Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-03-19

. NV =, contorn Texas declared hei inee
o'".s' and rasi>,ed The efforts OF oan.a An"a w
go ber ;nto submission. iieI 'r'usiPn
comnle,e Al the memoraole oa'.,e " 49, chiet
cinlo she routed her invaders, Cd P'uieu ,n. Hav'
and established her title 10 'iiue nu. ,on, Years
inc sustained that independence loi ulano n sIri
ns ~ haan acknowledged by The most PoWeil1i
n"u S,vereien and free, she asked 10 pe au
.s;,oa inc our Union In anticipation " .n1
III .,aaxo threatened war against 'he oh'"u
.,s'a pn, ,be American people recognised no
IN her part 10 control Inc aciion o.
49, H. S,,a,,ment ol Texas or oil Inc Unneo
S.a,os nnon his important measure Iexas
,,;,,ed into our Union BY the almost una
n;mous consent Of her people rs soon as Tue
anal action of Congress was known, We8lco
emholdeued, as she no doubt men was, oy we
expected rupture between Grea' b.ualh anu 'ne
JIn;,ed Sla,es ON the subject Of Oregon, defer
800, ~ eyecule her threat. The Mexican Mi
lister Al Washington demanded bis passports;
and Inc American Minister who had been deru-
,ed 10 Mexico 10 settle all differences between ihe
Two countries, was conlumeliousy rejected. IN
stead of listening 10 overlures Tor accommooa-
lion, Mexico prepared 10 enforce her claim 10
Texas-not 10 The Nueces only, but 10 the whole
terrilory. She claimed the Sabine as her boun-
dairy Her armies were ordered 10 Inc mo
G,ande: and, before intelligence could nave
reached The Mexican Government OF the al
vanc, of our army from Corpus Christi,
where they had been on the West si@e ~ me
Nueces since August, lS45, orders were issued
10 The Mexican forces on the Rio .Granoe 10
attack the American troops in Texas, WheleVe,
they could be found. Was The President, charged
with Inc defence Of the entire country passively
10 allow Texas, then an integral paI' OF me
Union. 10 be overrun and devastated oy rulness
,oe3 Had he permitted il, he would have neen
false 10 The Constitution, false to Texas, false
n every sense Of honor and duty. he
would have deserved, and would nave Ie-
ce,ved the excavations Of his counlrymen
instead of conduct - pusilanimous, ne Of
dered The troops al bis disposal TO repel INVASION
The gallant ex. culion of the order resulted IN me
.nleulid victories Of Palo A io and Resaca de IA
palma. But the order 10 Gen. Taylor, 10 ad-
vanc. from Corpus Christi, was not issued unli
the 18Th If January, 1876, The day after oulcia
intelligence had been received al Washins'oh
that our Minister would be rejected, lhal lheIe
was no hope for negotiation, and that every ming
indicated an approaching collision oil aims on,
der his STATE oi things, our Government would
have been justified. Il we mao no DINER causss W.
hostilitics against Mexico, TO have ordered nui
troops 10 seek and attack her armies. bnt
,bp sniri, Of moderation which has ever cha
rac,erized the American government IN her
intercourse with Mexico, dictated more lot-
hearing course. Our commanding General
w.s ordered 10 acl on The defensive, and Ia
pfocsed only TO he Rio Grandr. Thai river
was The Western boundary Of Texas. II natl
been The South western limit OF Louisiana Al
all times until Texas was ceded to Spain. ~
has ever since continued the Southwestern bouG-
daIy VI Texas, and been recognissd as ,uc" w
iii The acts record. and proceedings OF that Re-
unlc ana even ny the proclamation oil me
N,x;cap General, VOL, in Jane, ls44 bus,
,c,c,urr il b. the true boundary or mol, Texas
h,s come into The Union claiming il as SUCH
| Mexico has preferred war 10 negotiation, and
! rompels Us to maintain il By arms Never, ua-
| III attacked on Texan soil did The forces oil HE
| Irni,sj States become the assailants The II.
