Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-07-07

responsible only BY The acts Of its majority. They
had in your legislative halls, and befre y u
mass meetings, by their orators, and in their can
didaie, opposed annexation, as war with MeIi
O.. War follows annexation. They then say
the Presiden! has, without necessity, and against
| the constitution, brought on war. They voted
men and money TO prosecute that war, thus as
they say brought on by President. We charse
them therefore, without The slightest fear Of sue.
cessful contradiction, from their own positive
declarations with having voted men and money
to carry on an unnecessary aud unconstitutional
war-rnen and money raised by a bill asserting,
as they say, falsehood, and Ibis they have done
without single consideration to justify Them
The excuse alledged was The relief OF Taylor aud
his men; This only consideration could have in.
duced them to vote for that bill on the 18Th of
May. This is idle and nothing short of an cx-
remey low estimate Of your intelligence, would
warrant so bold an apology. When that bill
was passed, twenty one days had elapsed since
+, it was known that Taylor, nearly two thou
sand miles distant, was surrounded by an over
whclming force. Did any man in his scrses
think that any troops provided Tor in that bill
could reach the Rio Grande in time for his
| relief Did not every member Of Congress
know that Taylor would demand from the Go
vernors Of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi all
the men he might require! To dip from the Po-
tomac water to extnguish raging fire in Rich
mond, would carry as much FEASIBILITY as The
vote of men and money on the 18th Of May,
1876, 10 save Taylor Before Texas came into
our Union they denounced it as war; but you,
the people, desired Texas should come in, and
that it would be no just cause of war. Some
new charge must be made, some new device
formed disputed territory" was glorious
theme; and then, as consequence, the march
from Corpus Christi to the Rio Grande was the
cause of the war; Disputed territory sui
fee it to say, had never occurred to Mexico.
swer the argument. But is it not very singular,
that the same party issued no note of warning 10
their countrymen of the fatal step which the
Executive was about to takei Is it not matter
of great surprise, that, placed in high positions
to watch and protect, they should have taken no
notice whatever Of an order issued 10 our army
by the President to invade the territory belong
ing 10 friendly nation' They were Informed
on the first of December, l545 as we have DO J.
fore shown you, that Taylor's command was
destined to the Rio Grande; and yet not one
complaint was made, not one word Of warning
uttered. These are facts. To what conclusions
unnecessary war is war unjust. Necessity
alone, in the eye of natural law, can justify
resort to this last remedy Of nations. That
which is unjust in its commencement cannot be-
come just il its prosecution. The first blow
begins the fight and that which is returned in
self defence cannot destroy the wrong done hy
the aggression. This proposition must strike
every one. The resolution Of the Wing party
declares the war unnecessary. National law
pronounces all unnecessary war just. Sound
morality declares that the original wrong can
not be made right by repetition. You have
then, this free people have, been for two years
waging war wrorgfully, according TO The doctrine
of the Wing party. Unjust war, waged without
any adequate provoca,ion, is stigma upon hu
manity; and the blood Of the slain, the misery
and agony Of their friends, all the evils Of ra-
pine and murder, attach themselves TO the
skirts Of that people who countenance il.
These are facts. Entertaining such sentiments,
we ask you, fellow-citzens what would an
honest man dol Would he vote new regiments
and more money to continue this legalized MUIR
der3 Would he plunge his country deeper in
this degradationi Would he offer Inducements
TO invite your sons to so forth aud shed limo
cent bloodi Would he sing praise to him who
had most distinguished himself in this Infamous
work of "death" If he did these things what
would you think of him' Yet, it is literally
true, that this same party have voted men and
money; they have helped your country into this
war; they have voted bountes to your soldiers
they are now singing psens Of glory to Taylor
Sooner should they have seen your armies scat
tered and broken, looked calmly upon the
bca ching bones Of the lassoed wayfarer, seen
without pity the warm heart torn from the bodies
of the victims of Democratic misrule than aid
ed in this moral treason, 10 the good name Of
this nation The high behests Of party calls,
and to advance party to strike at an Executive,
they falsify their own recorded actions and
vify before the world glorious and common
country.