Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1847-12-16

J
would be to degrade the nation In it's
own estimation ahd lin hat Of The
worltl.
I" retire TO lite apsl simply hold and
! trttni 1t. would not terminate war On the
contrary. it would encourage Mexico to per
severe aii3 tend to prdtr;ct it indefnitely: =
1t is not be expo ce. that Mexico. ailei' refii.
sing s'ic! line as permanent bondarH
! when on" :Ictof'ons army are III pbssession of
her capital. and in the heart ct lief country
! would permit us to hold it without resistance,
That she would con.intie the war, and in the
most harassng and annoying forms. tier.
( Can be no doubt. 4 border warfare of the
most savaye character. extending over long
| line. would be INCREASINGLY waged. Nwould
frrqulre a large army TO be kept constantly in
The field. stationed at .pt,ts and garrisons
along such line to protect and defcHd it
The enemy relieved from the pr essure of our
arms on his coasts and il HE populous part
OF the interior, would direct his attention to
This line. and, selecting ali isolated post for at
tack. would concentrate his forces Upon it
| This would be condition of affairs which
the Mexicans, pursuing their Eavorite system
OF guerilla warfare. wo,ild probably prefer
! to any other. Were we to assume deten-
s've attitude On such line, all the advan.
tages OF such state Of war would be on
! the slie of the enemy We could levy no
| contributions upon him, or in any other way
make him feel tile pressure Of the war, but
must remain inactive and await his apptoacli,
being in constant uncertainty at what point
Oh the line, or at what time. he might make
an assault, He may assemble and organize
An overwhelming force iii the tile interior, ON
! his own side Of the line, and, conceang his
purpose, make sudden assault upon some
ane Of our posts so distant from any other as
to prevent the possibility of timely s,iccor of
reinforcements, and in this way our gallant
army would be exposed to the danger Of be.
ing cut off iii detail; OF if, by their unequaled
bravery and proves everywhere exhibited
during this war, they should repdlse the enc.
! my, their numbers stationed at any one post
may be too small to pursue him. IF the enc
my be repulsed in one attack; he would have
| nothing to do but ID retreat to his own side
| Of the line. and, being in no fear Of pursu-
my army, may reinforce himself at leisure for
another attack on the same or some other
post. He may, too; cross the li,ie between
our posts, make rapid incursions into tile
! country which we hold; murder the inhabi-
tants, commit deptedations on them, and then
retreat to the interior before sufficient force
can be concentrated to pursue him. Such
! would probably be the harassing character
| of a mere defensive war on our part. If our
| forces, when attacked, or threatened with at
tack, be permitted to cross the line, drive
back the enemy. and conquer him, this wo'd
be again to invade the enemy's country after
having lost all the advantages OF the conquests
We have already made, by having voluntarily
abandoned them. To hold such line sue.
cessfullv and in security, it is far from being
certain that it would not require as large an
army AS would be necessary to hold all the
vrc ali made MI tr,c
tinue the prosecution of the war in the heart
of the enemy's country. 1t is also far from
being certaiit that the expenses of the war
! would be diminished by such a nolicy.a-
| am persuaded that the best means of vim
eicating the national honor and interest, and
| of bringing the war to an hunrable close, will
be to prosecute it with increased energy and
power in the vital parts Of the enemy's coun-
try.
In my annual message to Congress of De.
cember last | declared that s'the war had
not been waged will a view to conquest;b but
having been commenced by Mexico, it has
been carried into the enemy's country, and
will be vigorously prosecuted tiiefe, with
view to obtain an honorable peace, and there.
by secure ample Indemnity for the expenses
of the war, as well AS to our much-injnred
citizens, who hold large pecuniary demands
against Metico." Such. in my Judgment.
continues to be our true policy-ndeet', the
only policy which will probably secure q
4 permanent peace.
It has never been contemplated by me,as an
object of the war, to make permanent con.
quest of the Republic of Mexico, or to ami
hilate her separate existence as an ndepen-
dent nation. On the contrary,it has ever been
nv desire that she should maintain her ma
t,onalitv, and, under good government adap-
| ted to het condition, be free, independent,
and prosperous republic. The United States
were tho first among the nations to recognize
her independence, and have always desired
20 be on terms of amity and good iieighbor.
hood with her. This she would not suffer-
Bv her own coEduct we ha:e been compell-
ed to engage in the present war. In its pros.
ecution ne seek not her overthrow as a ma
ton, but. in vndicatlng our national honor,
} we seek to obtain redress for the wrongs she
has done us, and indemnity for our just de-
manels against her. We demand All honor
able peace; and that peace must BRING with
it indemnity for the past. and security tor the
f;,tuye Hitherto Mexico has refused all &C.
conn,odation by which such peace could
! be obtained.
Whilst our armies have advanced from vic.
, tory to victory, from the commencement of
the war, it has has always been with tie OIL
r fve-b branch OF Trxce their hands, and It las
been in The power of Mexico, at every step,
to arrest hostlities by accepting it.
One great obstacle to tile attainment OF
peace has, undoubtedly, arisen from the fact.
tina, Mexico hts been SO long held in subJec-
ton by one faction or military usufper after
ano,her, and such has been the condition OF
insecurity in which their successive govern
men,s have been placed, that each has been
deferred from making peace. lest. for this We.
nv cause. "A rival faction might eXpel It from
hover. such was the fate of President
iIerr.la's adm t,istfation in 1a45. Tor being
: disposed ever, to listen to the osertures of
! The United statesto Prevent the war, as is
s fully scont;rlne5.by an official correspondence
/ Ewiichstook place ~the month OF August
[sias,, hrtw ee,x1 d and his government, a copy
ofwtichsis herewith communicated. ''For
( tins cause alone, the resolution which dis
,,lacett Inn from the power was set on FOOT
~ General Paf,des. Such may be the con.
. l.ai.,iui 1T Insecurity ST the present gover..
lneht.
n There can be no doubt that fine p..aeeable
fSan,l ~ tdt.tliSD uSe<l nh abitauta IF