Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1847-01-07

men as Henry Clay, John Quincy Adams, James
bayard and Albert Gallatin-who had acted in the
same capacity of Commissioners, at Ghent-would
the army have been sent from Corpus Christi to the
Rio Grande Mr.. Polk himself has told us it
would not Aud if SO, where is the justification
for Mr. Polk to be found. in saying ''ali honorable
means had been exhausted by our government to
avert this war?"
We'll might the Wing party have protested a
gainst the preamble TO the bill of appropriations
last May, with so unbushng and UNPARALLELED a
talsehood standing out in bold relief upon its face
:. IL was but a few years since, and the question
that largely occupied the public mind and the sol
cmn deliberations OF Congress was how far Gener-
al Jackson was justified in pursuing an enemy into
the territory of 4 nation with whom we were at
peace; and chow, forsooth ii is afiordpg s'ad and
comfort to the enemy" to question MIR. Folks right
to TAKE POSSESSION of territory belonging to ma
ton with which we are ut peace and this is what
they call progressive democracy" 1t is indeed
progressing with vengeance; but God forbid that
Whiggery should ever progress upon any such scale
And now. all who feel an interest can see and
Judge Tor themselves. from official documents who
made this war! how it was brought about! and
for what purpose it was made =! And it is for
them 10 determine whether the honor and dignity
OF this country were so deeply involved i'm the ques
ton. whether Mr. John Sdell should be treated as
an Envoy a Commissioner as to Justify Mr. Pre-.
sident Polk In marching army into foreign ter
rltory, taking possession, and then calling on them
! to pay debt of perhaps hundred millions of dol
lars, possibly two hundred millions before il is end
cd and tor sending their fathers sons brothers and
friends. to fight his battles in foreign land and if
not. 1t Is then for them to determine whether they
VIII demand his impeachment and removal from of
flee, at the hands OF their representatives. | can
only say, that if they believe with me- i'm the ori-
gin and causes of this war, and fail to demand his
impeachment. either now or at the next session.
then they have not only ceased to be free but have
ceased to deserve it,
| have undertaken TO show TO those who have
neither time nor opportunity to read the vouminous
documents necessary t. arrive at just understand
ING OF this subject, who was the author of the war
and how it was brought about. Nav be permit
ted, without "aidng and comforting the enemy -
to enquire when it is TO terminate MIR. Polk in
his late address, says: ''Ihe duration of the war
which he (Paredes) waged against the United
States, was indefinite, because the end which he
proposed of the conquest of Texas was hopeless !"
II so, what must think of the duration of this
war Mr.. Polk has made, when he tells us i'm the
same communication. '.among other just causes of
complaint against Mexico, arising out of her rcGi-
sal TO treat TOR peace" chow perfidous to those
who have bestowed such high honors upon him J
las well before since the war, so unjusly com
menced on her part, and the extraordinary expen-
''ses in which we have been involved Justice to our
own people will make it proper that Mexico should
be held responsible for these expenditures" Now,
debt already acknowledged to be due of some two
millions OF dollars, how she is TO be made to paw
~, 10, or lUO millions or more, which is every
hour increasing, and that too after protracted cx
Penslve, and eXhaustlng war-eXcept by a surren-
der of her territory So that if these are TO be the
terms OF peace, 1t turns out at last that the war is
either To have no termination or it is to result in
war for conquest and acquisition.
And now, the remaining question is-Are there
no means by which the war can be brought to a
speedy and honorable termination? In my judy
ment there Is one way, and one way only
Let Congress instruct Mr.: Polk as they did in
relation to the Oregon question to propose a sus-
pension OF all hostili,ies, 1--WE afford to be gen
erous, and 1t becomes the conqueror and especially
the aggreSsor, to propose a reconciliation and in
VIte Mexico 10 appoint three Commissioners 10 meet
! three commissioners on the part OF the IT,. States
10 settle the difficulties growing out of the annexa-
t'oh OF Texas, leaving all other upadusted matters
as they Were at the time the treaty of annexation
was negotiated and with three men of fairly bal
anced minds on each side, the whole matter may he
settled without another blow honorably and salts
! factorlly TO a-except the war-does and blood
mounds oil party, whose savage propensites should
/ not be consulted.
he writer of this review is undoubtedly WING
and he Prldes hinself upon it; but let it not be
thought by his Democratic brethren, that he is wri
ting for party objects.-If Mr.. Polk should be i'm,
peached for this high crime, and removed from Of
iIce there is another Of the same stamp to take his
place, little, if any less obnoxious than Mr.. Polk
himself; and although he is ready at all times. and
ON all proper occasions, to battle for his party on all
such national questions this, his airp is to battle
for his country and the constitution
1t may be added, that the writer has son in
that little army of Gen. Taylor, as dear to him as
his own hearts blood He has given him up freely
to discharge his duty, in defence of the FLAG of his
country but whilst he is battling on the plains of
Mexico for the stars and stripes, his father will be
found III no less important cause fighting at home
against a more dangerous and formidable enemy
than the MeXcans; those who would STEAL pow
Err from the people, by breaking down the barriers
4 OF the Constitution, without which the FLAG itself
would not be worth defending And if this be at:
fording 'aid and comfort TO the enernvv abroad he
congratuates himself that he has neither "aido nor
comfort to offer TO the enemy at home. b.
/ HENRIco, December i7th 1916