Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1847-12-24

docs expect il, then is he a stranger not only to all tue
natural and becoming passions OF men offending n,r
country, its honor, and lis independence nnl 10 az Wv
examples Of history and all the Suggestions Oh pru.
dence. War has never thus been made, except ny
conquerors the most arrogant and mcrcilcss. Inc rue
of the Romans, no. less wise than mngnanlinous' WIS
ncror N H~cg0tiaie after a deteat
Can the President intend that IRE are to treat III 'He
face OF disaster. should it ever come! Dare lie declare
that the pretended " olivc-branch y would not men I've
instantly Withdrawn What, then, is the ineviiaoIe
effect but to require that they whom we are lnvadlne'
DESTROYING, and Remembering, should, at every caIaih-
itous and bloody defeat, come forward 10 embrace
terms necessarily made harder and more Illuminating
by utter discomiiture-tlc rout and dispersion OF thclf
armies. or the capture of their forces and cities VI
negotiation under such circumstances, the re rictS
of Brennus and his Gauls. the " Wa To the conquer,
ed" is the notorious and inevitable law. The SWORD
stands ever ready, in all such cases, to be cast ihto'he
scale of ransom and none but a nation OF cravcns
and fools ever resigns itself to making terms at sucha
moment. On the contrary, every brave ana every pa
triotc heart only summons up, at such an instant
more uncorquerahle courage and the resolution
" Never to despair of the Republic" becomes the only
thought which the citizen will consent to entertain.
Left almost at our mercy as she is, by factions winch
not even the extremity OF public distress seems abie 10
quiet her Government and her armies IN the hahds
OF those who appear equally Inefficient Tor either peace
or war her troops every where driven from the held
or lying slaughtered her ports, her capital, and sew
cral OF her large provinces in our hands her treasury
as empty as was our own in the glooniest day of our
Revolutionary struggle-stil, IN the pertinaclty OF her
retusals TO treat, Mexico has shown some CLEANS OF
that old Nunantine spirit which preferred deati to
surrender that lberian obstlnacy which the Moor
could never qucll, nor even the irresistible armies OF
Napoleon tame. Whether she has caught 1t IRON her
race, or whether the growing ficrceness OF a universal
national hate such as always springs up III n country
ovcrfun by invaders inspires it, We should respect H.
1t is honorable il will he fonnd formidable, such a
spirit, once fairly awakened, has ever proved invinci-
bic and so we shall find it to our cost, II, by pro'ong-
ed and cruel warfare, such ms President Polk would
have, we stir it up throughout Mexico. Meantime,
we say, without hesitation, that she has, in one IN
stance at least, manifested n taithtulness OF nationality
which goes far to redeem all the disgraces OF her arms.
We speak of her answer, with Gen. ScoTT and his
glorious little army at the gates OF her capital, to M.
TRfsTs demand of the cession OF New Mexico. The
answer was in the following terms:
That this proposition, under the recognised right
of Mexico to deliberate, should be modified and that,
in the pretensions of the United States and the charac-
ter OF its negotiations, its Commissioner leaves no
other choice TO Mexico than the loss OF honor and II
Is that which shuts the door to all possibility OF making
peace.
"To restore this great benefit to the nation. the
Government agreed to cede Texas and a part OF Upper
California, as far as the frontier of Oregon, on the
terms which were stated in the instructions but not
even with the reservation that Congress should APP
prove 1t would the Government consent TO cede more
especially not New Mexico, whose inhabitants have
manifested their desire to make a part OF the Mexican
family with more enthusiasm than any other part oil
the Republic.
"These mcritorious Mexicans. abandoned to their
fate during some administrations often without pro-
lection even TO preserve them from the incurslons OF
the savagcs, have been the most truly patriotic of Mex
leans, because, forgetting their domestic complaints
they have remembered nothing but their desire to be
OF the Mexican family and many, exposing and sac
riticing themselves TO the vengeance OF the invaders
have rcbelled against them and when their plans
were discovered or Disconnected, and their conspira
cles frustrated, have again conspired and would any
Government sell such Mexicaus as a herd OF cattle
Never! Let the nationality Of the rest OF the Repub'
lie perish Tor them Let us perish together
Here Is a sentiment and here n conduct that are
worthy OF the most magnarimous Republic. They
say plainly " Slaughter US it is in your power: over
run us tor You can but not even to save a part o
our country will We ever consent TO sell or give to yot
brave citizens who hate you and love Mexico" Ant
II Is these New Mexicans, thus faithful to their Gov
eminent and thus repaid by its affection and fidelity
mat President POLK intends to drug into our Union
whether they will or not, by way OF making them in
; 10 u hilld OF human indemnity, a corporeal capital, al
animated scrip, out OF which are to be repaid old losse
OF certain OF our citizens! \ great sympathy witt
love, OF country must our President have, and marvel
lousy precise notions about the right OF a province,
GOOD deal more populous than was Texas in 1887, Il
choose under what Government it shall live,
But we have filled our vacant space. AM
= exhausted our allotted time. Whatever more "
2 have to say on this Mexican War we mus, reserv
uhtI some occasion shall arise 10 call for its utterance