Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1848-01-13

his high Office, on the contrary, realized TO the
full in almost every instance, what was said Of
it year ago; namely, that, having seen that
wars were popular in this country, and felt that
he himself was not too popular, he had thought
To HIMSELF 81 will be a War President and that
will make me popular, and render all my oppo-
nents and competitors odous." Accordingly his
very Inaugural had full -blown quarrel with
England in II his first message announced that
he had done nearly oil he could to bring that TO
focus: meantime he had secretly taken steps
for another with Mexico by way Of making sure
of a war somewhere. So that no sooner had the
interposition of the Senate failed him in his or.
iginal warplan, than, by dlligent Improvement
Of his time, he had another fight ready 10 substi.
tule for that which had been refused him. Grown
more wary This tine, he took care not to be foil.
ed by any body's discretion; and, though Con
grcss was sitting for five months before he had
brought every thing to bear, contrived to have q
war, completely in u blaze, and our succorles:
army placed in what their prowess unknown
seemed an almost hopeless predicament before
the country or Congress knew one word of what
he was about.
Such arc the general, and the larger facts, as
to That merit Of loving peace which the President
appropriates to himself If we look closer anC
scan the particulars of things, we must not only
say that President Polk is not possessed Of thai
virtue Of a ruler which he claims, and--we re.
greet that we must say it-has shown, and every
where IN his message shows hlnself utterly in.
different TO the carnage and caiamities of war.
Of little less than stone, indeed, must his heart
be, who can look, without the strongest commits
Grafton, upon the spectacle Of nation reduced
To the extremity OF distress in which Mexico
known from the first TO be incapable Of resisting
Us, now stlnds. Not one spark of compassion
IA bia II bav,, L.. ,,,L.. H.,
hlcting upon n wreched Deople, destitute of any
resource against us but their hereditary obstinn
cy, all the slaughter and humiliation which we
have every where inflicted upon Mexico, can
cooly resolve III his heart that this is not enough
not blood enough, not groans enough; not tears
enough; not sufficient revenge, nor satisfactory
disaster, national woe and depreciation duly lccp
for that, the victim people, though covered with
blood and PROSTATE IN the dust, siW with dssper.
ate though feeble hands fghiS, though vainly, for
It's hearths and affairs that therefore, as Mexico
does not yield, we must now begin to strike her
SIN her vital parts !" and, beside sel2ng for ours
perpeualy, territories the utmost that even Ru.
paclly has dared avow for our aim, most pacifi.
cally and peace lovingly exhorls us to 90 on raw
aging the rest Of Mexico until the nation Yields
or is destroyed.
why, the very savage of the court. yard, in
other times that most brutal of mankind, the
balwlck, who chewed up an ear or nose, or
scooped out with thumb PROSTATE adversary's
eye-was humane, was generous in comparison
with this for he, when he fought never fought
the weak, but rather his match nor when his
rival champion lay gaspng and helpless under
him, game to the last and ready to die sooner
than utter the craven word enough would he
have ever thought OF proceeding to mulilate the
vanqulshed, by way of forcing him to confess
himself conquered, and then moreover, have he'll
ped himself TO whatever he could find in the
mniped mans pockets. No, even in his hard
ened heart, there would be manly pity, because
there was courage: If he did not at once raise
up his enemy with respect, he at least would not
begin "to strike at his vital parts !" and well for
him. too, that he would not, for the very crowd
OF court green, course as 1t then was, was vet
undebauched OF every right sentiment by party
politics, and would not have suffered in the bull
ly, what it now endures in the President.
80 much for the mercies and the compuncions
OF him who proposes, for the lucre of five miser.
able millions of indcmnilies which he himself
ACKNOWLEDGES Mexico could rot raise the means
OF paying to butcher or ensave whole empire
OF Hcpubcs. But this Is not all: how stood
the fact Of our very right TO ask for those indem
mites, after having helped ourselves to Texas,
for liberty of peacefully anneXing, which it is
well known that We stood ready, under the Tv.
lGI ADMINISTRATIONS - -.
more than the amount of the ndemnties as
price Even in the moment of annexation, the
Chairman OF the Committee of Foreign Affairs
IN the House of Representatives, speaking MS
the organ of the Executive in the House. said 1t
was ascertuned that the injured feelings OF Mex
leo could be healed lUiM money. Such was the
intimatOn then held ou' ana there is every rea-
son TO believe that authorized but unofficial Of
iers Of at least the amount OF the indemnties
had been more than once made 10 Mexico for
her rights over Texas
Finally, however, in the mere confidence oil
impunlty, we took it without a price: but at
least, by last reserve of shame or of pity, up
on the remonsrance and the unanswerabic show
ing of Mr.. Benton that we were about to take
more than Texas, (which had never possessed a
nylhing beyond the Nueces,) Congress relented
and by his resolution OF Annexation ordered the
Executive TO adjust by friendly negotiation the
proper boundary between Texas AID Mexico.
And, now, once more for the peace. loVngness
OF this our President. His duty stood assigned
him. He knew that we had taken what we hac
often offered to bug; he knew that if, in homo
aud faith, the ndemntles were not cancelled by
our seizure of Texas, at least that now an inju
~ to Mexico had been Committed. But lie knew
that feeble as she was, she dared not accept tina
war; and at once, with pitilessness the mos
ed from her n vast and rich territory, nor touch
ed by the forlornness of nation utterly unabl,
to revenge such treatment farther than by TIN
impolent resentment of Withdrawing her Ambas
sadOr from our Court, he sends General Taylo
forward, to seize, in addition TO ali that she ha
been stripped of, even the petty and barren slip
the mere selyage of sand, the desert space be
tween the Neuces and The Rio Grande, whic
Congress had plainly meant to spare. For lhi
worthless object, and under circumstances so We
hemcntly invoking forbearance and mercy, ha
rpolk illegally and uncons,ltutionally involved II
in this cruel war, every step in which is plainly
according to the progress Of his plans, 10 lead Il
Farther aud farther into "the bowels of the land.
Yet, in the face of all tins, President Polk ca
talk smoothly Of his love Of Peace, the "llbera
ily' of the terms he has held out through NJ
Trist, and especially the generosity with whicI
wherever the sword goes to crimson the fields
! Mexico, the olive branch forthwith waves, {
fast as lis companion smltes
mo condueror that | eve. heard Of" Gays Z,
mund BuIke, "has ever protested TO make "A crr
| el, hard, and insolent use Of his conquest. M
| The nan of tho most declared pride scarce
dares TO trust his his own heart with this drea
full secret OF ambition. But II will appear IN
time. And no man who processes TO reduce u
other to the insolenl mercy OF a foreign ARA, @
er Lad any sort Of good will toward him. III
profession of kindness with that sword in /