Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1847-01-28

n,eigcncet apon ,c war and relations with Mexico,
attentive petsa Il will be recollocted hat Mr. Thompson
sided in Mexico for time and possesses poihaPs thor
uugh acquaintance with tho matters of which he speaks
any lvisg Iis opinions entitled grca, respect
To the Editors of the National Intelijgenecr.
GENTLEMEN Whatever my opinions may be Of
the necessity Of the war with Mexco--and no
war can be just which is MOI absolutely neces-
sary-i have hitherto forborne publicly to express
those opinions IL believed the President we're
disnclined to terminate the war, such discussion
would be proper but we are assured that he is
anxious for peace, land certainly no living man has
many reasons TO do SOY refrain on this occa-
sion from discussing this point.
bis not TO be denied that the Mex
cans have refused to negotiate, and will continue
TO do so, from reliance upon our own divisions
from hope that energies and resources will
be fritessly exhausted and that, if long protract.
ed, other aud more pow erful nations will interfere
I am not prepared TO say that either OF these cal
culalions is wholly groundess the last, am quite
sure, is not Ifit is not il behooves us 10 consider
whether there are any means Of terminating
war which may produce much evil, and from which
no good can result The commerce ofMexico is
Of great consequence both to France and England
With the exception Of the United States, il is be-
leved that England has not so large and profitable
a commerce with any other country in the world
as with Mexico. Is this commerce TO be indeh-
nitely interrupted and lis advantages relinquished
Much the larger portion OF the foreign commerce
Of Mexico is carried on by English houses The
most valuable of the mines owned by English
companies, and Mexico'is indebted sixty millions
dollars TO English subjects. Is it Just and fair that,
besides the reputation Of the large debt of some
Of our own States, we should interrupt the pay.
ment Of the interest on the Mexican debt to that
countryl ! can nothing like certain pros
pect OF the termination Of this war for the next ten
years The privation ofthe commerce Of Mexico
TO other nations for that period will be no light
matter. Will it be quietly submitted tot IL the
prosecution ofthis war on our part were restricted
to perpetual blockade Of the ports of Mexico,
would such blockade be submitted to by other
nationsl There is good reason TO believe that
hui for the interruption Of the entente eordae be-
tween ERgand aud France, there would have been
joint interposition before this time Is il asked
what right has any other nation TO interfere lie
must be very ignorant of history who would ask
such question. We have at this very time an ex.
ample Of such interpositon in the war between
Buenos Ayres and Monteyideo. The alleged rea.
son for this Interference the sangRinary charac
Ter Of the war The time is not distant when our
war with Mexico will furnish the same pretex;-
Thus far it has been conducted with proper respect
for the code which modern civilization had estab-
lshed. How long will this continued Let the
characteristic erocity Of the Spaniard and the In
dian answer the question. We have now rumo
of the massacre OF one hundred and fifty prisoner Il
on the Pacific coast. Such acts must Of necessit,
be retaliated. But pretexts will not be wanting
for, with nations as with women, wherever there is
a will there is ray
Ii is greatly TO be feared that, with the most unit
ed and energetic efforts to prosecute the war, we
are yet far, very far, from the end Of il. That
which is generaiy meant by an energetic prosecu.
ton oil the war is the advance Of oar armies to the
city of Mexico. That believe to be possible, but
by no means easy and inexpensive an achieve.
ment ms many suppose But, if we had possession
of the city, and had army there of fifty thousand
men, should we then have conquered a peace, f"
as the phrase isl Are we, III truth, any nearer the
conclusion Of the war; Have we not in fact there
by indefinitely proracted III could only answer
the last one ofihese questions ufirmatiyey.
Mexico is not city empire like France, where.
when an enemy has conquered Paris he has con
quered France. Would the English have crippled
or given strength to this country, if, when the,
captured it an age ago, they had kept possession
this city for twelve months We have already tax
EN- two Of the Mexican towns Have these town.
been injured thereby? Certainly not but in every
way benefited Why should it be otherwise with
any other Of the Mexican cities There are fifty
other towns and cities TO which the Government
can remove Shall we chase them through all
these towns, and garrison them 10 prevent their re-
turn? 1t would be madness TO attempt the expe-
dtion TO the city Of Mexico with less than fifty
thousand men, Suppose that we have succeeded |
the American army is in possession Of the city, |
and the President and Cabinet following an illus |
trious example, have fed. The first socitude !
the American commander would be to follow their |
example, and leave the city as soon as possible
He would soon find that the possession of the cap |
iial gave him no more power than the possession o.
any other city, and that his army could not be sub
sisted there. live pay for the provisions supplied
u.s. we shall not injure but benefit the Mexicans by
furnishing them a market. The drain of specie
from this cause must seriously affect currency
for Treasury notes, with or without interest, will
not answer the purpose. Is our currency in con
diton TO bear This abstraction Of specie, or even
that which will be required for the pay Of so large
an army7 Let II be remembered that il was pre-
cisely the same cause.-the large disbursements for
foreign wars-which caused the suspension of the
Bank Of England and continued it for twenty-five
years. 1--WE do not pay for these supplies, we shall
not get them. The Mexicans will destroy them
rather than let US have them without compensation.
But the truth is the supplies are not there, either
for us to buy or TO take without paying for them
II they were, how should we get them? The val,
ley of Mexico produces literally nothing. That
valley is walled in, not with mountains but with
lodges Of mountains, piled upon each other for TWO
or three hundred miles. In small and disconnect-
ed valleys in these mountains their grain is culti-
waited and carried on the backs OF mules to the city
Could any army supply itsey by foraging parties in
such country, even il the supplies were adequate
which they are MOI Our army, therefore, must
be supplied from home; and the only point from
which these supplies can be transported is the city