Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-07-03
TUESDAY, JUNE 30, ls47.
THE PRETENDED CONTINENTAL" POLICY

In the same spirit in which the Commander oil
the American Army was instructed Tor authorized
which means the same thing to declare, in the
Proclamation recently addressed by him to the
Mexican People, that the invasion of their country
was precipitated by considerations Of high policy
and American Continental interest, we find the gov.
eminent paper in this city, two days after the re-
ceipt of that Proclamation, expounding and ex-
planning the I" high policy" upon which SANTA
ANNA was permitted by an agreement between
him and the President-the terms of which are yet
secret to the People of both counries-to return
to Mexico and lead her armies. In this exposition,
which must, under the circumstances, be consider
ed as the act Of the Administration itself, we find
the following positions taken:
"'rhat the monarchists of Europe had been sue
/" cessul in creating monarchica party in Next
!" co, and even the adhesion of General Paroles is
!" palpably clear" with Santa Annals return to
/" his native country, accompanied by emphatic ex-
!" pressons OF ms hostility, not only to monarch-
+" cal form OF government but 10 the base designs of
/" Paroles to intrigue for, and place upon the
+" emplated throne of Mexico Spanish prince,
f" the last ray of hope vanished with the rulers of
" Europe to regulate the balance of power on this
" hemisphere. In ii there Was a proud triumph
" Of the sentiment of Mr.. Monroe in lS23-aobiy
g responded 10 throughout the length and breadth
" Of this land at the lime Of its uterance,' &c. Il
The object for which SANTA ANNA was allowed
to return, it appears, was precisely that for which,
according to the Proclamation forwarded by the
President for Gen. TAyLoR's signature, year ago,
our army first invaded Mexico, viz. to over
turn the existing Government OF Mexico and REIN
state in power this same SANTA ANNA, whom the
People of Mexico had, only few months before,
expelled. Tais was the 'high
policy which precipitated" the war; and the
pretext for the Presidents daring thus to ntrude
the authority of the United States into the civil
of the Government Of Mexico was,
according to the government paper of the same
date MAY 29th) two struggling newspaper para
graphs, the one from London paper which did
not reach this country unta month after the march
to the Rio Grande (which began the wary was or
dered-and the other from French journal pub
lished only week before the battle of Buena
Vista, more than year after the march to the Rio
Grande was begun-neither of which are of any
more consequence, in any possible view Of them,
than any of the oosest of the speculations of our
own newspaper press, and which it is supremely
ridiculous for the Administration to bring into ques-
ton at all as an excuse for It's collision with Santa
Anna, and yet more so as a justification of its in
vasion Of Mexico. The government paper how
ever, perceives in the return of Santa Anna to
Mexico "a proud triumph of the sentiment of Mr..
N 4rp L at not
alarmed. We have no intention to involve our
selves and them anew in such an nextricable laby-
rinth as this tissue of after-thoughts and subter-
fuges, by which the Administration and its organs
endeavor to relieve themselves from the awful re-
sponslbilty to which the People will hold them as
the authors of this war. But this citation of the
sentiment of Mr.. MONROE " being the last appeal
Of the Administration, every other justification fail
ing It, our purpose is to examine the history and
the objects Of that sentiment and TO show how ut
terly it fails to sustain the Administration in the
schemes OF conquest and subjugaon of Mexico
which It has projected and undertaken, under the
pretended obligation Of the Declaration referred to.
Between that noble, that liberal, that generous
Continental Policy which Mr.. MONROE first put in
action, and which Mr.. ADAMS and Mr. CLAY meant
to have followed up in the Panama Congress, and
that now proclaimed by the Executive as the
ground Of the War with Mexico, what is there in
What was that "American Continental
Policy 7" and what is this
In 1891, the Spanish American colonies of the
Terra Firma had, after long and sangunary strug-
gle, achieved their independence. We ourselves
had held out to them recognition as nations and
England stood ready, not only to follow the exam
pie, but to join US Should any European Intervention
in aid of Spain be given) in step infinitely more
serious-a notice TO the European Powers that, if
the Sovereigns composing what they styled the
Holy Alliance violated the duties of Neutrality and
lent assistance to Spain for the re-subiugaon of
the young Republics, England and the United
States would take the other side. These two last
countries accordingly entered into diplomatic en-
gagements for this purpose and suffered them TO
become known to the European Courts. Not
choosing, with all their love of Despotism, 10 en-
counter, for the sake of reinstatng Spain in her
forfeited dominions, combined naval power which
would have swept the seas of any forces they might
attempt 10 send to America, the Holy Alliance
abandoned the idea, and Spain, unable to keep up
he contest, was, after some further Intellectual
lostilities, obliged to leave the revoed colonies at
peace.