Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-02-11

WV" "ieNi'o' dI any rate, November 1th, he
writes,
"Th position now occupied by the troops
may, perhaps, be the best while negotiations
are pending, or at any rate until a disposition
shall be manifested by Mexico to pro,ract
them unreasonably. Under the supposition
that such may be the view of the department,
The had not then received the note Of Oct.
10th, ! shall muke no Increment from this
point, until further instructions are receiued."
p. 81.
After the receipt Of this letter, it became
plain that General Taylor was not thus TO be
caught with chat. But the American 20
vernment had yet other advices. On the 23d
of September, Mr.. Marks, a short time before
American consul at Metamoras, wrote a let
ter to General Taylor-which Of course was
forwarded to the American government, from
which we make the following extract:
"General Arista, the Mexican command
er, assured me that there will be no declara-
ton of war on the part of Mexico. General
Arista pledged his honor to me that no large
body of Mexican troops should cross the left
bank of the Rio Grande; that only small par
ties, not TO exceed two hundred men, should
be permitted to 20 as far as the Arroyo Colo
RADIO, twenty leagues from the Rio Grande,
and that they should he strictly ordered only
10 prevent Indian depredations and Illicit
trade. | then had no hesitation in assuring
him that you General Taylor] would not
commit any aggressive act against Mexico,
or her citizens. and that you would solely
maintain the position you at present occupy,
at or near the Nueces river. | trust, in hav-
ing made this assurance to him, it will meet
with your appreciation and be adhered to, as
in a great measure peace depends on your
prudent movements in this particular"
For very obvious reasons, the American
government never published this letter. But
what must be done!
True, Mr.. Slidell was in Mexico, pretend
ing to negotiate a settlement Of all our diff
culties with Mexico. He had not been refu-
sed by the actual government of Mexico
True, Congress was in session, and might
have been consulted, as in the settlement of
the Oregon question. Shall the government
wait for the result of Mr.. Slidell's mission?
No, that was participated, )" as well it might
have been. Shall Congress be assembled !
Quite as little. On the 18th of January,
1916, MIR. Marcy thus writes 10 the cautious
General
I" am directed by the President to instruct
you to ddca"ce and occupy, with the troops
under your command. positions on or near the
cast bank of the Rio del Norte, as soon as it
can be conveniently done. 1t is not design
ed, in our present relations with Mexico, that
you should treat her as an enemy; but should
she assume that character by declaration of
war, or any open act of hostility towards US,
you wiH not act merely on tie dJenMire."-
PIP. II, 70.
On the llth of March, the American army
moved from Corpus Christi, and on the 2lst,
reached the Rio Grande, and took position on
its eastern bank, opposite the town of Meta
m0ras. On the 18th of March, Senior MPjia,
commander-in chief of the forces opposed TO
the Americans, issued his proclamation. In
this he says, " 1t has been reserved for the
United States to practice DISSEMINATION, de-
ceit, and the basest treachery, in order, in the
midst of peace, to appropriate to herself the
territory of a friendly nation, who had homo
rably confided in the sincerity Of her promi-
ses, and in the s~olemnity Of her treaties
What hopes, therefore, can the Mexican re-
public entertain of treating with an enemy,
who, al The rery moment he endeauors 10 MH
us into security By opening diplomatic negotia-
lions, proceeds 10 occupy q territory Which ne
ver could hare been tie object Of tie discussion
now pending? The limits Of Teas are fired
and tceN knO,Un; they have never extended
beyond the Nueces."-p. ITO The 23d of
March, Senior Cardenas semi a letter TO Gen.
eral Taylor, protesting against his invasion
of The Mexican territory, without previous
declaration of war, and without an explicit
announcement of his design" He speaks of
this act as g contrary 10 The practice Of ciuiH-
zed countries and the c!eareSt principles IF the
dDs Of Nations"
On the 10th of April, the Mexican general
ordered General Taylor to retire within twen-
ty-four hours, or war would follow. On The
Gath of April, General Arista, the Mexican
commander-in-chief, informed General Tay-
lor that g he considered hostilities
ed, and should prosecute them," and on the
same day slight skirmish took place, though
on the Mexican soil.
The remaining history is but too well
known already. The message of the Presi-
dent, May llth, 1916, the vote of Congress,
the conduct of the Democratic party and the
Wing party-all these are well known. The
President may declare that "war exists by
an act of Mexico" the Congress may vote it
to be true that changes nothing. They can
not create a fact by a vote. 1t was the Amer
lean government that made the war uncon-
st%itutionally made a war which is unjust,
mean, cowardly, and wicked, even amongst
wars.
Well said the Mexican commissioners, but
a month ago-"We must confess, not with
out a blush, that we are exhibiting to man
kind the scandal of two Christian people, Of
two republics, in the presence of all the mon
arches, mutually doing one another all the
harm they can, by disputes about boundaries,
when we have an excess of land to people
and cultivate on the beautiful hemisphere
where Providence caused us to be born"
Which nation should blush! Let Mr.. CAL
houn answer He said in his speech in the
Senate, Feb. 18th, 1877,
"If the annexation of Texas had not taken
place, there would have been no war with