New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-01-21
Hs GREELEY & noEIRtTU.
lIr. Poin.e,t on the aIexicnn War.


The following letter from Hon. JoEL X PoiSsETr
y NJ Senator Butler Of 5 c. will be read with
Interest The Editor Of the National Iafel,cesosr
was 50 kind as to furnish our Warrington cor
respondent with copy Of the letter 10 advance Of
its publication ia that paper:
sTAIi.susc. 6. c. Dee. ~. l.i7.
NJ BLaR Sfz: n c5np. ancc with your request and
conformity with ~ promise. have d-term'nei 70 give
sou vcry briefly my Vows 90 fle ali el.rssug topic o.
tie dsy WAS lelanci later than expected % be n Co
uraba ard have only tbs moment seer the Presfepts
Message and he Report Of the Secretary Of War ana an
surprised 70 perceive that they persist in recommending
ccure Of g0icy wAica viii lead 10 Still firther useless
expenditure Of blood and treasure, and viii finally have
10 &c s4uiOued With the reasoning On lie sui iecf cf the
acquisition Of territory have nothing 20 DO especiay ~
the President seems TO think Congress pledged 70 these
conquests. can only eHpress ny regret and my hfm
conviction that these territorial acquisitions will not add
10 our strength or prosperity.
The recommendation Lat most seriously alarms me Is
contained 10 tie paragraph where The President says
there can BE no dnt that there exists peace party
Mexico sn3 that 70 may become expedieDt for
msIlng Generals 10 give assurances 0f protection q such
party, 10 short create party, make peace with d.
aud guarantees II nte possession Of power. Nothing
be more cnmercl nothing could be more Insecure than
tac execution Of such project were IL praccab.e. Sucn
party would bear 10 proportion 70 The nation aud the
mcDbcIs q would require 10 Be protected from public
Indignation and vengeance Tor long years to come by
force not ess Formidable than that now IN the country
without chance Of any indemnity, the power Of
low ing con .fibu,ions Of any sort
n the peace government should agree 10 pay and sub
their protectors they from the Of things,
m " DO either Pray save HE Disgrace Of attempting
such intervention. Inc attempt might lead TO al in
tefvcntcn Of different sort, tina. would possibly prove
more successful Tie President appfehensive Of for
ego Interference fret In California and next 10 the
establishment Of Monarchy IN Mexico. There Is not the
slightest nix Of the former and the Mexican people
left 10 themselves chance Of the latter They
entirely Republican fIsZ2, that old not hesitate conf
IDENTIFY 10 i0rciell the downfall Of ilurblde.
They are much moro 50 now aud no scheme Of that
sort could have en- mOmentay success unless the lead
considered IL he only chance Of opposing There
exists strong monarchica party strong 10 wealth and
slaton.le Priests he former srsocTacy and the adher-
onts Of spain. We may drive the numbers under their
banners. Sti the President is wrong armed inter-
,entOn might bring powerful foreign foe, but could
notwevcDf the evils whereas We hold bAcS, my lie Tor
t monarchy would not exist IN Mexico three years,
with hny thousand foreign bayonets 10 sustain It. The
people are republican.
Tic President says he convinced that the best
Of bringing the honorable close will be TO prose-
cute with increased energy and power in the vital parts
Of tbe enemys country Now, am persuaded that so
Ing continue 20 prosecute the In the Interior Of
Mexico than have no peace with The nation, aud Al
attempts 10 make peace with faction will place in
position than open war. speak with the authority
perfect knowledge Of the nature Of the country and
the chai actor a. the people
glad 10 find that the Secretary rejects the plan Of
Orenuuning tho whole country as too expensive; but
surprised to perceive that ne only estimates the
Der Of would require do this, 10 maintain
present conquess seventy thousand for the FIRST
aud thirty five forty thousand for the second. lie
says nothing the annual consumption Of during this
prolonged contest During the NEST favorable period Of
the Pennsulsr War, carried Oh IN country friendly TO
thrm tho British forces lost annually sixteen per cent
one-fourih OF whom died Of wounds aud casualties
Mexico should lose AZ east twenty per cent. per
annum regular forces, and 81 least forty per cent Of
volunteers. remarked in tic isihmus between the Cas-
plan and Back Seas that the Russian forces required 70
bc recruited entirely in three years thai is 10 say they
required q renewal o. third every year.
llIs clfu al
SOUS we ought profit by. The Russian forces ovcrran
Caucasian country 1886 and received the subnis-
on Of the people They conquered peace Wei, IN
1901 passed through the heart Of the country, which had
been glris0ned with twenty thousand men Tor eleven
yctis al cost " between sixty and seventy thousand
men, or or seven thousand men year. Al that time
% was necessary 10 wait the departure Of train from
post a. post II unsafe 70 move with less Than two
pieces Of artillery and a full coEpany Of infantry.
This stale Of things continued until le4O when the eau
= ssiaus organized powerful opposition to Their con-
Quer0r and up 10 the present day have coutended against
in1m with advantage The Caucasus does not contain
more than million ant half If inhaban the Rus
sian cmrife not less than sixty millions The Caucasians
have regular army the Emperor 500 OOO well disc
puod troops
Both the President and tho Secretary build up system
Of ue defence. II is called, which they easily overthrow
because military would suggest such All anomaly
They suppose frontier only be defended by cham
Of 1,s bordering on the line whereas Il Is best secured
hy strong interior dc'cnces But did not Intend TO IN
rule my opinion military matters Settle what terri
tory you intend claim, aud tell Mexico you intend 10
She will buster aud protest, but never attacA
ycu Her leaders Will have too much Al stake TO venture
50 tsr from the Capital.
She will have no means 10 equip armies and maintain
thom on long marche. and distant campaigns and hsz
ard nohiag saying that two three strong places In
the interior Of line would keep them in check for haf
century and In ess time might buy title If thought
necessary by adopting this plan peace would come al
s with present indemnity, and instead Of raising thirty
Thousand men, you would have troops enough 10 keep
DC ceabe possession of territory and might dis
md the volunteer force
10 succeed evying the military contributions the Pres
cn speaks Of and provisioning the army by force the
troous must DC very much increased I. requires very
axe force 20 procure supplies without paying for them
They can only he gathered by formidable attachments,
anl our army has been and never will be sufficient
y numerous enable the Commanding General 70 sepa-
Iate 50 many men nom the maE body.
have given you my opinions very hurredy, FOR II ar-
reas 10 me there little time lose IN settling the
course 20 be pursued. We at this period withdraw
our forces without dshUnor nay, such set would e
yate Us IN the estimation Of the world The slightest re-
verse-a threat Of ioreign interventionmght render
such an act difficult Il not impracteable. Before our
troops evacaae the Mexican territory that people ought
% be told what intend 10 do. Ii barely possible that
they might be disposed 20 peace upon witnessing such
movement.
With regard the details Of the defence Of the line
not The line deicncethcy be determined very easily,
aad think we might certain Of remaining uumolested
Ion twenty years and ever, with such precautions IS
nsht be taken al little cost
with great peci md regard am my dear SIR yours.
Truly, :. H. fOlNsEiI.
Hon p. BurLEs, e 5. Senate Washington.