The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-03-11

It ing to our extreme demands should surrendt
c to us considerable portion OF her tcrrtor
II The stronger presumption Is, that she WI
: make no such Surrender short Of her eXtint
0 ton as an independent nation.
e What is 10 be done III that event? Prose
. cute the war with ,gor; seize upon all he
= principal cities and towns ;march your arme
= to her capital; plant your standards upon tn
2 walls Of the ancient city Ofthc Aztecs; strik
: down her Governments; blot her out tIor
} among the nations Of the earth" is the Ian
, guage Of the hot.boods Of war Wlthou
stopping to inquire into the fatal necessity o
the national morality Of such course OF &C
ton, let us lool, for moment at the prospec
which it presents. 1t is our boast, that vic
tory has crowned our arms in two contests
I with the Government of Great Britain BIZ
| let us bear in mind that these were not wars
OF invasion. We fought in defence CT our lib
critics, AND upon our own soil. Though We
are Il great and powerful nation, and able tc
resist the world i'll arms against us i'll defence
tof our own territory, our citizens, and our
homes, it is very different, and more diff
cult affair, to carry on successful war OF III
vasion in "A foreign land, even against COM
paratvely weak nation.
The history Of the world abounds in exam
| pes that, in such wars, the race is not al
ways to the swift nor the battle to the strong"
Napolean, at the head OF his Imperial army,
fought his way through blood and slaughter
to the heart OF the Russian empire, and IN the
KrpmIin Of the Cars, rcjoiced as her victor,
aud shouts Of triumph rent the AR, amidst Tie
b'azing fires that laid her capital in ashes, Al
though Moscow was in ashes Russia WAS not
conquered. Though a hostile army was in her
midst, her throne stood firm. Although Buo-
napartc was there, Alexander still reigncd.-
The smoking and smouIder;ng ruins Of that
city of the wilderle :, the blurkncSs Of dark
ness that settled upon its smotlercd flames.
presented but Il fit and striking emblem of
that series of most terrific and dire caaMities
about to fall upon her Invaders. That impcr-
ia Most of more than half IA million OF the
pride and flower of France, which had cross
Ell the Nirmen so tul! of hope and confidence
and cXultation, returned Il follO:n and fugitive
band, leaving behind them Il heightened and
blackened trail Of desolation and carnage,
and death, lie who had been the hero OF
an hundred battles and never knew defeat
who in tie progress of his march to the throne
Of empire, had set his foot upon the nccks Of
half the potentates Of Europe; who had built |
up with his own hands the most stupendous
fabric of military power that ever awed the
world whose ambition circumSvrlbcd TIE !
globe, and whose potential voice had struck |
the nations with an epidemic horror, now fled |
in disguise frcm the country he had SO lately |
invaded with all the pride aud majesty Of a
conqucring monarch. The price OF this dis
astrous campaign OF Invasion was the loss Of
his crown and his empire. 1t lad, too, the
of that final overthrow Of tie
nightest of the worlds conquerors, which was
sealed on the field of Waterloo. when the
guiding star of the "chiid Of destiny" went
down forever in darkness and blood. Let us
not pride ourselves Oyermuch in o n own
strength, or in the weakness Of our foe IT
the SHOWS and the ftosIs OF Russia beCHiuc
minister's OF vengeance against her Invaders,
we have no less to fear from the r02lit0, and
he burning heats Of eastern Mexico. Iear-
IN grant that the invasion Of Mexico may
not prove to the United States what the in
,"e:on of Russia Pr9r9l tn France. Lot Us
not dis.(ain the a.lnonitorv lessons Of history /
which reveal 10 Us the impressive truth, that
national degradation and RUIN are the Orlna-
ry attendants Of II national spirit OIL conquest
ind dominion
Mr. Chairman, do not underestimate the
skill AMI proves of American arms. AN
lDG N.llcIIdltII VIC SllSuIlil anu pONtl vi |
his nation. Although We may be omnpo-
ent for scit-dtfencc.~ yet may not be strong
enough to suhiugrle Il foreign, though it be IA
ceblcr nation. We may conquer and suhju
rate Mexico; but instead o! its BENG IA Fix
nonths' holiday exercise, as some seemed to
ancy it in the outset it must be the long and
bloody work OF years, and at an incalcniabo
waste of treasure and OF life. The concurrent
4. .,tnJ ,,itl
he physical and geographical character and
OF Mexico, represent it MS coun-
nv at once most easy to defend, and most
lilicult to conquer Il is defended from the
lpproach OF an enemy on the whole line OF
t5 eastern border, by Il periodical pest!ence,
more terrible than an army with banners"
which sweeps over it with fearful fatality one
laf of the year. 1t is defended by long lines
+ n.o",tsiA barriers and desert plains, I'M,
,assabc for armies. It's capital is accessible
,nIy through mountain passes and deep de-
lies, where an hundred men can resist a
housanl. A population Of eight millions Of
uhabitants surrounded by all these natural
letences, dispersed over near Y half a CONT
,nnt driven to the madness of desperation in
lei4nne Of their affairs and fteSides,in deiencc
If the graves of their fathers, and OF their
cry existence us a nation, may be conquer
ID; bat that conquest must be most dearly
Fought and most dearly maintained. 1t must
,e conquest unto death. Who shall count
is millions Of cost? Who shall measure its
ver4 OF blood and of tears? And when you
hall have gained it, tell me, We who glory in
he deeIs OF war, tell me what it will he
worth? When you shall have conquered
Iexico, If that time shall ever be, What will
on do with it; or how will you govern it?
low can you hold in submission t. your au-
hority her fierce and untutorel people, eX-
spcratcd and rcvengetul in the remembrance
f past defeats and present humiliation? |
nut it to the advocates Of this war Of conquest
. answer these questions before God and
heir country.
Ani now let me ask, Mr. Chairman, what !