The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-12-29
.atimg precisely like one against Arex.

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If the wing opposition to claim of territorial inden
nifty from Mexico cannot be defended in grave argument
with more decency than this its best policy is nanifestly
silence What does the Inelligencer expect to gain by
telling its American readers that the demand of the capt.
asts of Holland and England in virtue of the State bonds
they have purchased, precisely the same" as the de-
nand Of citizens for indemnity from Mexico for acts
Of robbery and OF piracy perpeated upon them by tina,
government Does the wing journal to say that Eng
land Holland has in those State bonds remaining unpaid
in the hands OF foreign capitalists just of or
eprsas against the government of the United States
On the other hand does the lnellgencer mean TO DENY
that the acts OF spoation committed upon our citizens by
Mexico do not constitute just of or of reprsas
against that government If reparaton can be had in no
other way Does the 4ntelligencer mean to assert
that an existing claim for indemnity from Mexico
stands upon the ground it would stand upon if our
citizens had purchased bonds in the money market from
the State of Vera Cruz the State of Sonora and those
bonds had remained uupaid! II the Intelgencer does
not mean 10 assert this, then its argument mere i'm
pernence, and very offensive and very unpatroc i'm
pertnence We charge upon Mexico, that her govern
ment owes our government reparaton and indemnity, in
that Ito say nothing OF the expenditures of the war;
Mexico, with high hand and in violation of treaties
and in breach OF the public peace seized our ships and
their cargoes while lawfully sailing or moored under the
protection of our flag and thus perperated series of
robbres by force of arms upon our peaceful citizens TO
the extent of many millions of dollars which robberes
she has herself acknowledged and now utterly refuses
any way to atone for If this state of things does
not give our government the right, and impose upon
the duty, OF enforcing its claim for indemnity
upon Mexico, then is the whole doctrine false
which makes 1t imperative upon any government to
afford protection to its citizens against the lawess yo
snce and outrage of foreign powers And yet when our
government SO proceeds to enforce its claim the nell
gencer cries out that it must hold back its hand because
certain bonds have been issued by some of the States of
this Union, and voluntarily purchased on Change by
English and Dutch capitalists money making specu.
lationin transaction with which neither the federal
government nor Mexico has any concern whatever-and
that of these bonds remain either wholly or partly
unpaid Is the nteligencers against our right to
indemnity really desperate to need or to accent the
aid OF an argument like this
We will give further specimen of the style of rea-
sonng to which the central organ of the whig party is
forced 70 resort In Its opposition to the present policy of
our government which looks to the acquisition of ter
norial indemnify from Mexico. 1t desgnates this policy
as beng the especial lust for other peoples lands which
has been by some attributed to as characteristic of
our race " and upon this assumed national characters
&c, it reasons as follows:
ln the lust particular passion OF our countymen
we do not believe OF those whom supposed to infect
not one in fifty expects dny part the spoil But ,pho cares
steal for anohers benefit? 1t personal not nation
cupdity il it exists In word what has been as false
vas immoraly called love of landsteang' by way
giving gaye and less than the stern old
of apine is nothing else than that ruthless vanity of
empire and military glory which has besotted SO many ma
tons and made them beasts of draugh ever ready
to harness themselves to the trumphal car of him who
could lead them on to the slaughter and of whole
countries.
ITO the real people, the plain, solid, quiet mass of cit
zens who in free State have nothing in but to live
private men under good laws what possible advantage
in extended empire pompous government, a national
name at which other countries tremble Is it such
state that the citizen erect be regarded? No
he larger the government, the become
can't
We know OF no filter mode in which to hold up to the
indignant condemnation OF the American people the
policy favored by the leaders Of the wing party in relation
the war, than to lay before them the naked statement
such propositions as these deliberately put forth the
principles upon which that party is to rally We pass
The infamous libel upon our country which would stigma
TIE love of land stealing and of rapne the design
TO obtain that reparation from enemy which national
honor and justice alike demand. Nor need we say any,
thing OF that view of our government and institutions
which regards the bringing of unpopulaed territory with
that design under the sway of constitution as thu
slaughter and enaarement of whole countries. Does
the negencer tell the people of this country that the
Louisiana territory, and the Flordas, and Texas have
suffered "enslduemenf' by acquisition of them Is
Oregon at this moment in the preliminary process of such
"enaauemenR" And the acquisition of territorial
indemnity be opposed and defeated upon no other and
more plausible ground than ths Is this in truth the
view which the wing party takes of the growth of our
country and the extension of our federal Union Or !
does the Integencer press this argumen-eeng it to
oeperfuous, and using it only to gain popu-
~fy Tor Its party--as an argument calculated to afford
ratification to American pride and patriotism
And again; if the Integencers view of the matter be
correct how sadly have the real people, the plain sold
et mass of ctzens among us, been mistaken hitherto
their estimate of the effect produced upon their cond
Oon as nation by the extension of our national name
and sway! In the judgment of the Intelgencer the
American citizen must feel that he has been growing
more and more "insgnfcant and that his condition as
c'uzen has been growing and worse az the ra-
GIANT star of republic has held on its southwark and
westward course, till it shines on the shores OF the Pa
enc Is this, in truth, the policy in support of which
Tue wing statesmen present themselves to the surases
h the peoples Is this, in their view, just appreciation
the objects and purposes of national republican Or