Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1848-02-16
ACQUISITION Of desired territory by Force, ,eifh-
out regard to Right, the ruling Principle Of the
Ad,ninisty ation, boldly and publicly aroned


Within a few days past some developments
have bee made the floor Of the Senate, not
a little startling TO those who have been accus-
toned to regard pervading morality as he only
foundation for national greatness. and 10 believe
that apparent prosperity, built on the violation
Of Justice, must be Of short duration.
II has heretofore been our duty to animadvert
with freedom on the measures of the Admins
tration, and while seeking to demonstrate that
these measures, however attempted 10 be masked
under colorado pretexts, were Intrinscaiiy un-
righteous and unjust, we supposed that this fact,
if established, who'd have some tendency to ar
rest the Administration in It's course. But now
the thin DISCUSSES with which it ate mpteU TO
veil the policy Of war, of rapinr, and Of murder,
thrown away. and the plumber. devastation,
and seizure of subJugated provinces, from no
other motive than cupidity or selfish aggrandize-
mcnt, is openly avowed as the ruling prime pile
Of those in power.
We ask no other proof Of this assertion than
an attentive perusal of the debate in the Senate
of the United States, taken from the official re-
port Of their proceedings, and published in this
days paper
II will be seen. from this debate, that while
Mr.. Clayton, Of Delaware, held up Tor imitation
the wisdom, Justice, forbe arance and mode alto n
which had characterized the administration OF
President JEFFERSON, in the numerous difie
ces which had occurred with foreign Powers, nd
especially in the threatening crisis which result
ed IN the peaceful acquisition of Louisiana, the
Chairman Of the Committee on Foreign ReIa-
tons openly arowed that the conquest and per-
mt occupation of Just so much of Mexico as
IRE thought expedient was the object OF the Ad-
ministraton, and that ii principle placing the
weak in the power of the strong, aud leading to
perpetual wars and universal conquest, was the
one by which the Democracy Of the country had
regulated their conduct.
Desiring TO fortify a principle revolving by
the venerated Of Mr.. Manson and Mr.
JEFFERSON, the Chairman of the Committee on
Foreign Relations declares: "There are nun,er-
'ous cases, all tending to the same point, that
whenever j: becomes impracticable for the L nj
ted States 10 obtain territory by pnrchnse we
'T,KEIr by force. All that strip Of country ly-
ing bet Natchez and Baton Rouge was TIA
* EN- possession Of IN THAT WAY. And we have
done in all cases, when we could rot obtain
TERRITORY by gotaion; and this course has bee n
pursued throughout the world. in all times, by
.al Powers. Territories to which we have claim
'by negotiation we take by force, II we can, aud
think il expedient to do so.''
1t is to this principle, thus boldly avowed by
the member of the Senate placed IN the most re-
sponsbe situation the ack wledg ed and con-
fdential spokesman of the Executive --applca-
bic II is to the origin of the war the motive tor
its prosecutions and the declared purpose to seize
and permanently occupy ncighboring Rcpub-
lc-that desire to call the sober tho ghts and
profound reflections Of the American people
Is this true! Have we discarded the distnc-
tons OF right and wrong! Are we TO inform the
nations oil the earth That they mold then possess
sOns by other tenure but own cupidItv
and ambition? Is right Of property,
Acknowledgement by treaty, no form Of govern
mcnt, territorial boundary, to constitute a
limit to our expanding energies? Are we to be-
come a confederacy of pirates and robbers, ma
king our claims and prete nslons the only safe
guard Of other States? Do we set at defiance
the principles of morality, the dictates of reli-
zion, aud the acknowledged code by which all
cI, lied nations profess 10 regulate their conduct!
Arc the foundations Of our greatness to be the
ruins OF s,hugatcd States? And is it by power,
through fiei a of blood, that are hereafter to
Q KITE nd the are, If our freedom?
Nor is this all When once we admit Prin
ciple so INDUSTRIOUS t. regulate our conduct with
foreign States how lon.r vii! IT be before the mo-
rails of the people will be, debauched, laws be-
come useless forms, a spirit o. universal cnp'di-
~ be engendered, and every ma. converting ms
dwelling into a castle, i'll be com, "'ied 10 &C.
f- nd his POSSESSIONS his property as lie ~
force Of arms?
As public journalists, we de nounce this .'av-
age, ruthless, remorseless principle. Itmay. IN
deed, nav, it no doubt did. the origInation
and prosecution of this Mexican war. But let
us not libel the memory of those who have pre-.
coded US. 1t has no support from the precepts
or the example of the Fathers of the Republic,
while it is opposed alike by policy, by Justice
and humanity.
Thus much we have thought proper to say in
of principle, under the sanction
of which it is proposed to seize, TO conquer, and
TO hold the whole of Mexico, as n subiuCated
province 1t will be our purpose, hereafter. to /
review the manner in which the truths of history
rave been perverted, for the purpose of throwing
over this lnsatiate lust of empire the mantle of
generated names, claimed the bulwarks of
modern Democracy--Na Inteugencer.