Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-05-21
THE ENQUIRER.
RICHMOND, VA.
Thursday Morning, May 20, ls47.
THE "pRoGREss OF CIVILIZATIONS,


Thursday Morning, May 20, ls47.
THE "PRoGREss OF CIVILIZATION"
The hot-bed of war has thrown up some norious and
ffghtful weeds which, but for its existence, might have
lain dormant fer century but The seeds Of which
would, 1t some time or other, doubtless have germna-
ted OF these is the scheme Of. UNIVERSAL DoAiSoH,
least oyer Tins Continent and along with II that obi
Gus and damnablc doctrine that Conquest and Amer.
atom In the Providence OF God approved
"civiizing" nations presumed to bs inferior to their
neehhors When our paper Of Saturday last, we re-
marked at large upon this Indictment the destruction
and extinction Of the nation of Mexco-or, with equal
application, any other nation whose territories we
should take fancy towe really had idea that ths
doctrine would avowed and as an actual aud
practical rule of conduct for this Government Of
We can hardly md words TO express surprise,
discovering that, at the very penning
those remarks, paper Of such standing IN its party,
and so affiliated with the Administration and its organ
as the Renoad Enquirer, was on its way 10 this city,
containing recognition of this Identical doctrine But
such was the case as will be seen from the following
extract from the Enquirer of Friday last:
"iHrrRrsTiro PROM MEI'co.-We give up much OF
space the cheering details Of General Scott 8
victorious but bloodess march. Jalapa and the dark
aud bloody prison. Of PerOte have fallen into
power without drop Of blood SCOTS march is
uard lie has noD the good sense not TO think Of the
fire his rear but looks steadily the 'front.' where
his future achievements are written in living characters
| Of glory HIS MARCH, IKE Tayor's, Is A STEP ~ THE
PROGRESS OF CIVILIZATION"
The above "trightfup reflections We quote from
the National Inielligencer Before entering upon
heir examination, we must Ieier TO the FACT that
the Intelligencer has essentially garbled our ar
tice, which lolms its melancholy text. As Tar
as il goes our article is correctly quoted the
following passages which formed The ga,t of our
very brief comments are entirely suppressed by
the Intellisencer:
"Already we see press established al Jalapa,
difusing light and liberty around it. The in
habitanIs OF that beautiful region cannot but be
elevated by contact with the free citizens OF
our Republic no one can deny that The war
will exert a powerful moral influence upon The
destiny Of Mexico.
"We adopt the graphic and eloquent picture OF
SCOTS proposed movements, which we find in
the New Orleaus Delta"
We leave it TO any sensible man, Wing or De-
mocrat, TO read The whole of our article, and not
to die with laughter over the very exravagant
and ridiculous deductions of the Federal organ
al Washington. We referred 10 the establish
men, in the interior Of Mexico, OF Tree, unshack-
led American press, diausing The light and iber-
ty of Republican thoughts around it-and, in hot
haste, the Intelligencer tears few passages
from the context, and magnifes them into an
avowal and justification Of scheme OF
universal dominion" and Of other "odious
and damnable doctrines" To excite The still
deeper surprise" OF the National Intellisen-
Ger, we will inform that journal tina, there are
now ten American papers regularly published
in Mexico, viz The F2og at Matamoras The
PICKET Guard in Satillo; the Sentinel al Tam
pico; the Pioneer at Monterey, in New Leon;
the Anglo-SaroB in Chhuahua The Eagle
(Engsh) and Chronicle Spanish at Vera Cruz;
The Anserlcon Star, al Jalapa The Cali
tornian, a, Monterey, California, and Mormon
paper at Zsrba Buena; of these, Two are in the
Department Of Tamaulipas one in that OF
New Leon, three in that of Vera Cruz, one
in that OF Coahuila, one in that OF chihuahua,
and two in California-and we hope and expect
soon 10 hear of two in Puebla, another at San
Luis Potos, and two in the City Of Mexico. We
are no, singular in referring to this proud evidence
OF The "progress of civilizations" for the Pennsy-
vanan fully comedies with us, when il says:
"The progress and spirit of American enter
prise and enlightenment is slrkingly illustrated
by the fact that, American newspapers, advoca-
ting the principles OF American government have
sprung up in nearly all the Mexican cities which
have been captured by our invinciblc armies
Under other circumstances We might "haId-
ly find words to express our surprise" that
paper so long established as The Intelli-
gencer, should nave selected, as the text Of
denuncialion, statement that an American
press had been started in Mexico TO sustain
the principles of our noble Government, and
that the inevitable effect OF such an infusion
of American spirit and thought tended 10 the
ticvilizaton" OF the ignorant and debased people
of Mexico. But the extraordinary course of the
Intelligencer, in virtually siding with the nation
at war with us, and its incessant dennncialions
of lis own country, as engaged in "rapine," and
Of its gallant fellow-citizens as "lawless inva-
ders," have taught us to look with "surprise"
upon no vagaries OF that paper, however
wild and unpa,riolic. What is The inev,a.
BILE effect of the comments OF The Intelligent
Ger upon our article Is it not 10 advo-
cate the tedious and damnable" atrocities Of
Mexico-her utter faithlessness and injustice
her remorseless cruelty in assassinating eve
y American, after the battle of Buena Wis.,
Ia, who came within reach Of the Mexican
bayonel-her Government based upon military
authority alone-her Presidents, military chief
tains, placed in power BY the army, and depend
ant upon the whim of the army for their con-
tinuance in ofice-her toltering and treacherous
Governments brough! into power, and elected
from power by prOnuneiameatos7 And because we
rejoiced that free American press, and the pre-
sence of the ireemen Of our happy nation, would
open the eyes of her people to all the enormities
hurriedly referred to above, and teach her one
"st.p in the progress of civilization" the In,e-
gencer pounces upon us as advocating the
"odious and damnable" doctrine Of universal
dominion" To such poor shifts has Federalism
been reduced. The sweeping triumphs Of our
armies in just war, The unparalleled prosperity
Of the country under The operation OF Democratic
measures, have Left the Federaists no ground to
~'""d "nnn-and they are compelled, through