The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-10-30

Ihe war win Mexco u unnecessary and I'M
justifiable, says Mr.. \ ebster:
have said, sir, thatwe are engaged in a war.
in my opinion unnecessary, and therefore nm
UNSUITABLE. hold q TO 70 war unconsti,u ional
in ito origin. hold h to be w:r founded
upon pretexts Biz, he law of nations, en-
bodying the genes4l sa,se Of mankind, instruc,s
us that the motives Of war are good or WILSON'S.
Where they are founded in a conviction of ne
cessity, in sole dssiie to promote the public
good and defend tlss national interest; il is a
good motive. Wher they are founded in
conviction Of necessity, in a sole desire to pro-
mote the public good apd defend the national in
terest, u is a good nptive. Where they are
founded in any obliqus purpose, or any unjust
purpose, when war II vsged for conquest, for
acquisition, for fsio, for renown. for the
purpose of gasfying greater ambition, or
for party purposes, the motive is vicious And.
sir, they go farther and maintain this distinc-
ton, that there may be causes for a war which
would justify the wsr - far as the opposite ma
ton is concerned, Spd vet not furnish e.Sod
motive for var, teeausc COOL motives for
war, and require always good cause for war
require something else. They require that the
war should not be waged excepting from ne.
cessiy, and for its utility to the interests of the
country.
there are wars Of pretext. The history of the
world proves that there have been, and we are
not without proof that there are, wars waged
on pretext, that is, OH pretences where the cause
assigned is not the true cause. That, | believe
upon my conscience, is the true character of
the war now waged against Mexico. | believe
II to be war Of pretext-a war in which the
motive is not distinctly avowed, but in which
pretsnces, after-thouga.r, evasions, and other
methods are employed TO put case before the
community which is not the true case
l think, sir, there are three pretexts, all I'M
founded, upon which this war has been justified.
IN various modes and on various occasions.
The President of the United States, in his war
message OF May, 1886, puts the war upon the
fact that the Mexican Government have invaded
the territory Of the United States and shed
American blood upon American soil. Now, in
my Judgment, this is not the case. The Presi-
dent Of the United States had ordered the army
VI the U. =, as early as January, 1916, 10 move
beyond what Mexico acknowledged TO be the
boundary of Texas, and place itself upon the
Rio Grande. Arriving there, blood was shed
upon the left bank Of the Rio Grande. Was
that American soill That was soil claimed by
the United States, but which Congress had never
recognized. twas territory claimed by Mexico
as firmly as the city Of Mexico ITSELF and was, al
the time, in the actual possession of Mexico
The most favorable presentment, therefore, is
this; that we. having a claim 20 territory of
which the other party was in possession
marched al army into it to take possession. Is
not that war upon oUR side, am Of opinion,
therefore, that the declaration in the message Of
the 18th May, le46, upon which the act of
Congress, OF the 18th, based, the declsra-
ton that war existed ''by the act Of Mexico"
cannot be made out correctly by any evide nee
in point Of fact. II so, IL was pretext.
Then again, although this was the main point
upon which the recognition Of war was placed
by the President, no sooner was the war de-
clared, than other causes were rcsorted 10. One
was the refusal Of the Mexican Government to
receive our minister, where was that ever m ide
a cause of war, and especially of Executive
war; Because The Government chooses not to
have intercourse with us, is it for the President
to say that that is just cause Of war; Il is no
just cause of war: and even were It Just and
proper, il is no sudden emergency authorizing
the Executive to plunge the Government into a
war, al any moment, TO receive advices and to
act upon them. look upon it, therefore. that
this ground is a prctext.
Well, then, comes another. Mexico, IL is
said, had declined TO pay the debts due TO United
states citizens from their citizens. | believe
that is true, but ii not put forth as the cause
of war in the message Of the President on the
| tn of May, 1876: il is not in the act Of Con-
gress Of the 9Th Of May. Ii is not. therefore,
the cause put upon record for the act of the Gov
eminent. II is an aftcr-thought. And here.
again, the matter Of debts and claims Of cti-
zens of the United States upon Mexico is a mat
ter Of long standing. The condition of Mexico
was as reprehensible six months before as il was
on that day; but there was manifested no dispo-
sition TO make IL a cause OF war. To say, there
fore, that this war was founded upon the rrfu.
sal Of Mexico 10 pay her debts, is pretext. and
nothing but preteKt.
The motive--the purpose of the war-what
is III Mr.. Webster endorses Mr. Calhour's
declaration If there had been no annexation
Of Texas there had been no war. But how did
the war grow out Of annexation Here there
must be proper distinctions made. Mexico was
weak. Mr.. Webster had no sympathy with
her government, the very worst that existed.
He pitied her people. But Mexico had no jus!
cause of complaint that Texas was annexed-for
Texas was an independent State. But she did
lake offence. Her minister, Almonie, went
home when annexation was effected: the Amer
can minister was refused in Mexico. Said Mr..
w ebster:
think that the object of this war was simply
this: Mr.. Polk became President Of the United
States in March, ls45. In June, lS45, Santa
Anna was banished from Mexico TO Cuba, on
what is called shalt pay" He seems to have
been discontinued with his situation at Cuba,
and am strongly suspicious that his shalt pay"
was never paid. Through ls45, the condition
Of things between us and Mexico was thus angry
and unsatisfactory.
Not to trouble you, sir, with many dates, al
low me to approach period Of some interest.
II was in January, 1916, that the army of the
United States, which, in the summer preceding,
had been ordered to take its position at Corpus
Christi, was now ordered to advance to the Rio
Grande. The reason given by Mr.. Buchanan,
among other things, wins, that il might be at
hand, in case Mr.. Slideli was rejected by Mexico,
10 act as Congress should authorize. Now, there
had been an opinion believe very far back,
from the time Of Santa Annals release from i'm
prisonment, that he was rather more favorable
to the acknowledgment Of Texan Independence
than other ministers in Mexico. At any rate,
after his Punishment by Paredes, there came
sentiment that he was more favorable TO peace
with the United States than the Government
then existing.
The President Of the u. s. sent his war mes
sage to Congress on the II tn day Of May, 1916,
placing the existence Of the war upon the fact
that Mexico had invaded our territory, and shed
the blood Of our people On that rery day he
despatched orders to Com. Conner at Vera
Cruz that IL Mr.. Santa Anna came that way he
should let him in. How came it into Mr.. Folks
head that Mr.. Santa Anna was likely to come
that way? At about the same time, IL | remem-
Der right, Mr.. Alexander Slidel, the brother Of
our minister to Mexico, was despatched to Cuba.
II appears from the correspondence that the
United States had an agent in Cuba.
II is notorious that 1t was a matter of public
conversation in Cuba that Gen. Santa Anna