Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-01-29

present csaeral. were company officers, ana
,nlv one O, them ci the rank ot culone -
Vel I scorAcd 10 mention ihese things, even 70 Do
som friends. while The measure was depenuius,
and only do i. now Tor The purpose oil tese ":
The President from The supposed breach o' l';.a
70 decnrum which the appointment vi Il ."'1s"
from civil lie (myself being that ciiizen ~ .',e
command of The army. Finally, ana 10 coacluue
the vndcalion oil the President IN ms Pai'eu'a',
can say that Mr. Polk is moi Inc uis' rtes'uen'
who proposed 10 give me The eah,lhdhu VI '"e q,
ny aeains, Mexico-ihal Gen. JACKSON n,'nsei.
,ronosed i, in 1886, when our afidis WIN ina.
ronn,rv louked watl,ke; and that then, as now |
,gTced 10 ,ake IT, And here, MIR. President, nav
inc fulfilled my task OF vndicatng Inc Chiel
Wao;.trale Of the Union from the design, hypo-
,helicalv imputed TO him, OF wishing 10 appoint
his successor, in my person, and BY means Oh 'his
lieutenant seneIalship, might close my remarks;
but as my name has been coupled WIN inns ousi.
ness. and rs have remained SILENT and even lelt
nv seat, while the measure was depending, must
now take leave, with the kind indulgence oi Tue
Senate, to proceed step further, anu 10 say
word on my own account; and ~ sho" 'iid' se'-
picc, and not rank, was my inducements 10 agree
TO the offer of the President; and mat there misnl
have been cases in which woniu not nave &C
copied the Office Of lieutenant general even II i
"A j
moi now show VIVA, my own plan was; but can
saw of il that it was plan which looked TO re-
suu. and promised an ISSUE and that briefly; and
that would have had nothing 10 do win any plan
of any other kind-nohins 10 do with any plan
that contemplated long and moderate war; OF a
war ot mastery inactivity, or oil retreat upon Inc
Rio Grande, or oi delenGiDg line, or OF attack
upon the idle and solitary castle oi San Juan oil
Ulua-especialy al the commencement oil Inc
season for The black vomii. 10 no one of these
cases would have been lieutenant general, OF
captain general, or major general, OF coonei &C.
neral; or any other sort ei a general tnat ever
was heard OF. know very well mat the fresl.
dent had no idea of any one Of these most
amiable plans but there is way 10 give
him an idea Of them, and even TO force them
upon him; and that would be, by The simple
process OF denying him The means OF doing any
thing else. | shall not state my PLAN but
will say OF ii, that, besides intending result,
proposed 10 carry on The war, while there was
war. according 10 the usage of all nations IN the
case OF invasive war-ihe invaders 10 be pald
and subsisted by the invaded. Contributions re-
gulary levied-duties regularly collecIed-would
accomplish these objects, and leave the United
States tree, OF nearly free from The expenses oil
the war can say further, that my plan was no,
limited 10 a mere military view OF The SUBJECT;
that il ccmprehended union OF policy and OF
arms-,he olive branch 10 go with The sword;
ministers 10 treat, as we'll as an army TO fight,
A diplomatic mission, nationally constituted both
in geographical and in a political sense was to
attend The headquarters; and, while the minis
tiers socd ready to negotiate al every STEP the army
was 10 take an organization and an attitude
10 give emphasis 10 negotiation. And this CON-
binalion of AIMS and of policy was not mere
guess work, The idle conception OF fancy, hui The
result, of knowledge Of The state OF parties IN
Mexico-a peace party, for honorable peace;a
war party for endless war-as was 50 luminous
ly shown by The Senator from New York Mr..
Dixl few days ago. My plan was adapted TO
Doth of these parties-honorable peace for one;
the sword for the other. The military part Of
The plan has fallen TO the ground; The diploma
tic part falls with it, and now il devolves upon
those who have frustrated The plan OF The Presl-
dent to present him beller. counted much on
the efficacy OF The diplomatic part Of This plan;
for great errors prevail in Mexico with regard
TO our designs and feelings towards them, and
which nchins but an authentic mission could
remove. The war party is incessanl in lis ca
lunnies against US, art.uy conlrived 70 operate
on every class of The people, aud 10 render peace
i'm possible Ii has a ialsehood for every class.
70 The religious orders The war is represented as
a war OF relieion-lhe Pro eslant against The ca
,holic-and war Of sacrilege-lhe spolialion OF
the churches. To The creole Spaniards and the
Indians OF mixed blood, They present il as a war
OF races-the Anglo.Saxon against Inc Spanish
American-and The subjuealinn OF the latter IN
TENDED To the unmixed Indian race, (nearly the
en"-hai OF The whole population, and the sole
!. ...r &c OF The army for lis rank ard hle,) Il IS
. cscH:ed as war of extinction or OF slavery
ter race 10 be exrpalcd, like SO many tribes
"A n W n RI
very to work the fields OF their masters, like The
slaves brought from Africa. And 10 all, il is
presented as war Of ambition and OF conquest
in which there is no peace Tor Mexico but in
he degradation Of her citizens and the loss oil
her in,ependeEce. A mission such as proposed,
would automatically contIadc, all these calum-
Mes. and show the deceived people OF Mexico
ina, iust and honorable peace is all thai We want;
and thai, tar from wishing her degradation. both
policy and interest unite in m king us wish 10
see her prosperous, happy and independent. She
is republic-our neishhor-who did us The
honor 10 copy our form oil Government,
and had great commerce with Us. The inlu-
res Of which we complain were The work oil
few. while the great majority Of the people have
done US no harm, are willing 10 do us justice, and
,ccprocate the wish for that close connexion, po-
i;ical and commercial, between The two RePne-
lies which is necessary 10 their own prosperity, 10
the stability OF The republican system in all The
Spanish merican States, and to The complete in,
dependence OF the new world from The cid.
counted much ON the efficacy OF the diplomatic
oart Of The plan, and not less on The military part,
il the other failed. OF this | can say nothing
bu, that it was not framed in total Ignorance OF
Mexican character, Mexican country, and Me1i-
can resources. Forty years ago studied Hum
boldl, and did not overlook his chapter on the mi
Itary defences OF The country, and especially his
imposing development OF the great elements Of
defence with which Nature had endowed her. The
dangers of the coast when the North wind was
bowing-,he black vomit when ii was not-and
the deep de6es OF volcanic mountains. The
plan may have been faulty, but il was mol con-
ceiyed wilhou, some knowledge OF the subject !;
and it promised resu-peace 10 The country u
il succeeded! and 10 The soldier that died, death
worthy OF The soIdier-the bat.le-storm his en-
brace, The field of honor his bed, the lofty summit
Of the Cordieras his monument and his grave