Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1848-02-05
MISSOURI, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, ISIS.


exist at the beginning of the last session.
Men you may get out, money you cannot.
l have conversed with gentleman well
versed in commercial matters, and he has
given il as his opinion, that treasury notes
and they are nothing more or less than
loans, which must be repaid-would not
bring more than 90 dollars, for every one
hundred dollars; which is rather more, |
think, than per cent. But sir. these are
not the only objections, formidable as they
are against the war. do not see the
slightest chance of obtaining anything by
il, if we should be successful in our arms,
which don't believe; but if we should
the avowed objects would be defeated.
But, sir, take the other side. The more
victories we gain, the greater will be our
difficulty in arriving at peace, as avowed.
What is to be the effect if we proceed
to redress all resistance in Mexico3 We
overthrow her civil government, and leave
her without any power. Mr.. President, if
that is done, how are you TO obtain peace?
One power can make war--it requires two
to make peace. If you destroy the gov.
eminent of Mexico where is your second
party to peacel You are defeated by
your own success. But what do you &C.
comPllsh by the very object you disown?
Where will be her nationality The free
republic you wish TO see will be gone
botted out-a mere mass of what she was,
and her sovereignty, for the time, conveyed
to her conquerors. The President has We
ny much the same conviction of what is
the vigorous prosecution Of the war. as
have. He says that the people of Mexico
are divided into factions, governed by mil
itary rulers. and the only way to arrive at
what we desire, is to put them all down.
Well, sir, then we are to build up repub.
lican form of government, from those citi-
zens who are well disposed towards us,
and who are DESTROYS of peace. Mr..
President, confess am at loss to under
stand how an independent republic can
grow up under the protection and auspices
of its conqueror. | can well see how an
aristocratIc, or despolic government, could
be thus formed; but how a free govern.
ment can, cannot see. had always un.
derstood such government must spring
from the hearts Of the people; but sir, see
these notions are antiquated, and we can
now make free republics. The people of
Mexico do not wish it. The great body of
the intelligence and wealth is concentrated
in the clergy, and they are disinclned to it.
The other large body, the owners of the
haciendas, in other words the planters,
might perhaps favor il; but they are scat
tered, without the means Of forming firm
government. and if put up, would tumble
down in day, the moment our troops
should be withdrawn.
The only other course, then, would be to
support and foster the existing government.
But it is said that would be useless, and it
would fall the moment our troops were
Withdrawn. Mr.. President, l protest
against building up any power in Mexico,
for we shall thereby be obliged to support
it again, until at last we would be compelled
to take it ourselves. The conquering of
Hindostan, which we have so long depre.
Gated, came on in this very way. There
was no intention at first to conquer. That
came on by degrees, till at last it appeared
matter of course. So it would be with
Mexico, if that government should agree 10
make treaty on such terms as we ask
The President himself agrees we shall take
the very course have foreshadowed. He
says, in so many words, if all measures fail
we must unforce terms which the honor OF
the country demands. Is not this an &C.
acknowledgement, that if the fac,ional govern.
ment is not built up, we mus. conquer and
occupy the country, thus enforcing terms
not upon the government, but upon the
people. Well the President is right
This will be the result. Every argument
against taking defensive line, will have q
double force when we have spent sixty
millions Of dollars more and occupy a still
greater extent of territory. The men en-.
gagged in the Wharf.-The contractors the sew.
eral parties engaged, directly or indirectly
all this large body will be adverse to re-
turn; and their influence in favor of con.
tinuation ofthe war, will be found too pow
erful to oppose. Well, sir, now that we
have added sixty millions of dollars to the
former amount expended, what will you ge
to indemnify it? With the population
which you will have to sustain, and the ar
my of forty or fifty thousand men, as tht
Secretary of War says, you will never ge
enough to pay it; and it will have to come
out of the pockets of the people of the U
s. This and the next generation, will have
to bear this burlhen.
We now come to the solemn considera
ton proposed by the resolution. ] have
shown the course proposed by the President
|, is to blot out the nationality Of Mexico
and throw seven or eight millions Of peopl
on your hands either as province or incor
porated into the Union. Shall we do either
No, Mr.. President, neither; and for thes,
reasons: First it will be against the avow
ed object of the war. No message has beef
IL =.