Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-06-15
THE ENQUIRER.
RICH MOND, VA.
Saturday Morning, June IL, ls47.
CONDITIONS OF PEACE.

CONDITIONS OF PEACE.
The Wings will find fault with the Admins
lralion, whatever i. may do. At one time !hey
hurled The most biller analhemas on Inc rles''
dent, because, as they wanlonly alleged, bis ae'
sign was TO push this awar Of conquest" and fh'n'
lessly 10 annex The whole OF Mexico 10 our union'
Beaten from this position, and compelled oy iac,'
TOO stubborn To- be overcome, 10 admit that The Ac-
minisra,ion is willing 10 close peace WIN "eAi-
co upon terms which large majority OF 'ne 1A".
rican PEOPLE regard as most liberal and magnah'-
nous on our part, they change their tone, anu at
que that had the same spiri! OF moaera"oh 0ee.
evinced BY the Administration, this oloouy anu
unnecessary war would have been avoided, anu
,hs tcayy loss ol American blood and treasure
been avcrcd. Yesterdays Wing quotes The fol-
low;,r ,a..a-e, lem The leading article in The
Der,ac.a,ic Renew uron ne State vi the Conn-
trv"aud remarks, that II the writer correctly
delineacs the policy and purposes oil The hdm'-
nis,r,;;ou. we must eopiess lha, the terms upon
which il Is willing 10 make peace with Mexico
though not al all 10 our liking, are less harsh and
eyaclins than, from limitations proceeding from
other high sources, We had previously supposed"
We. OF course, do not attach very great impor-
lance 70 the correctness Of The writer's EXPOSE
tons bu, are willing, Tor The present, 10 assume
them to be authentic:
awe believe, in the first place, that The admit
nistration is willing 10 make 10 MEXICO every
possible concession in point of form, and 10 al.
low the defeated party in The war 10 prescribe IT'S
own rule of diplomatic etiquette in settling Inc
prelimnaries Of peace. II has, for This purpose,
clothed Gen. Scott the commander-in-chei oil Inc
American army with power 10 treat with the an-
,horjlies he may find in Mexico, and sent Mr..
Trst. The second officer in The Stale Department,
down 10 aid and instruct him in carrying out Inc
views OF the President. Nay, should the Mex
cans desire, or consider il special mark OF at
,ention MIR. Buchanan, the distinguished Secfela-
nv OF State, will himself go down and negotiate
in the city OF the Aztecs.
"As to the cesson of territory demanded OF The
Mexicans The administration will not claim it as
forfeit, but offer TO pay for it, so as 10 acquire
by purchase. We want clear lille 10 II; ana lhe
administration considers purchase the very oesl
Of all titles.
"The expense of the war we will not clam
from the Mexicans; and the indemnify when she
owes our citizens willb assumed BY the govern
menl of the United States. We shall then claim
no money Of Mexico in any shape, and are VIII
ing to accept land in payment OF ourlusl demands
GAS TO the territory 10 be coded or sofa 10 US oy
Mexico, we are OF opinion that j, will not COM
prise more Than Upper California and New Me1l-
CO. and that our government will not insist, as
condition OF peace on the right oil way across Inc
Islhmus OF Tehuanepec but rather make TINS
subject for subsequent friendly negotiations be-
tween the Two sister republics"
As 10 the FIRST proposition, The Wing asks vi
Mr. Polk is now willing 10 permit Mexico 10
'prcscrbe her own rule OF diplomatic eIiquetIe;
for example, al This time, why was he 50 Indis-
naut al her refusal 10 permit him 10 prescribe that
rule, when he sent her, in the person OF MT.
Sliiell, an Enp0y Extraordinary and Mntae7
Piemyol,niiaJy, 10 negotiate upon ali The SUBJ
iecls in dispute between The two countries, in
stead oi The Commissioner 10 ADJUST ne question ~
boundary, whom alone she had agreed 10 receiver
The official documents expressly con'radIctthe
position here taken by the Wing. As soon as
the resolutions anuexing Texas were passed oy
Congress, Amonle, the Mexican Minister al
Washington, demanded his passports, declaring
that The action Of our Government would justify
war. The Administration, however. resolved
upon doing every Thing TO concilia'e Mexico ana
terminate the difficulty amicably, instructed MI.
Black, the American Consul d, Tue City OF MeIi.
CO. ITO ascertain from The Mexican Government
whether they would receive an Enwy from The
Uuied States, entrusted with iull power TO adjust
all the questions between The Two Governments"
In reply, the Mexican Government, through MI.
Pena Pena, agreed TO "receive Munster from
the United States IN the Capital OF Mexico WIN
iuu power nom hts Government TO settle The diS-
puie in peaceable manner" Mr.. Sldell was
sent as such Envoy; but, on arriving at The City
of Mexico, was objected 10 by the Secretary Of
Stale. Two weeks afterwards, his mission was
annulled by an official vote from the Mexican
Secretary, requiring him 10 produce special
powers, Tor the settlement OF the Texas question
alone This gross violation OF an express agree
menl was, no douht, attributable TO The public ex
element raised against President Herrera for
wishing, as il was alleged 10 bargain away The
Mexican territory, embraced in Texas. The
fact is, few days after, the Government of Her
rera was overthrown, and General Paroles,
military usurper, succeeded 10 power, pledging
himself 10 recover Texas by force. Mr.. Sldell.
who mad retired 10 Jalapa, repeated the profier OF
peace to the new Mexican Secretary of State,
MIR. Castillo Lanzas, stating that the President
was sincerely DESTROYS OF preserving peace be-
tween tie ,wo countries. a few days after Mr..
Slide, Va. ,cleclcd, his passports were sent 10
him. aI.l &c rs.urn.d 10 The United States.
Is i, H., evident that the objection 10 Mr.. Sill.
deli, a. tu Minister, was mere bubble 10
disguise gross violation OF an express agree
ment. and that III the excited state OF the public
mind on account of the Annexation OF Texas
which led 10 The overthrow Of Herrera, no change
OF policy in our diplomatic intercourse would
have induced the Mexican rulers 10 enter upon a
negotiation, even Of The boundary question alone2
Paroles was hoisled into power. pledged TO wTes
the whole OF Texas from the "Norlhern invaders, "
and he would not therefore listen any proposition,
however "concilatory or complying" This is
demonstrated by his orders 10 The commanding
General on The Rio Grande, before he could have
possibly heard OF The march Of General Taylor
from Corpus Christi, 10 cross the river and lake
'ihe Initiative" in making hostilities. His cry
was for war, and not for peace-and any argu.
ment that The war was brought on by our Go.
vernment sticking for diplomatic etiquette, is
refuted by history.
In reply 10 the Wings assertion, we contend
tina, the President has, from the first clash ofarms
been ready and willing TO make peace with Mexi
co. We shall not now go into the question o
the march Of our army TO the Rio Grande. II il
| enouoh IN know that the war was RECOGNIZED by
Congress as the act of Mexico, and The Presi
dent was fully provided with men and money to
prosecute it vigorously. Not a word was the,
raised against The pursuit Of the insolen, foe int
his own territory 10 punish The murders Of oul
citizens, and other wrongs inflicted upon us. The
cry of "awless INVASION" "war OF conquest,
was not then heard. With the full acquiescenct