The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1847-02-23

peDse OF thirty millions, which is TO produce
this result. Sir, | am but touching the shell
Of this matter as yet. Is there any certainty
that you will reach the CITY of Merico, or if
you reach 1t, is there any eerIinty that you
can dictate peace there. even il in possess
sion Of the city1 These are considerations
oil the utmost magnitude. But there are
others which are not TO be overlooked. An
offensive war looks ultimately TO subduing the
country against which it is waged, and taking
inns 10 he The object Of il, we have scarcely
commenced an offensive war. 1t is true we
have acquired two-ihirds Of the Mexican ter
rItory by tl'is war in that part Of Mexiso that
IS adjacent 10 us, and let il be remembered
further that this acquisition gives US larger
extent Of country than The whole valley Of
the Mississippi, and in this iG:mense space
we have not more than five or six thousand
inhabitants.
Now we have overrun this adjacent coun-
try to this vast extent and with this thin pop-
ulation hardly man Of W HON bad Joined the
forces OF the enemy, and what as been the
result OF thus getting possession! Have We
conciated the Mexicans who occupy that
vast country! Not at all. They arc more
hostile to US than they were at first. and
more ready TO take advantage Of any oFpor-
tunity to do us injury. Can we hold these
possessions then without large iorce7 Not
at all. II must require several thousand Of
our best troops. What then have we accom-
n}shed, We have hardly approached tho
confines of populated Mexico We have hat
entered her Interior provinces. Mexico proper
consists Of that remarkable high land, OF
which the city may be said TO occupy the
centre; vast region extending down To the
Pacific, and to the southern side Of the Gulf
Of California, containing seven millions OF
populati0n-a population ten times as ma.
merous as that Of The country which we have
captured. Here is the seat Of her wealth and
OF her power; Of her strength i'm defence, in
resistance ofOuI arms. What description Of
country isit IL is mountainous as any re-
gion in the world. Ii may well he compared
with Atlas in Africa, and with the Caucasus
in Europe. These mountains are inIerspers-
ed with enormous dehles, rendering the APP
proac1 Of an army a work Of the utmost diff
Guilty. This is the character of the country
we are about TO conquer. How are We tn
overcome these difficulties! The plan il
first. as understand it, 10 take Vera Cruz.
Now, what is The description Of country in
that region1 The country about Vera Cruz,
like the provinces Of Yucatan, is hor and
sickly region, the home of the yellow fever
months that il is exempt from this scourgc,
it 10 subject to the most violent storms which
endanger nav CATION and make il difficult for
ships TO land. April is a very sickly month;
March not so sickly. We arc now near the
middle of February. We may have force
enough TO take Vera Cruz; but appeal to
Senators on all sides. shall we have force e.
nOugh to march to the city of Mexico! Sir.
| will not say that we have not. but will say
thus, there is no certainty that we have. 1t
is altogether a contingency. We may not be
able TO reach the city Of Mexico before the
sickly season commences, and. IL we do not,
all is lost COR this campaign. Mexico will be
encouraged, and we discouraged, before we
| can remedy the disastrous effects Of this re-
suit Of our Intellectual attempt to reach the
city.
But suppose we do reach the city Of Meai-
CO. can We dictate peacel Whom have
we to deal wiIhl A people-a race above
all Others renowned in history for obstinate
resistance when assaIled-a people who he'd
out, when THEN independence was refused to
be recognised, for twenty years. These are
the people we have To deal with, and is there
any certainty that we can bring them TO con-
sent 10 propositions for peace. provided We
get therel Well. if there is no certainty but.
OH the contrary. there is every probability
that another campaign will he inevitable. land
il must be so. il either Of these contingencies
happen.) we must then have a second CAM
paisn.
Now, a solemn question comes up. Can
we raise the meansl And we must remem-
her that il will be necessarily much more
costly campaign than the FIRST al great dis
t:tance from place where we can procure
supplies. The expense must be proportion
ably great, and this TO be continued far
great length Of time; for, if We do not con-
quer Mexico. il we do not conquer peace.
we must then have guerrilla warfare; sucl
n war as exists between Russia and the eau
casus. Well sir; can we have the means TO
meet this enormous expense! In the first
place, as to the men, let me tell you that the
spirit Of volunteering is gone; this spirit ceas-
es when men return with broken consiIiu-
tons; when men who went for glory, return
with disordered health. You will get no more
volunteers. You must depend upon the or
diuaiy course of recruiting your army. and
that must be sufficient TO give US 10000 mNn
for the third campaign, il it takes place.
Well. sir. suppose this difficulty surmounf-
&c, can you provide the ways and means
| fear there will be more difficulty in this
than you imagine; remember that you have
only as reliance your Treasury notes and
such money as you can borrow. You must
either borrow or impose taxes; What taxes
can you imposed Your taxes on imports
can give You but small supply; you must re-
sort to internal taxes-a measure winch Is
abhorred by the people Of this country more
perhaps than BY those Of any country upon
the face of the earth. But there is one cir
cumstance which should lead you TO an a.
yoidance of internal taxafion,if can be avoid
ed by any possibility; and it is. that many Of
the States are indebted more than they can
pay. If you lay an internal tax il must be
laid uniformly throughout all the states, and
il you lay il upon those States thus indebted
will not reputation extend Will tie Peo-
pie pay their taxesl Will Pennsylranis with
debt Of forty miIlions-will those States
which are unable to discharge their oblIsa-
tions-will they bear such tax! No, SIR
But there was a still deeper, still more
terrific difficulty to be meta difficulty more
vital Than those to which he alluded diff