The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1848-02-11
From Nr NaiionaI L.teiiFeneer.

matterto to which il was confined, than the
subjoined letter from distinguished cIli-
zen ufS0uih Carolina, eminently quail.
fed by his personal knowledge, gathered
during travel in fnreign parts, and public
service and experience both abroad and
at home. To form sound judgment IN the
subject of which his letter treats. and
being friend tothc Administration, Gun.
no, he suspected of being under any pos,
sible party bias against its proposed meas
uIes.
The name nf the writer is familiar to
all our readers of mature age. To some
0f:he younger class of them, it may he
proper TO state that Mr.. Poinsett was at
Ter returning from foreign travel, for SOW
eral years Representative in Congress,
and there distinguished for his liberal
and enlightened views; that he was the
Minister of the U. S. to Mexico for sever
al years; was after his return from that
mission, for several years Secretary of
War, TO which Office he was called by
Mr.. Van Burcn; and has therefore had
every possible opportunity of acquiring
the information which authorizes him to
express to the respected Senator from
his own State the opinions contained in
the following letter:
A Letter from Hon. j. Il. POimScIi.
STATEsBURc, Is. C.) Dec. l2, lS47.
My Dean Sir: In compliance with
your request, and in conformity to my
promise, have determined to give you
very briefly my views on the all.engross'
ing topic of the day. | was detained Ia
ter than | expected in Columbia, and
have only this moment seen the Presi.
dents Message and the report Of the Sc.
cretsry Of War, aud am surprised to see
that they ersistinrecommending course
Of policy which will lead to still further
useless expenditure of blood and treasure
and will finally have to be abandoned
With the reasoning on the subject ofthe
acquisition of territory have nothing to
do, especially as the President seems to
think Congress pledged to these con
quests. can only express my regret
and firm conviction that these territorial
acquisitions will not add TO our strength
or prosperity.
The recommendation that most serious
ly alarms me is contained in the para
graph where the President says there can
he no doubt that there exists peace par.
~ in Mexico, and that it may become
expedleut for our commanding Generals
TO give assurance of protection to such a
party, make peace with it. and guaranty
it in the possession of power. Nothing
can be more chimcrical; nothing could bc
more insecure than the execution of such
a project, were it practicable. Such a
party would bear no proportion to the
nation, and the members of it would re-.
qnire to be protected from public indigna.
lion and vengeance forlong years to come,
by force not less formidable than that
now iD the country, without the chance
ofany indemnity, or the power Of evying
contributions of any sort.
If the pence government should agree
to pay aud subsiSt their projectors, they
must, from the nature of things, fail to do
either Pray, save us from tho disgrace
Of attempting such an intervention. The
attempt might lead to an Intervention of
another sort, that would possibly prove
more successful The President is ap
prehenslvc of foreign Interference. first
in California, and next in the establish
ment of a monarchy in Mexico. There is
not the slightest risk of the former, and if
the Mexican people are left 20 themselves,
no chance oftho latter. They were so en-
tircly republican in 1922 that | did not
hesitate to foreteil confdenlialIy the
downfall of Iturbidc, They are much
more so now and no scheme of that sort
could have even mOmentary success, un-
less the leaders considered it the only
chance ofopposing u.s. There exists a
strong monarchical pany,slrongin wealth
and sta;ion-the priests, the former aris,
tocracy, and the adherentsofS ofSpain. We
may drive the numbers under their ban
ners. Still tho President is wrong; our
armed Intervention might bring on us a
powerful foreign foe, but could not pre-.
vent the evil; whereas, if we hold back
my lille for it monarchy would not exist
in Mexico three years, with fifty thou.
sand foreign buyoncis to sustain it. The
people arc republican.
The President says ho is convinced
that the best means Of bringing tho war
Ia an honorable close will be to prosecute
twith Increased energy aud power in the
vita parts orthc encmy'S country. Now,
| am persuaded TINT so long as we cor.
linue to prosecute war in the interior of
Mexico, we shall have no pcace with the
nation, and all attempts to make peace
with faction will place us in worse
position than open war. | speak with
the authority ofa perfect knowledge of
the nature Of the country and the charac.
tor Of tho people.
was glad To find ilat the Secretary
rejects the plan ofovorrunniug the whole
country, as too expensive, but | was sur.
prised 10 perceive that he only estimates
the number of men il would require to
do this. or to maintain our present con.
quests, at seventy thousand men for the
first, and some th;ry.6ve or forty thou
sand for the second He says nothing of
tho annual consumption of men during
his prolonged contest. During the most
favorable period Of the peninsular war.
carried on in country friendly to them,
the British forces lost annually l6 per
cent, onefourh of whom died with
wounds and casualties. III Mexico we