Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-07-08

chroniSp, which the least examination OF dates
totally cxpodes. 1t was only when Mexico saw
not which way to turn, in order to save herself
from our advancing and remorseless encronch-
ments-when she perceived that Texas was gone,
that our hand was on all this side of the Rio Bra
vo, and that California was next to be torn from
her that, in her despair with our fleets besot-
ting her ports in both seas and our army threat
enlng her frontier, she entertained, among q
small part Of her citizens, and these The most in
0e'erdte Of The tCar Udrty, any idea of taking ref
uge under stronger form of Government and
European alliance, from destruction by us. 1t
was after the refusal to receive Mr.. Slldell MS
full Minister that the "virtuous and patriotic Adj
mnstraton Of Herrera that which rejected
him fell; ard il was only after the accession Of
Paroles, its subverer, that small portion OF the
war party, headed lit was supposed by him,
turned ;hcir last hopes of independence to this |
schetno of a monarchy. But the plnn-if it had
even been conceived at the time when rs this |
latest of the many tongued proclamalions. dis |
tincty admits every avenue to an honorable
settlement between the two nations was blocked
up"-nev enlisted any popular support: McXi-
co thought herself driven TO no such lorlorn rem
edy would not barter her aspirations to Repub
| licau freedom for even her ei-presefvatlon; and
presently, when convinced that such was the pro.
cct Of Paredes overse him. by an almost uni.
versal Instruction, to re.lnstate the expelled
Santa Anna, made popular again, out of his late
detestaiOn, by his opposition to the mouarchical
scheme. This is history not to be disputed
for every body knows il to be the true one. For
this, It's last effort at sef.excu patton, the Admin
lstraton has drawn upon its Imagination, where
it should have consulted its memory or dreaded
the pnblc's. To find deensibe motives for its
conduct, it has ieigned fhcis of only subsequent
existence: facts never IN their true amount JUS
tifying if they had even directed its course,
a. III -, duct al, ana
caused, instead of their inducing its conduct
Nothing, we repeat, but It's mercess proceed
ings ever led small party in Mexico mot low
ers Of monarchy, but seekers OF salvation from
ruin and decstable conquest to form any such
idea and that idea was, among people repub-
lican enough at least never to stomach the
thought of King rejected with indignation by
the country, from one end TO the other
But suppose this new preeXt to be ever so
well founded, what right has this Government,
upon any principle of public law or of establish
ed domestic policy, TO dictate to any nation what
form of government it shall set up, or what
change it shall o. shall not make in that govern
ment? Can any thing be more mousirousy re.
pugnant TO the theory and practice Of our own
Government, or to all the principles of Republl-
canlsm on which both our Governments are bas
ed? Our Constitution, like that OF Mexico, is
subject to amendment by the People through
them, in their sovereign power, annul it, and sub
stitute for it another. But could such an absur-
dlty be conceived of as that Mexico, or any 9TH
err Power, should come in and demand Of us 10
take our whole Government into custody, and
hold it in durance by means Of conquerlng ar
my, upon any such miserable pretence Is set
up in this Proclamation?
We urge all this with the less reserve, because
we cannot consent that principle abhorent
If federation
inpunity, under the patriotic name of Scott, and
because there is no reason to suppose that the
heads of the Mexican nation are such jewellers
as not to be able to distinguish our opinion from
that Of those Of our countrymen who alone, and
not we or our political friends, have the power 10
control the question of peace or war in this Gov.
eminent.
But, If the new pretext for the War were not
wholly foreign to the duty well as the policy
OF this natlon-ioreign to its position and foreign
to lis mission what possible ground could it
constitute for making war upon .Nerico ? What
Mexico would have done, in the case stated in
the Proclamation which, we have already shown,
had no eSistence-was to enable herself by for
elgn aid to maintain her own political existence.
Whatever quarrel we might have had on the oc-
castor OF such an arrangement, with which our
right to Interfere is alleged would rlgntfully have
been, not with Mexico, but with the Power whoSe
interference should have placed in jeopardy this
"Amercan Continental Interest" and this g Ugh
policy" Of which nobody had ever heard before
it sprung, inl armed, from the teeming Intellect
OF our President and his Cabinet.
Where, indeed, for such an abhorrent excuse
for furious onslaught as this War-such an IN
credible allegation OF purposes and principles If
support OF \, are we to find any parallel? We
know but one, lndelible impression upon ouI
memory; and that is in the bombardment of Co.
penhdgen and seizure of the Danish fleet BY the
British, in 1907. The history Of that crime is
well known; but brief recital of its main
points will show that it presents, crowded within
a single action, body Of governmental guilt far
less than tina: nos avowed by this Admnstra-
ton; that the bloodshed of this single scene
two thousand Danes and two hundred Britons]
was far less that the attack had much clear
err necessity to excuse it, that Great Britain stop
ped at the single object of carrying off fleet
and naval stores which CHI have come to fall
INTO Bonaparle's hands, ana be used against her
that she added not to her guilt that of seizng up.
on the whole Tor even halt the Danish donin-
ions, in order to widen her own; that she set up
no claim of reimbursement for her expenses OF
invasion and slaughter If, at the time, Britain
and Denmark were friends, the United States
and Mexico were not enemies, but had treaties
Of peace and friendship existing between them
until our high "Continental" policy broke in and
severed those relations.
w e KNOW OF no more talthlul history OF the
times which it embraces than Bainess Vars of
the French Revolution Two brief extracts from
it London edition, 1917, quario, poi ii, PIP. As,
Az will show what was the stu ,tion of things un-
der which England "precipitated events" and
what excuses her Ministry made TO mankind
We will connect the two passages by few words
of statement as TO the facts Of the bombardment
itself:
"The year 1907 beheld the continent of Eu-
rope apparently PROSTATE at the feet of France.
The discipline of Austria and Prussia had dis
appeared before the numbers and enthusiasm of
the French armies and the predominant genius
Of their leader. The soveregns of those coun.
tries had seen their capitals filled with hostile
armies and their flying courts lowering on the
frontiers OF their former dominions. The house
of Hapsburg had ceased to give emperors to
Germany; and the downfall of u constitution,
transmitted from the feudal ages, was beheld
without astonishment, and probably without re-.
greet. The battle of Frledland had convinced
the Emperor Of Russia of the necessity of peace
and the treaty OF Tilst, concluded on the 9Th OF
July, rather proclaimed than confirmed the pow
er of Bonaparte and the weakness of his adver-
sares. In these circumstances the eyes of all
Europe were fixed upon England. In her they
behed Power which had uniformly resisted
with vigor and with comparative effect the en-
10, nac hupntS nf tha al N md