people of this
country who believe that the avodable who believe
it might have been avoided, and ought have been
avoided There is too large portion of the people of this
country who believe that il commenced without consti
ona authority There is large number who believe that
the was not only unnecessary dnexpeden but that its
commencement highly injurious heinerests well
10 the reputation OF this country And these opinions
doubt honestly entertained. What my opinion is in regard
to this would willingly express, but do not hold proper
tho cnnge opinions upon which relevant
nor,ap, under onsileration reference to this inn
;pdge from r :. sufficient for say that, if may
vail will render highly mprSIs OF opinion Mn'sn pre-
zeal and unanmty in relation this w WI" pc ma
| te,n;,a,n !; H., -. -, ~, -; ~ eys " " " - >asful |
But there still DEEPER still terrific difficulty
10 be meta difficulty vital than those which he had
aluied-a difficulty arising Of division Of sentiment
which went to the very foundation Of Government How
should these lands be acquired, if any acquired TO
whose benefit should they enuc Should they the
exclusive benefit OF one portion Of the Union We told,
anu ne was fearful that appearances well justified the
sen that all parties in the MISUNDERSTANDING portion the
mon Insisted that they should have tie exclusive control of
tn acquired erroryhat such provision should made as
should exclude those who interested in the institutions
Of the South from participation in the advantages TO he de-
r'ed from the application Of these institutions TO the territory
thus acquired '
SIR, (sad Mr. CO. if the non-slavehoing States having
no other interests the question except their aversion 10
savery- they TO this conclusion with no interest
IN The matter but this, and gentlemen what m,t
De the ee!nS OF the population Of the saveholdng States
VINO are 10 I've deprived OF their constitutional rights and de-
spoiled OF the property belonging them-asacd in the
most vulnerable point Tor To them this question was oues
on OF safety, 81 sell preservation and mere question o
policy and thus TO be desOed by those who were not con-
cetned II there were scnness and determination on one
paIn