Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-11-20

their landed property to reward their destroyers
An average of less than half the troops now con-
fessed indispensable has, during the year and half
of open war, cost us over hundred millions of
dollars so that permanent expense of something
like hundred millions year will be necessary to
this plan. And this Mexico is to furnish under
contributions, and at the point of the sword Mex
leo, who has not been able, for years. to pay her
own beggarly army! Mexico, whose native Gov
eminent cannot rake together money enough to SUBJ
sist her defenders! Mexico, whose forty-four mil
lions of European debt we shall be bound to pay
the moment we assume her sovereignty
But, at least, she is to be made to feed the armed
masters set over her. Yea, with food of stones
For, first of all, men never plant more than provi-
sions enough for themselves where their harvess
may be reaped by the sword of an enemy. Rely
upon it, they will not plant their corn in our camps
and forts we shall have to forage and fight for
every sack of and it will have to be paid for in
blood whenever it is not paid for in money. More
over, cultivation is always suspended in countries
overrun by invaders the inhabitants take to flight
or try to live on the enemy who comes to live on
them. We shall still, then, have to draw our sup
over natural impediments less surmountable.
And how, in country of such wide extent,
Astounding in military obstacles, communica-
tons to be kept up between all these small corps in
cities, each corps a hundred miles from another,
and only sufficient to keep in awe the Inhabitants
living within the range of their cannon! For our
part, we should Judge hundred thousand men
the least force with which it is at all safe to UNDER
take to hold hostile country SO large as Mexico.
Such as it is, however, we present the plan and
its recommendations to the attention of the coun-
try. Ii is for the Representatives of the People,
now soon to assemble in this city, to determine
whether the stupendous crime-for we can deem it
no less-meditaed by the War and Conquest par
ty, shall be allowed to be consummated.
How much and how earnestly we have hereto
fore deprecated unnecessary war, because of its
inevitable political evils, need not remind our
readers. Amongst those evils, far more to be dread
ed than even the wanton waste of life and treasure,
are its tendency to foster and feed the spirit of con-
quest to deaden the innate sentiment OF humanity
in the public heart; to substitute ruthless barba-
rity and spirit Of rapine for the true chivary and
high sense of national honor which soar far above
such plans of sordid ambition and remorseess cru
city as we now find every day unblushingy incul-
Gated.
For our part, we cannot but regard these foment-
ers of war, these counseors of national injustice
and grave dishonor, as dangerous to the public wei
fare precisely in proportion to their ability to do
mischief. Happily for the present generation, and
most fortunately for the hope of the friends Of free
dom which rests upon the duration and success of
our experiment of government, that ability is coun-
teracted by the sound hnshaken moral sense of the
majority of this People. 1t is to their verdict, at
the late National Elections, and to that alone, we
firmly believe, that we shall owe our escape, for the
present at least, from that rock on which the great
Republics of antiquity successfully foundered.
AS for those who are preaching yet more san
culinary crusade in Mexico, with the intention of
ultimate extinction of the Mexican name and race,
we can think Of nothing more applicable to them
than the rebuke which EDMUND BURKE, in his
Speech against the American War, delivered to his
constituents, the Electors of Bristol addressed to
class of politicians of his day:
al may (said Mr.. Burke) be unable to lend
: helping hand to those who direct the State but
: should be ashamed TO make myself one of a
: noisy multitude to hollow and hearten them into
doubtful and dangerous courses. conscientious
man would be cautious how he dealt in blood.
: He would feel some apprehension at being called
: to tremendous account for engaging in so deep
: play, without any sort of knowledge of the game.
II is no excuse for presumptuous ignorance that
: it is directed by insolent passion. The poorest
being that crawls earth, contending to save it.
self from injustice and oppression is object
spectacle in the eyes of God and man. But
: cannot conceive any existence under Heaven
(which in the depths of its wisdom, tolerates all
sorts of things) that is truly odious and dis
gushing, than an impoent helpless creature, with
: out civil wisdom or military skill, without con-
: seriousness of any other qualification for power
but his serviity TO it, bloated with pride and
rogance calling for battles which he is not to fight,
contending for violent dominion which he can
never exercise" &c. If you and | find our ia
Tents not of the great and ruling kind, conduct
at least is comfortable to our faculties. No mans
life pays the forfeit of our rashness. No desoate
widow weeps tears Of blood over our ignorance.
: Scrupulous and sober in we-grounded distrust
: of ourselves, we would keep in the port Of peace
and security and perhaps, in recommending to
others something Of he same diiidence, we should
show ourselves more charitable to their welfare
: than injurious to their abilities"
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MAI. ROBBERS PUNISHED
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