Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1847-12-02
FOR THE REPUBLICAN.
The War--to be Continued indefinitely,
with Increased Horrors.

Is tllS ruIDOuS war never 10 nave an emu /!
il seems to be prosecuted with blind folly and
obstinate perseverance IN wrong, as If the OBJ
ject were TO show TO the world how much mis-
chief few weak and wrong headed men can
accomplish. AS yet the Government--ueith-
er the President nor Congress not declar-
ed TO the nation the object Of the war We do
not yet know, by any official act ofour rulers,
what is Intended, or expected, or desired to be
accomplished by this expensive, bloody, and
corrupiIng war. The world is left to guess,
from the occasional argumentative declarations
OF men in Office, and from few disionted
facts, which from tune to time are brought to
light, what are the real objects of those who
wiekedly planned and reeklessly play out this
bloody drama
Last winter we were told tina. the nation,
having, some how or other, got into this war
'by the act Of Mexico," we must prosecute it
with vigor, to get back the expenses which
we had been compelled TO incur. The origi-
nal cause Of war, if any ever existed, was 0
verlooked and forgotten we were fighting
Tor the costs Now, that view of the case, in
Its turn, is superseded. Mr.. Trist, Gas repre-
scnled IN the papers of the day } in proposing
terms or peace to the Mexican Commissioners,
explicitly abandons the preposterous claim of
indemnity for the expenses of the war; He
proposes 10 grant peace 10 weak, impoversh
ed, distracted Mexico if she will consent to
disneinber herself, and sell 10 us, for a coilsid-
erdt,o9 M money, two States of her Union -
AND thus is our SINE qua non. Without this
there can be no peace. War, endless war
wicked, corruptDg, and bloody in its progress,
and IN It's results portentous Of ruin both to
Mexico and TO US, is the alternative. And for
what2 Because Mexico will not agree TO sell
us certain tract Of land for certain sum of
money!
II is enough TO shock the common sense,
and the common humanity ofthe widest saw
age; and what must be thought of such wick
ed cruelty by civilized and christian people ?
The blessings Of peace are denied TO two great
nations; the finest city on the continent is
bombarded, and countless misery, destruction,
and death inflicted upon its people and ITS de-
Tenders, and nearly two thousand of our
own countrymen, many OF them the brightest
and best OF the land, are slaughtered, as a new
beginning to this endless war-and for what
Because President Santa Anna refuses to sell
10 PresIdsnt Polk piece of land
Now that we know on what terms Mr..
TrlSt was authorized TO conclude treaty Of
peace, we are at no loss TO know the motives
which led the Administration 10 make this
war. They were a lust Of dominion, greedy
coveting Of the lands of Mexico, and an IN
principled determination TO wrest them from
weak and distracted neighbor, at whatever
cost Of blood andtreasue, and at whatever sac
rlice of established policy, and Of national
character, to be incurred by resorting TO hypo-
critical professions and false pretences. Still,
this Administration, weak as it is, was wise
enough to know that this nation would not
he bf,l,l 6
and hold foreign countries by the nakel pow
er OF arms; and. therefore, that it was neccs
sary 10 gloss over the conquest with a show
of a peaceable transfer for valuable consld-
Grafton.
Itmay be that MIR. Polk and his advisers did
not, at the beginning Of their enterprise, anti
cipate the severe struggle that has ensued, and
did not at all expect the enormous sacrifices
and the distressing losses which they have
brought upon the country. They probably
thought that the robbery could De effected very
easily; that the war would be short and cheap.
the victory certain, and the spois valuable
But IN this they showed their ignorance no
less than their want OF patriotism and sound
policy. They were deaf to the warnings Of
history they forgot what race of men they
were seeking to conquer; they did not remem
Der that these Spanish Mexicans are of the
same race with those Gothic Spaniards who
fought the Moors for eight centuries against
all odds. and until they finally expelled them
from their country; the same who fought the
veteran armies of Napoleon, in regular war,
as long as they could raise and support armies ;
and that, when broken, scattered, and impov
ershed, they still fought them with the dag
ger and with poison. They aid not remem-
Der that these Spanish Mexcans are patriotic,
proud bigoted. and obstinate, by inheritance.
II they had known and remembered these
things, they would have .elt the Improperly
of attempting to conquer people determined
not 10 be conquered. And then we should
lave been spared this wicked and desoatng
war.
Possibly Mr. Polk and his advisers may
have had some secret hope OF getting glory Tor
themselves, by gallant leats OF arms, and by
spreading our dominion. lfso, ii was most
fantastic hope. fo:edoomed to grievous dlsap-
pointment, Their conduc, of the war shows
that they are too light and chaily 10 bear the
weight Of glory. II given to them gratuitous-
~, they could retain il no longer than does
the wisp Of straw retain the glory Of the flame
that consumes il. All the glory that has been
acquired belongs to those who have displayed
their military skill and their valor and conslan-
cy in actual battle; and no part of II enures 10
the Administration, whose duty II was, if the
war must be carried on, 10 devise a practical
and consistent plan, and provide and supply,
in proper time and place, adequate and con-
venieLt means TO accomplish the end design.
ed, but failed in every point Of that duty. Il
had 10 plan. Ii avowed no national end. LIS
policy, judging by its acts, consisted Of the
unsettled purposes aud the artiul tricks of the
demagogue. The raising OF troops at home
with the appointment OF officers and the selec
uon OF men, was but a system Of elecloneer
ing for political power; and the invasion o
the enemy's country was another system o
electioneering, consisting of denunciationS o
certain Mexican leaders, and shameful hypoc
rlsy and false professions o! kindness towards
the Mexican people. Witness the proclama
Ions which Scott and Taylor were made Il
issue; while all the time our invading armie
were left weak in number and unpIovide,
with adequate means, and exposed TO danger
from which nothing could free them but tn
eonsummate skill of few officers, directin,
efforts almost superhuman, and thus obtain
ing successes almos: miraculous. Wines
Monte ey, Buena Vista, Cerro Gorlo, an
the la'e bloody battles at the city Of Mexico.
Last year, before the long lists Of the dea
had carried sorrow into every height orhoo
IN the South and West, the war drum beat a
ne rily as marriage bell, and thousands