Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1847-03-18

inglorious return to our country
i The second, is the establishment. Of line over
such portion Of the enemys territory, we think
proper, and holding the country on this side Of it
without any further military operations
The third, is q vigorous prosecution of the var,
agreeably to the public Expectation, and the expert
,ence of the world
As to the FIRST sir do not place it in the category
of things Possble but only in the category of things
proposed and cast it from me with contempt.
Tie second, sir, is very different position, sup
ported by high names, civil and military, and it
yesterday presented to with great power Of argu-
ment and beauty Of illustration by the distinguished
senator from South Carolina. shall state sue
cnctly as can the reasons which induce me to
slider this inexpedient to say an impossible
proposition.
plan OF operations, seeking to hold portion of
country properly guarded by fortresses and furnish
ed with the necessary lines of communication, and
seeking to do this without publicly announcing the
nature of the plan and the determination to adhere to
II, Is one thing An attempt to occupy another por-
ton of the country, open urfored with no natural
boundaries, and penetrable in all directions and pub
licly proclaiming this system lnyariable ono,
not to be departed from, is another and quite differ
ent thing. From the Gulf of Mexico, following the
boundaries OF the provinces in possession, to
the Pacific ocean, is but little short of 1000 miles
Far the greater portion of it is open, and much of it
unoccupied Instead of any lines of communication
natural artificial, where it must necessarily be
crossed, il may be crossed anywhere. 1t is a mere
paper llne-a descriptive one. For hundreds Of miles
on each side of great part of such line, the
try Is the same, roamed over rather than possessed
by nomadc tribes, and afording subsistence and shell
ter to the beasts OF the EARTH If you assume such
boundary, you necessarily Place yourself upon the
defensive. You must establish troops along it, and
these must be scattered occupying different positions.
Your enemy thus acts in masses, while you in de-
achments. If he attacks you, and succeeds you are
destroyed. If he attacks YOU and is discounted, he
falls back behind his impenerable barrier. A snake
clutched by eagle is of the emblems of the
armorial bearings of Mexico If this plan of fighting
to air line is adopted. the proud bird will soon be
powerless and the reptile will coil itself up strike
at Its leisure and at its pleasure. In such state of
ofensive.defensiye warfare, the enemy chooses his
time when you least expect him, at least able to
resist him. He gains your rear and cuts off your
conveys and supplies, and thus reduces you to weak
ness and distress Or he strikes you in period of
sickness, in climate to which you are unaccustomed
and whose alterations do not affect him. YOU cannot
pursue him into his country, for the you do
that, you confess the folly of your plan and abandon
it forever. If you cross your boundary you must
cross II to hold on, and then you have bounda
ry, or In other words, system of unlimited opera
tons. If you do not to hold on, what will you
dol Your very object in crossing is to chastise the
enemy, and you must pursue him TO his fortreSses
and capture them, If he has any. or you must fight
him in the open field and dispense him. repeat, if
you do not do this, you may as well stop at your
boundaryi look cvy at the retiring enemy, take off
your hats and say Good bye gentlemen; we will
wait till you come back again. The riches of Cresus
would melt away before such a system of ighting-no
fighting. The laurels of Napoleon would wither and
die. No exchequer could bear the expenses. No
public sentiment the dishonor. There is but one
such campaign, SIR recorded in all history, ancient
modern, sacred or profane, true fabulous, and
that is the campaign of Sisyphus. 1t was eternal
one. Sanction the plan proposed, and yours will be
eternal too This stone will never be rolled to the
top of the mountain. 1t would be never ending
ever-renewing The distinguished senator from
South Carolina thinks that four regiments and three
fortresses along this line, and regiment and few
small vessels for California, would be ample for its
defence" The line; described by himself, is this
" Beginning at the mouth Of the Rio del Norte, and
continuing up the Paso del Norte, oEfouthern bound
airy of New Mexico, which nearly d6Incde, and then
due the Gulf of California, striking it accor-
ding to the maps before us, nearly al its head"
Here, sir, is line across the continent from the
Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf Of California; and this
line is to be protected by FIVE regiments. three for
tresses and few small vessels as to be inpervous
to the rancheros and other light troops of Mexico
the best and most ndetigable horsemen, perhaps, in
the world. have enumerated, in these means Of de-
fence, few small vessels because they form part
of the project of the honorable senator How they
to be employed in defending any part of the line,
do not understand, will not attempt TO explain
If the soldiers stationed eqd-dstant upon this
boundary they would probably be mile apart. 1t
seems to me, strand say it with all respect-that
we might as well attempt to blockade the coast OF
Europe by stationing ship in the middle of the At
lantc. As to the Rio Grande, it is no defensive line
at all Rivers when best guarded, are found to afford
very insufficient protection. But III the great country
south and west of us, yet IN state of nature or
slowly emerging from it, streams entitled to very
little consideration in defensive operations. Who is
there that has passed his life in the west and has not
crossed them hundred times by swimming in canoes,
upon logs, Upon RATS. and upon horses1 Is it to be
supposed; that active Mexican, accustomed to the
woods from Lis infancy, would hesitate to dash into
stream, and it almost readily, if it were
unbr0ken ground!
But, sir there is another consideration, not to be
overlooked. How could you keep your own citizens
on this side of your imaginary line The honorable
senator tells u.s. their spirit of adventure hardly
be restrained in time Of peace, and that there is al
ways danger that they will push into the Mexican
provinces. But in time Of wdr-eyen of new kind
of like this-they would feel that the enemy's
country open to them and their incursions would
keep up continued state of hostiities.
The senator says that offensive wars look TO the
sublugation of a country. do not thus read the his
tory Of the world, nor the history Of nations. con-
slider offensive necessary means for the attain
ment of certain Just objects. Our with England
in 1912, was an offensive one but no American, even
in his widest dreams, expected to subugate that
country. Our object to compel her to do JUS
tice by injuring her wherever we could. History is
filed with instances of offensive wars undertaken
with expectation of subugation Indeed, were it
otherwise, there would be few offensive wars, unless
those undertaken by very large states against small
ones If it were perhaps the world would be bet
ter off That question, however, is not before me,
and shall not travel out of my way to meet it.
The senator says have gained 100000 square
miles, and who would continue the war 10 secure the