Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-01-14
SALEM, OHIO, FRIDAY, JANUARY ii, 1873.

commissioners ftllh ltlNA ~ ~
mr. differences in such q manner rs migh be
tie Jest caLcuia'ed n produce muiuo! saii5ac-
tam amt g0od UNDERSTANDINGS" Their treat
ment was Il disgrace to the French nation.
Two of them demanded their passports and
returned home. Mr.. Gerry remained till o!i-
cially and %peremptorlly recalled. Still there
was no war. America was put in a state OF
defence-nut Of offence. The opposition then
made to even these measures is well known.
Some were desircus Of war; still pacific coun-
sells prevailed. The reason was-ihe Amer
lean government desired 10 keep the peace.
Net the depredations committed on the pro-
prriy and persons of American citizens were
enormous. "Occasiou," says Mr.. Marshall,
" was repeatedly taken to insult the Ameri-
can government: open war was continued to
be waged by the cruisers of France on Amer
lean commerce.; and the flag of the United
States was a sufficient justification for the
capture and condemnation Of any vessel over
which it waved" More than three hundred
American vessels had been taken by the
French. and the amount Of their depredatlons
was estimated at over &lj,0O 900. Sti!l,
Pres dent Adams said
ain demonstrating that We DO not fear war
in the necessary protection Of our rights and
honor, we shall give no room to infer that we
abandon the desire of peace. tits peace that
we have uniformly and perseveringly cult
waited. and hcrm0ny 6ei,cJcn rs and France
may be restored al Ter o)piion."
We are surprised that Mr.. Polk should lay
auy stress on the refusal of Mexico to receive
MIR. SlidelI. 10 receive a minister is a duty
OF imperfect obligation. as The Publlcisis
would have told him. Any State may refuse
TO receive a particular person as minister. with
out violating the comfy of nations. Vt she OBJ
iects to the personal character of the man, or
the diplomatic character of the minister
This is SO well understood that it is useless
to refer 10 authorities The refusal 10 re-
cciye Mr.. SlidelI--for the reasons giveu-was
a matter Of no great magnitude or importance.
Mexico had never agreed TO receive q minis
ter with full powers, TO reside near her 90
vsrUmentas a permanent representative Of the
nation, only q commissions to treat in refer
cree to the Texan difficulties. But take The
Presidents statement Of the case; admit mat
it was foolish on the part Of Mexico, under
the circumstances. TO reject Mr.. Sildeil. he
cause America had committed a breach Of d.
plomaiic etiquette; suppose it was weak and
siiIy--it was certainly no ground for war.
1t is quite plain that Mr.. SIidell was a very
unsuitable person to send on a mission OF
peace 10 dn OIipnueu nation. MS CC!IpNVoUi-
ence proves this. He may be Il very %illustri-
Gus citizen of Louisiana; but few men in A.
meIica, we think, out of that state, ever heard
much good of him before his appointment TO
this mission. His conduct lille there re-
fleets no honor on America. We cannot
think he was sent there with the serious in
tention of settling the difficulties in a just and
: honorable manner. Indeed, some of his in
structions seem given him quite as much with
4 view to influence public opinion in Ameri-
ca, as to have an effect on the Mexican 90
vernmcnt. This will appear by the follow
ing extract from Mr.. Buchanan's letter TO him,
under date of March 18th, 1916:
ION your return to the United States, en-
ergeiic measures against NeTic0 ,CouM at once
) be recommended By tie Presidents and these
might jqii 10 attain the SuppOyt " Congress, j
t ii couid be asserted that the eristing government
that Of Paroles, the military President, who
succeeded Herrera. had nyt refused 10 receirc
: our minister"
This was written nearly two months after
I General Taylor had been ordered to move to
the Rio Grande. The "energetlc measures
, were already commenced, though without
= the knowledge of Congress. America was
] invading territory which Mexico claimed, and
| at the same time instrucllng her minister tc
present his credentials with a view to adjust
= the difficulties in a paciflc way! This, We
. confess. is extraordinary. The President did
t not know the minister would he rejected by
Paroles. when he ordered General Taylor tC
= advance into Tamaulipas. and he was not re-
y iec;ed till two months after that order. Blu
we must return to this mission Ct Mr.. Siidel
e in another page.
4 frb, mon p-bo ooull lcric,ll,r ollpcp fhf
above grievances in order to Justify America
would do it with the taCit admission that she
e began the war; else why undertake to JUST
y fy it, If Mexico began the war, that was
her business. She is to Justify it if she can
h America may have a thousand reasons 70
d making a war. but if she has not made it, shl
! has no reason for undertaking to Justify a wa
which she did not begin. The Presiden
may state other grievances, but not in such
connection, or for such a purpose as the pre-
n sent. But now he abandons that part of tn
argument; the issue is changed. 1t is Mex
e leo that began the war. aBut how BY in
vading our territory. The Mexican general
says Mr.. Polk, had collected a large arml
y on the opposite (the west) shore of the Ri,
Grande," invaded our territory, and com
menced hostilities by attacking our forces
; Thus Mexico "c~OnSummaied her i9ng cOurS
Of outrages by commencing an e5enSjre Icar
and shedding the blood IF citizens on our owi
soiL."
4 = Adams's Second Annual Address, Dec
9Th, 1898. See too the address in Reply,
by the House of Representatives.
Any one may see the authority in Whea
toms LGW Of NatiOns, Part III. CHI. /.
(IO be COntinucd.)
n Combat night and day against thy vices
and if by thy CARES and vigilance thout gain
est the victory over thyself, courageously at