The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-10-27

do not ntrude upon the debatable ground Texas claim
ed to the Rio Grande Her laws OF years standing claim
ed that boundary Peace and that boundary were the
conditions of Santa Annals liberation He signed a
treaty to that effect Texas had become annexed to the
United States, and annexation gave TO us the claimed
boundary The deed Of meies and bounds specified the
Rio Grande as the western line, and had right to
those metes and bounds until dspossessed or elected by
better tile The opposing claimant refuses 10 negot-
ate, and threatens an appeal to We yet forbear
ana wait linen, having prna taee title IN our deed,
we take possession of the metes and bounds according
our deed yet we declare ourselves ready TO negotiate The
opposite claimant rejecting all offers to negotiate also
enters upon these mees and bounds and endeavos eject
us by force OF arms In this Mexico fails and is herself
elected by forcethe means of trying the title TO which
she had appealed Circumstances now undergo serious
change. War exists between the parties, yet will
ling TO negotiae but the enemy will not listen to such
measure. We now exercise a right OF war; we invade
the enemys country we take Monterey Saltilo, all of
North Mexico, the CALIFORNIA;, Vera Cruz, Cero Gordo,
Jaapa, Perote, Puebla and finally the city of Mexico,
and nearly every port OF notoey on the Gulf and on the
Pacfcalways ready to negotiate-always willing for
peaceaways offering the olive branch with hand,
while the other was really oppressed with its victories
and successes Peace cannot be made by party If
the enemy will hold out, the war must continue. The
theatre of the may be changed or ITS plan OF opera
between the contendng parties is not difficult to show,
under such circumstances upon whose shoulders the
fault of this protracted war should be cast
The folly of adversary has placed in the attitude
of conquerng nation Could not our progress have
been arrested by negotiations for peace before leaving
Corpus Christi! Immediately after the battles the
erey Immediately after the battle of Buena Visa I'm
mediaey after the taking OF Vera Cruz, and before
hostile foot had penetrated from the coast IN that drec
ton! Immediately after the battle of Cerro Gordo? OF
Chumbusco Or of any of those battles the city,
and which led to its downfall? Has the enemy at any
tune shown disposition for peace On the contrary
ing mannerour efforts to stop hostlites by negotiation
Who, them has occasioned this war to be proaced and
who has coerced to assume the attitude of conquer
ing people? Not only have offers to negotiate been
rejected, but badly informed if British offers to
Mexico to mediate have not also been twice reject
ed. There can be no doubt that our government is
anxious for peace, and has most earnestly endea.
vored to bring it about But if the enemy prefers
war to peace, we have no other alternative than to
hiaton independent power will satisfy him. then,
say let him be satisfied. We hope at least that
further overures for peace will be made part If
the enemy desires peace let HIM ask Tor It and them with
out further negotiation, let dictate the terms upon
which alone it should be granted.
But in the mean time the continues, and its ex-
penses also continue Now, the folly of the enemy
occasions these expenses it is but just that he should be
required to meet them All his accustomed revenues of
external and internal trade should be seeuesteed for such
purposes and also for the purpose of diminishing his
sources All ornaments and military supplies should be
seized and destroyed secured. AS army and fleet
have TO be maintained by us, will deny the pro-
prety of keeping them as actively employed as pos,
sibe. The perseverng repugnance OF the enemy to
peace can arise, to our view OF the matter, either
from confidence In his own Observation-Disclosures that
he will obtain assistance from other quarers-or conf
dence that shall become tired of the war, and allow
it to anguish Either view makes it incumbent upon us
TO seize as rapidly as possible upon all commanding
POSITIONS and to bend the of the conquered
country to meet our war expenses These positions must
be held TIL peace be made and many of them after the
But il the enemy continues to refuse all offers to nego
ate it seems to us that we must continue vigorous
prosecution OF the war; and extend conquests
his territory Sefpreservation, In our Judgment, re-
quires that Mexico should for peace for
only her destruction nation in prolonged prosecu
ton of the No matter what party shall come into
power, people would not endure dsgracefu peace
Peace would be disgraceful without full indemnify
Mexico can indemnify only by territory; therefore, any
party must exact territory from Mexico making
peace.
The extravagant JOY with which our victories have
eerng 20 extensive and 50 unabated are proofs that the
not obnoxious to the people 1t has required no
tax to sustain it 1t has injured none of the great inter
ests of the country Agriculture, commerce, manuac
lures, have prospered beyond precedent 1t has created
discontinued class, by throwing any class out of
ployment 1t has produced national calamity, dis
grace disaster and therefore cannot be upbraded with
any. Opposition to the war is without practical evils with
which it can illustrate its arguments-evis producing
onal distress or modification, or inconvenience The
success and conquest And as to those abstract moral
consequences in which writers indulge, they no
more applicable to this than to any other war, and will
them can the anticipated opposition OF the next Congress
produce unavorable impressions upon the country 1t
may reargue the causes of the war it may criticse
the campaigns; but it cannot refuse the supplies, nor
illustrate alleged error by national calamity. The
awful power OF public OPINION holds its Christening rod
the heads of all, and that power is in favor of
the war. Were wing Executive in place now, it could
not abandon the war, withdraw troops, make
peace under the dictaton of beaten enemy With
what reason, then, be apprehended that wing Con-
greSs will endeavor to the present Executive into
such We have fears of it, because we do
not believe the wing party sold to be suicide
But Mexico is now a conquered people As an indie
pendent naton may truth be said that she holds her
existence only at our mercy Yet the continues and
its expenses and the question of greatest interest to us
is, how these last to be reduced! In Judgment
only by exactng great amount oil them possible
from the enemy.
Many distinguished names have been in favor of the
plan OF withdrawing troops to the line to
claim, then to fortify and hold that line We consider
this visionary and weak project. Would it be peace
yield up that line will permit quietly to hold it, Free
from all fears elsewhere, the enemy would besow his
whole attention to that line, and would make it scene
of unceasing nquetude and bloodshcd. Could such a
state of things be allowed TO EXIST If the enemy APP
proaches that ne must not his forces be met If routed
must he be pursued And then invasion beyond the
line again occurs, and active will follow. More
necessary These posts must then be occupied, or
no line can be assumed and held. 1t seems to us
absurd to suppose that enemy who will not yield a
line of boundary, will permit that line to be quietly heidi
that any consequences would follow such plan than
those OF being obliged again, at vast sacrifices of blood
and treasure, to recover the advantages which had been
voluntarily abandoned The enemy now refuses to give
up that line With the sword suspended over his head,
he yet refuses it. What hope, them that he would sub
nit to its being quietly held, if that sword removed
The line OF boundary must be line OF peace. Peace
must, therefore, precede or accompany any line.
Would it lessen expensesl Let any one convorsant
with these subjects calculate the forces and forts which