Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1847-08-12
aWhe Commeneed the War p


Under this head the Democrat Of las, week has long
article, to which he invites notice and reply from The
'Phenx II he in error Re desires 10 know H. and he
puts case in reference the commencement Of the war;
which, he complains this paper has heretofore failed
answer We shall gladly discuss this question, for il was
our intention TO discuss il fully before the people and
hope to convince hem not the Democrat that this Ad
nnis,raton Is justly responsible oi the war and for all the
calames add niseries has brought, upon the country.
The ease presented consists Of letter from Mr. Calhoun
then Secretary Of Slie to MIR Shannon dated Sept TO-
sia, In which he expresses The opinion that Mexico in
tended 10 the against Texas and refers an
order Of Gen wol issued June 90 1884, founded upon
decree Of Santa Anna Of June H. lS4 which declared that
,srsy adriiusi irLo may Be found he distance Of one
league from e it bank Of s RE BracO RIO GraNd cH
Be regarded faporr and aeomPies Of s sssryers Of
that part Of The national territory aud traitor 70 k
Try; and amer summary military trial SHALL b Punishsd
erery adUidnai nks may 10 embraced rH s prnpisoas
Of hs grseedsg article and may Be rask enough fly at s
sgh oTee btloAgnQ ne sprfrne gUrernmenf shall
be PHrsHed and taken pvt 10 death
r Calhoun infers that this war is TO be one Of e1erm
nation against Texas and be rers the fate Of Span
iards and Frenchmen under General SenmsnAt taken
Tobaseo and that Of Fannn and his party in 1885, as nd
eating the barbarous in which the be
prosecuted. This is the case
The Democrat does argue from this that the Rio
Grande the boundary between Teas snd Mckee, nor
uoea 10 review The facts which 10 show that
GOvernmen, regarded said boundary open to nsgoia
ton, and impressed upon MIie0 by the most solemn
assertions and guarantees which the relative pOsi,on Of the
two nations permitted.
The allegation that the question Of boundary open
TO n,goiiaoz and was regarded by Government
do not deny admit be true and are happy 10
find mpor,an, fact, upon which there dispute.
But, says the Democrat, 'our purpose is show that
Mexico herself had she by other Indicated the has
dffenfe Nv
order of General woll establish such line, only
establish H. but BY the very terms Of that order did render
morally obgaiory-had not been already politically
Upon our government 10 occupy for the defenee and
protection Of the inhabitants from whom she thus
rly withdrew her protection and against whom she thus
unwsrranaby denounced vengeance We hold that Me1.
ico by Withdrawing her protection from the inhabitants
eupyng eAst Of line THREE miles Of the le bank Of
the NO Grsndr, relnqushed all claim their allegiance
as citzens and nasmuch she elnquhed her claims 10
their allegiance as czens. she destroyed the BY
which she held even had il existed IN 10 that time
Hence the inhabitants Designated by tis act did acquire
even II they did MT before possess ia right 10 poiec,
themselves against Mexieo TO seek such other protection
as they judged fl
The justification for the war then is the fac, that Mex
ico by the above orde regarded all the inhabitants east Of
line three miles Of the Rio Gsode as rsbes who
were 10 be exfsSnnad and therefore the sage conclusion
IS she relinquished all claim their allegiance and even
IN any right Of soil in tina, territory. That is 10 say-if
Windham County should rebel against the authorities Of
the State and up for Itself and IL State should be
OF that Iound
within the County should be hung aud send an army 10
enforce that would be rsiagnishment by the State Of
any right and authority the soil the inhabitants and
Great Britain, any other foreign power might rghuy
take possession by The Of the rrbrs and thus ac
qure valid title against the State. The proposition ia an
absurdy The act Of treating the resoed Texans reb
els and sending army subdue them, was not relia
qGisment but asssvtOa Of the sovereignty Of Mereo
over both the inhabitants and the SOIL The decree for their
determination may have been cruel and barbaIousso is
the unreasonable punishment Of child by the purent-but
the Paterna relation guardianship thereby changed
But what has all this TO do with the question who com
menced the WARP This oeer Of General Wolf wss issued
IN June, ie44 The war commenced In January Is46
Up TO the latter time. nothing had been done by the Nex
cansnot soldier had crossed the Rio rande OF attacked
OF in any way molesied the citizens Of Texas.
The Rio Grande in a souiherly direction to the
Gull Of Mexicothe Nueces runs parallel 10 the Rio
Grnnde and hundred miles of IT, Corpus Christi is
village on the west bank Of the Nueees occupied by the
Texans, and is the only place occupied by them west Of that
river The distance from Corpus Christi the Nueees
to the Rio GAnde 10 about hundred miles, and that
rhoe space Is desert, sh not TezaR inhatan Hear
Democrat describe it:
Bravo Trio Gande) the natural boundaries he
tween the Anglo. Saxon md the Maursnsn races There
peace IS cherished, that boundary tcu BE- sacred Not iii
the spif Of conquest rsgss will the people on either side
modest or mir with each other &C J. Jaeefsols spsseh ON
AnHeratoa, February, 1916
In January, ls46 BY the order of President Polk, Gen
Taylor marched from Corpus Christ, over that desert 10 the
Rio Grande The nhabanis Of Point Isabel a Mexican
village lying the bank that river len their homes
and fled at his approach Our army marched TO the bank
of The river opposite Matamoros threw up
and pointed their cannon towards H. The Mexican
army was quietly rpnsing upon the bank Of the Rio
Grande; but seeing this hostile array, the Mexican Gene.
raj demanded The removal of the American army from n.
begen attitude and threatened hoslles In case of re-
iusal Under instructions Of Mr. Polk General TAYLOR did
refuse, and war ensued.
This is simple narrative of historical facts Now will
The Democrat tell US. why Gen Taylor was sent with his
army from Corpus Christi bundled miles across the
DESERT to point his cannon at Mexican city on the west
bank OF the Rio Gande Not citizen Of Texas inhabited
That vast wilderness Of hundred miles east Of the Rio
Grande Corpus Christi was the extreme western frontier
81 Texas settlement Why then, was General TAYLOR in
rue.ed to cross tina, desert and il there is any thing
eli Of that ease, why he instructed to cross that line
IFee miles east Of the Rio Grandep Admitting that Mex
co had by the order OF General VOL above quoted elin
pushed all sovereignty the soil and Inhabitants Of the
country east Of hs line three miles east If The Rio Crands
pet what right did that give to pass to the e side Of
hat ines General Taylor, by the instrncton Of Mr. Polk
I'D not eoine himself 10 that line ree miles east Of the
t'o Grande-bui he went three miss LsyOnd that line 10
he banks Of the river aud nlrenched bis army and planted
rs cannon there. Il was this act brought on the war
his CALLING coniempuous insult reused the dormant spirit
i the Merieans, 10 war and vengeance The American
rmy had been stationed at Corpus Christi for nearly year
ndislurbed by the Mexcans, who in pieces BY
Internal wars, and hostile factions struggling for the mas.
FRY, There invasion, OF danger Of invasion by
iexco,i 10 January 1876. more than there had been in
anuaiy isao Presiden. Polk himself in his annual mes.