Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-02-12


voved war; and had had the effect Of exciting among
people lust OF land that had led and still urging
on to the commission of all sorts of crimes In the North it
had raised tempest before which the Administration began
to quail and cleaheaded men in the South itself
began TO doubt the wisdom of the step they had aken and
iain to be content TO veil the eugence of the one
star by accomplishing peace with Mexico.
The only remedy for the evils we endured just and
honorable peace. But what honorable peace No
peace could be honorable that not the time
honorable 10 Mexico There honor for the strongest
party in in bringing it end, unless he had
gard to the honor Of the weaker party ALSO II said Mex
leo largely indebted and must insist upon ull
payment of the demand Was Mexico indebted to for
crey fomenng rebellion in Of her provinces Did she
us for taking rcibe possession Of territory she claimed
hers and which Senate had soemnly voted to be
hers Did she for saughterng her unoending cit
for the capture of the Castle Of San Juan de Uua for
the bombardmen of Vera Cruz for the capture OF her
cient capital for the disgrace and dispersion of her Gov
eminent What in fact did she but the debts due
TO private citizens for depredations committed on their
property And who could doubt that these she was willing
and anxious to pay
But the other hand had been declared here
that owed Mexico TOR the loss Of her province of Texas
Nay, had ntmaon been made TO Mexico herself to thai
effect Who prepared, who able TO strike the bal
ance, and to show the amount due from Our citizens
claimed three millions for ndemnies could any one
show that the compensation owed Mexico not twice
three times three millions ? =
Gentlemen repudaed all idea Of acquisition of territory by
conquest All they asked that should get California
and New Mexico indemnity TO the United States for the
charges Of this Mr. NJ insisted there was no excuse for
The the plea of indemnity Texas alone was indem-
nifty enough. That alone more than enough COM
pulsoy treaty pay for the would be dshonoabe to
Mexico and douby dshonoabe to ourselves And the Pre-
sident and the Administration ready TO buy what
before to have been obtained by conquest
ought be forgotten that the strength of nation
measured by the strength of her army navy or by
the spendor of its Government splendid Government was
not the object in the Of fathers when they framed the
constitution Would any gentleman maintain that the little
republic Of San Mano was less happy than the great States
of Europe that the Duchy of Tuscany was less happily
administered than if it were under the splendid sceptre OF
Melternch Did gentlemen forget that the quiet unpetend-
ing Norway at this day the eest country IN Europe
military strength which enabled country to resist the
invasion of their liberties Great fleets and armies on the
contrary were themselves of Executive patronage
They concentrated embodiment OF Executive power
while the resistance of that enfebed from It's be-
ing scattered In small republics the distribution OF power
among different departments tended to the preservation OF lib
ey But in large republics the true The States
had fleets regular armies and though the militia even
of State might defy the armies OF the Federal Goven
those armies might nevertheless enable an
ambitious and unpncped President to subver the liberty OF
his country. So it had happened in the of Rome the
egons which had been raised for the protection OF the from
tier had fixed Dictator the throne And soft seemed not
impossible should happen again, What had we lately seen
The egons of Pennsylvania had voted in Mexico The bal
lobox carried with them piece of camp furniture
and military commander issued his order for the holding OF
| an election for civil officers
When country possessed genial soil and climate, capa
BILE of sustaining human life by moderate industry, and of
furnishing the materials Of profitable commerce. and of sup
plying its population with ample OF resisting invasion
from without and when its position nation was recog-
missed and respected by the family of nations around IT. that
nation possession Of all the conditions of national pros
pery To nothing could be gained by war for territory
Now the United States had reached this point long ago. de
of opinion that original limits amply sufficient
to all these advantages And he often felt IN
cned doubt whether had not been better for US had we
remained to this day within those limits Our territory was
then equal the kingdom of European monarchs
nvioable by any foreign Powers supplied US with
vast and growing commerce what more did we need Mr.
NJ would not dispute the wisdom of acquiring Florida and
Eastern Louisiana because that seemed 10 be needu 10 furnish
depot for Western commerce but he did how our
condition could be improved by any new acquisitions
He could perceive how the value Of Southern land would
be increased the price OF Genesee -four ased by our get
ting New Mexico; how the merchants Of Boston, and New
York, and Philadelphia, and Baltimore and Charleston would
be enriched by having the seat Of the China trade transferred
to the Bay of San Francisco. We surely needed no more
land than had, either for population, commerce. or
defence and he not willing TO wage guilty war Tor the
benefit Of posterity
Mr. NJ. confessed moreover that he good deal skep
teal the very ord descriptions which given US OF
the regions of California and Oregon but if they were all
that represented them be in fertility Of soil and natu-
raj advantages of every kind they would become able to
set up Independent government for themselves lhose
countries were rapidly filling up by population from the
midst of ourselves they would naturally sympathize with
forms of government but there could be no common IN
teest between them and and the time must soon come
when the temporary bonds which might unite them to this
republic must be severed And worth all the blood and
treasure Of this to obtain such acquisition as That
But should the acquisition Of territory be permanent
where the proof that would be of any advantage to us
The advantage TO be found in their natural pro-
auctions for all admitted that they would not sustain
dense population they adapted only for the residence
of people in the lowest stage Of civilization, in the semba
barous pastoral stage The population mixed hete
rogeneous and different from in language, laws religion,
and The experience Of years had proved that they
unable govern themselves they too ignorant to
appreciate the value and blessings free government
sustain il when il should be set up among them
But how this 10 be carried on Did the Admin
staon really presume that the North would be weak enough
to bear the expenses Of undertaken and prosecuted ex
cusivey promote the interests Of the South The annex
alton Of Texas by bringing votes into the Senate had
enabled the South deprecae the industry Of the North, and
deprive Of the national protection and the same poll
teal apirants after having done this and plunged the coun
try in war, called upon the North pay the expenses OF
the whole The Secretary Of the Treasury pro-
posed tea and coffee others proposed to FAX all the ar
tces Of the free list others bank stock and gold and
silver vessels Disguise the scheme they might was all
intended shift the burden Of this war; undertaken for South
interests upon the shoulders Of the North Would South
gentlemen tell him what Of bank stock was owned
by the three four millions of our Southern slaves What
Of costly ewely adorned their persons their dress
Or what golden gobcs silver plate usually employed
by them at their meals
Mr.. NJ here warned these gentlemen that none OF these
schemes to tax part Of the country pay for war TO
benefit the other part Of il would succeed Those who
commenced and DESTROYS Of poracng the ought
bear its burdens and would have TO bear them.
had been very haterngy sad here that the people were