Democratic banner., 1848-02-28
For the Banner.
COnsistency---Miss0uri Republican,
Mexican War, Sc.

Mexican War, Sc.
Mr.. EDITOR: l had hoped that some pen
more able than mine, would have noticed
the gross Inconsistencies, Of the great Or
gan of Whiggery in Missouri, before this.
As it has not been done, ] shall make it a
matter of duty, and show BY incontestable
evidence that the Editor of that paper has
been guilty of one Of those tergiversations
in which, however honest he may have been,
still looks suspicious and fraudulent. lido
not assert that every political change in
wolves political dishonesty, because we
know thousands of our best and purest men
have changed their opinions; and when it
is done from a conviction Of error, and
will. no hope Of reward, lis in every sense
commendablc. But when we see an indi-
vidual who claims to be the leader Of all the
'decency and learning'of the land,-whose
erudite mind can grasp at once all political
|truths,-at one time proclaiming a "lxed
fact" from which certain effects would be
produced, and in a short period finding that
his own political party would not be aided,
and the Administration of the land suff-
Iciently injured by their propagation, sud-
denly veers around and pruclaims those
facts TO be false, is of itself, suspicious
I shall quote his own words, and if they do
not convict him Of one Of the c~learest in
c~onsistencieS, then | confess that | DO not
understand the force of language.
On the 9Th of February, lS4S, he says
awe have been recklessly plunged, BY the
mere act of the President, into a useless,
-o ..l l,K,o ,,:th -,
ter Republic" "The integrity Of
the Army has been destroyed" Such is
the language of the Editor a few weeks
since. Now mark him plain, a lutte shall
put him down: Before he discovered that
the war would become a great rallying cry
for the Wings, the President was right in
the steps which he took; but so soon as he
comprehendcd that it might be made an
Iengine, to effect certain political schemes,
then a change came DER the spirit of his
dream, and what was "well for both coun-
tries" before, suddenly became "a useless,
|erpensire and Obstructive war." But let
him speak for himself.
Upon the 10Th of April, 1916, after Gen.
Taylor had planted his cannon opposite
Matamoras, and knowing just as much a
bout the whole matter as he did upon the
10Th February, ls4s, this hone,t and con-
|%sistent Editor thus writes: "The difficult
ties between that country (Mexico,) and
the United States, are speedily arriving at
a point when there must be a final settle
ment of them. In every aspect it is well
for both countries that it is SO. The ques-
ton has remained open long enough; there
has been a sufficient display of vascillation
on both sides, and as our Government has
laid her claim of boundary to the Rio
Grande, she ought ere this to have taken
possession. Entangled as we are with the
Oregon question, our relations with Mexi-
CO should be settled as soon as possible
The constant state of uncertainty in which
the affair has been kept, is unpropitious toI
the business of the whole country, and par
ticularly so to the South and West, and is
likely 10 be greatly increased now, that a
small river only divides the forces of the
hostile parties. 1t is every way desirable
that a war, ever with Mexico, should bel
avoided, if it can consistently with our Ma
tional honor. But We have seen enough of
the INDIGESTION of the Mexican Government
to satisfy us that nothing short of absolute
and stringent measures will bring about
action on heI part"
"lf we understand the tenor of the la
test intelligence, the General (Taylor) has
placed his army beyond the reach of guns
from the town, (Matamoras,) and this too
at a moment when he had reason to expe ct
that the McXicans would commence an at.
lack. if they intended to attack him at all;
' If his (Taylor's) first po-
sition in front of Matamoras was a tenableI
one, we would have been glad to have seen
maintained until the Mexicans had fully
their intentions. *%+s*
Farther inactivity is not expected, nor
would it be compatible with our NATIONAL
or honor"
Such is the Language Of tn. ,M,. rRepub.