Tri-weekly journal. (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1847-188?, 1848-01-18

and disperse her army; to overthrow her civil
government, and TO leave her without any far.
ther power OF resistance. Well, Mr.. President,
IL that be done, what Is the resutl How are
you to get an honorable peacel IL takes but
one party TO make war-two parties TO make
peace. II all authority in Mexico be over
thrown, il there be no legitimate power with
whom to negotiate, how are you TO accomplish
those objects which II is proclaimed this vigorous
prosecution of the war is intended TO effect
Sir, you are defeated by your success That
will be the clear and inevitable result. But
what do you accomplish? The very object
which you disavowl For If the war should be
so prosecuted, where will be the nationality OF
Mexico? Where her sepemte existence} Where
this free republic with whom YOU desire TO
treat? Gone! We have blotted her out of the
list of nations She has become mere mass of
individuals without any political existence, and
the sovereignty of the country, at least for the
time being. is transferred TO u.s. Now, MIR.
President, this is not only a conclusion from
reasoning upon this subject, but II Is one 10
which, i'll understand the President Alright, he
comes with a single exception, and that a mere
contingency not likely to take place. The Pres
ident has very much the same conception of the
objects of a vigorous war as have presented.
He says that the great difficulty of getting
peace, results from this, that the people OF Mex
leo are divided under factious chieitalns, and
that the chieftain in power dare not give peace
because his rival would then be able TO turn him
out; and that the only way TO remedy this evil
and TO obtain treaty, is 10 put down the whole
of them. Well. what is to be done then? Is
the thing to stop here? No We are then to
build up again and establish under our power
and projection a republican form ofgovernment
from the citizens who are well disposed, which,
be says, are numerous and are prevented rom
obtaining il, only by fear OF those military
chiefs And il is with this government, sir,
which is TO grow up under the encouragement
and protection of our army-to be established
by their aU.hority-that it is proposed to treat
in order to obtain peace. l must confess am
little at loss to see how free aud indepen-
dent republic can grow up under the protection
and authority Of its conqueror. do not see
how such government can be established I'M
der his authotity | can readily understand
how an aristocracy-how kingly government
"a despotsm might be established by con-
uueror But how free and independent re-
public can grow up under such circumstances,
is to me incomprehensible. had always sup
posed that republican government was the spon-
!, taneous work of the people-that ii came from
the people--from the hearts of the people;-thai
it was supported by the hearts Of the people
, and that it required no support-no protection
, from any quarter whatever. But, sir, II seems
that these areantiquated notions--obsolete ideas
5 and that we may now manufacture repub
lies to order, by authority ola conquering gov
I eminent.
! But suppose, sir, all these difficulties sur
mounted. How can you make free govern
ment in Mexico? Where are your Materials
I Ii is to be, presume, confederated govern
ment like our own. Where is the intelligence
: in Mexico adequate TO the construction oil sncl
: ing at for twenty odd years, but so utterly in
competent are her people for the work, that i
' has been a complete failure from beginning tC
end. The body of the intelligence and wealth
, oil Mexico concenered in the priesthood, who
: are altogether disinclined to that form of gov
r eminent. Then the owners of the haciendas-
the large planters OF the country, who comprise
7 almost all the remaining mass Of intelligence
, are without opportunities of concert--anC
destitute of the means of forming such 4
: government. Sir, such government would
, be lmposslble-and if put up, would tumble
) down the very next day after our protection was
withdrawn.
ltappears to me to be far more plausible
plan II 1t is determined 20 have peace, to sus-
tain the government that now exists in Mexico;
or rather to refrain from putting it down. Let
II grow up and mature itself. have conversed
with several of the officers of the army-men of
intelligence-on this subject and all agree in
the opinion that the mere shadow of govern
ment which now remains at Queretaro, will
have no authority whatever, and that if we were
10 make peace in any degree conforma l.
tony to our view of what a peace ought TO
be, the very moment we withdraw, it would
all be overthrown; and what then? The .ery
country assigned to us by the peace for an
indemnity, we mnst either hold defensively
and be brought back ultimately to the defensive
line, which would be the end of the whole of
1t; or, return and renew this war till il termin-
ates in the conquest of the country.
protest utterly against this government I'M
dertaking to build up any government in Mex
leo with the pledge ofprotection. The party
placed IN power must be inevitably overthrown,
and we will be under the solemn obligation to
turn and reinstate them in power, and that
would occur again and again, till the country
would fall into our hands precisely as Hindos-
tan tell into the hands of the English. This
very conquest of Hindostan which we have
been censuring for years, ever since / recollect,
was the result of mistaken policy, leading on
from step to step, each one deeper and deeper
scarcely any design of conquest being enter
tanned, but ultimately conquest became una
voldable and it was necessary not only to
hold the country, but to conquer the adjacent
territory.
Well, sir, if this contingency folows-ifthe
Executive fails in establishing another govern