spt so honorable 10 lhr skill and valor OF oar
I ,roops is fresh in The memory, and g,alelul 10
| Inc pride ii every American raif'o'. ire wa'
+, eraueuce.i.rner tho un'ied states .an"'"o con
| ore>s lid moi even deem u necessary 10 make 4
| declaration Of war. They declared, ty an oye'
whelming vote, thai war existed BY he ACT n
| lir,co lis vieoTu us prosecute Us called tor
by me people. II is demanded by every c"nsidr
| ration which can address !scii ~ he icnor, The
| patriotism, and the wisdom of he nation. Twill
| pro:c .he suresl and most economical means ct
| restoring peace Ii properly sustained. The pre-
| sen, Administration will be able 10 bring The WI
| 10 4 speedy and honorable termination. Unior-
Iupately however, much has been done since lie
commencement ci hcs'iIllies 10 give nope ah's
confidence 10 The enemy, and 10 parayze the arm
Of our own Government. The spirit Of faction
! has been at work The war has been de.
nounced as unius, and aggressive on the pal
oi the United States; and 10 effort has been
spared 10 render il unpopular. But The war
Of The Revolution was denounced IN The
same manner and its heroes and patriots
were branded as rebels. The war Of 1872
was denounced and denomnaed by The lac
,ionis,. OF Ina, day mn. Mad's0n's acar" IL
was declared TO be so unrigh!eous and unhoiy
! thai il did not become mora ana riShteous Eco
nile 10 rejoice at cur victories. The present war
with Mexico is called mn. Polks 0o,"-is pro.
nounced to be unprovoked, iniquiious and de-
| signed tor conquest The millions II is 10 cost,
The loss Of lie and health with which il is TO be
amended and all The inevitable evils Of war, are
d;snlayed in bold relief, and made fruitful
themes of repToach and lamenaion. In spite,
| however. Of all these jeremiads and oil all as
saulls upon The administration, more insplL'lIhe
10 Mexico by IA! than the procla ma'lons OF San'a
Anna, we trust and believe that the war VIII Ter
minate eloriously Bnt, 10 insure lhis We must
sus,an those wlo will support lis prosecution
with vigor which vii c"eice Mexico INTO 'ei'hs
that are fair and hu'orabe. We desire nol 10
degrade sister rr,ahIc Acting on The ceien-
siv. in The CONNIE! cement, conquest was no OBJ
iecr then. nor is il now, with the American Go
yernmen,. Blu, indemnity Tor the wrongs we
have received and security for the future preser-
vo,ion OF pcace should be demanded and obtain
ed.
We cannot clos. our address without briei
notice OF The proceeding OF The Senate OF the u.
;. in relation 10 he editor OF the Union sta
period of deep excitement, created by the defeat
no |n1a nf .nnO ri
proyidiue for the prosecution OF the war, COM
municaion, over The signature Of "Vindicaior,"
no, written by the editor, was published in The
"ITnion." The writer denounced the course OF
those who he charged had defended with ability
and zeal "ihe cause OF Mexico" on The floor OF
Congress. he advened, in indignant TERMS 10
The proceedings OF the Legislatures OF Massachn-
SETS and North Carolina, in whose halls OF le-
oi.lation. he asserted, "lhe Mexican cause had
lriumphed" He commented with severity on
the course OF the Senate i'll regard Ia The army
bill and pronounced the defeat of that important
measure "another Mexican victory" The Ian
euage, though obviously fguralve, was highly
Offensive to The Senate They deemed il neces.
sary 10 descend from their elevated position rs
law sivers for mighty nation, 10 vindicale their
character as patriots. They pronounced The
ANONYMOUS notification "public libel" on The
character OF the Senate and expelled the editor OF
the "Union" from the privileged seats in their
chamber, for permitting, through the medium OF
his mess, The free expression Of individual opin-
ion on their public conduct. They sought 10
yindicale the character and dignity OF their body
by degrading the Editor, and by holding him up
in all time 10 rome as memorable example Tor
The intimidation Of all conductors of The press
who may be similarly situated. YET, The people
are told that this is no infringement! Of The free
dom OF The press, because The Editor OF The
"Union" is as free now as ever 10 publish what.
ever he peases. But would The Editor OF the
"Union," il allowed again privileged seat, or
any other Editor who may hereafter be allowed
similar privilege, consider the liberty OF The press
TO be unlra mmeed while expulsion from the
Senate Chamber would he the penalty Tor any
omission to weigh carefully moi only his own
words, bat every fsuralive expression in comma
nicaions written for The press2 Is punishment
for any offence no abrideemenl OF The liberty Of
the offender, because he may repea! The offence,
if willing to incur its penalties The sedi'ion
Law itself was equally detensible on such
,ro,pas Unlike the resolution Of emulsion