Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1845-1851, 1847-03-17

tiS oiiouS return 10 our country.
The second, Is the establishment: OF ''nc over
such portion of the encmy's territory, we think
proper, and holding the country this side of 1t
without any further military operations.
lhc third, is vigorous prosecution of the var.
agreeably to the public expectation, and the expert
ence Of the world.
As to the irsi. sir du not place it in tic category
of things possible but Gully IL the category uf tings
proposed and cast it from me with contempt.
The second, sir, IS very different position, up
ported by high names, civil and military, aud 1t was
yesterday presented to with great power OF rss'
ment and beauty of Illustration by the distinguished
senator from South Carolina. | shall state sue
clnctly "a can the which induce To con-
slider this iuexpedcnt, no to say an impossible
proposition.
A plan OF operations, seeking to hold portion Of
country properly guarded by forresses and furnish
cd with the necessary lines of communication, and
seeking Ia do THIS without publicly announcing the
nature Of the plan md the determination to adhere To
IT, is one thing. An attempt TO occupy another por-
ton of the country, open. urfortIed, m no natural
boundaries, and penetrable in all directions, and pub
llcly proclalmng this system lnvariable one,
be departed from, another and quite differ
ent thing. From the Gulf of Mexico, following the
boundaries OF the provinces In possession to
the Pacific ocean, but little short Of 1000 miles
Far the greater portion of is OPEN and much of it
unoccupicd. Instead of any lines of communication,
natural artificial, where it must nccc ssarily be
crossed, II may be crossed anywhere. 1t is a mere
paper iine-a descriptive one. For hundreds of miles
on each side of a great part of such a line the coun-
try is the same, roamed rather than possessed
by nomadc tribes. and ailordng subsistence and shell
ter to the beasts of the earth. If YOU assume such
boundary, you necessarily place yourself uron ..e
defensive You must establish troops along 1t, and
these must be scattered occupying t,ie.en positions
our enemy thus acts III masses while YOU in de-
tachments 1t he attacks ,uu, and succeeds, you are
destroyed. II Re attacks you, and is DISCONTINUED he
tails back 5ehlnd his impcnetrablc barrier \ snake
clutched by an earle is one of the emblems of the
ar:ilorial 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 1t, leisure and at its pleasure. In such state of
Observation-Disclosures warfare, the enemy chooses his
time when you least expect him, least able To
resist him. He gains your rear and cuts off your
conveys and supplies, and thus reduces YOU weak
ness and distress. Or he strikes YOU IN a period OF
sickness, in climate to which you unaccustomed
and whose alterations do affect him. GU cannot
pursue him into his country, for the moment you dc
that you confess the folly of your plan and aba ndon
1t forever If you 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 cross hold on what will you
do Your very object III crossing To clastlse the
enemy, aud you must pursue HIM to his fortreSse>
and capture them. If he has any. or you must fight
him IN the open field aud dsperse him. | repeat, II
you do not do this. you may well stop at your
boundary look civly at the retiring enemy, take of
your hats and say: Good bye gentlemen; we will
wait till you come back again The riches OF Crgsu:
would melt away before such a system of fighting no
fighting. The laures Of Napoleon would wihef and
die. No eAchequer could bear the e, penses. Nc
public sentiment the d>honor. There is but one
such campai On, sir, recorded in ali history ancient
or modern, sacred PrOane. true or fabulous. and
that Is the campaign of Sisyphus. 1t eterna
Sanction the plan proposed, and yours Will be
eternal too. This stone will be rolled To the
top of tie mountain Ii would be q never ending
g, er-reEewing 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 lis
defence" The line, as described by himself is this
Beginning at the mouth of the RIO del Nortc, and
continuing up the Paso del Norte, southern bound
airy Of New Mexico which nearly coincide and then
due west the Gulf of California, striking it accor-
ding to the maps before Us nearly at lis head"
Here. SIR. Is line the continent from the
Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf Of California; and TN:
line Is be protected By five regiments, three for
resses and few small vessels, to be iinperviou
to tie rancheros and other light troops of Mexico
the best and most interchangeable horsemen perhaps, il
the world. have enumerated, IN these means of de
fence. few small vessels, because they form par
of the proJect Of the honorable senator. How the
do not understand, Will not attempt TO explain.
If the soldiers stationed equ-dl>tant upon th
boundary they would probably be mile apart. /
SEEMS TO ne, strand say 1t with all reSpect-tha
re might well attempt to blockade the coast o
Europe by siatonlng ship IN the middle OF the AT
lantc. As 10 the RIO Grandc, 1t i defensive I'm
all Rivers, when best guarded, found to aiior
very nSuic ient protection. But III the great counir
south and xe>t OF TIC, vet liz state of nature o
slowly emerging from II, streams are entitled to YER
little consideration in defensive operations. Who /
there that has passed his life in the west nd has
crossed them hundred times by swimming, canoes
upon logs, upon RATS and upon horses Is II to b
supposed, that active Mexican, accustomed TO TIA
woods from Lis infancy would hesitate TO dash into
stream, and cross II almost readily, It II wer
unbroken ground
Bat, cir. there is another consideration, not 10
overlooked. How could you keep your citizen
this side of your imaginary line The honorabl
senator tells US, their spirit of adventure can hardl
be restrained IN time of peace, and that there is a
ways danger that they VIII push into the Mcxlca
provinces. But IN tune of war--cven of new KIN
of war like this-tLey would feel that the enemy
country open TO them, and their incursions wou
keep up continued state OF hOsiIlltles
The senator says that offensive wars look to ia
sublugation of country. do not thus read the his
tory Of the world. nor the history Of nations | cor
slider offensive necessary means for the attain
Hieht Oh certain just oDects Ouf wal VIVA Ling 'ah
IN 1912, offensive one but no American, eve
ia his widest Dreams expected to sublugate iii;
country. Our object was TO compel her to do us lu
tice by iniurng her wherever could. History
filled with instances of offensive wars, undertake
with expectation of subugatlon. Indeed, were
otherwise there would be few offensive wars, unle
those undertaken by very large states against sma
ones. If it perhaps the world would be be
ter off. That question: however, IS not before m
and shall not travel out of my way TO meet It,
} The senator saws we have gained 6Oo,00o squa
miles and who would continue the war to secure Il
acknow gment OF Mexico. But, sir. 1t IS that vel