Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-02-18
ONLY, NEAR ONANcccK,

oSLi, MAX oNASCGcK,
Accomack, Co. Va, Feb 10Th. 1919
Gentlemen: Yours OF January 10Th. pos,msrk.
ed Jan. liyh, informing me thai on The 2s!h day
of the presen, month "ihe Democratic party q,
The State will NEE, in Convention" al Richmond
with a view 10 organize Tor The approaching
Presidential contest" and requesting my aten.
dance Tor the purpose OF expressing my opinions
on "ihe important subject OF The war existing bc.
tween the U. States and Mexico" was tafLiIy
but duly received BY ME, and have now 10 re.
turn my most sincere acknow!eds Tor he
compliment which il tenders.
am proud 10 be thus recognized by The Demo-
cratic party Of The State, and happy 10 have il in
my power publicly 10 dsclaIe-llat on the sub
lect OF the Mexican war am with The Admins.
lraIion of Mr.. Folk, and according 10 my most
ardent convictions think may safely saw Tia,
/ am nth OUR Country.
delayed responding 10 your fluering reanea
until after a meeting OF the Republicans OF This
county al on, January Conr, in order that nigh,
ascertain TO some extent the sentiments and HE
wishes OF your poitica friends in my neishborhoui
on this great topic; and take great pressure in
assuring you, that as far as every public demon.
slratiUn was made, found their views III perfect
accordance with my own
That the President OF the United States did mol
cause The war with Mexico, nor declare it =
That il was caused by Inc actual hosliiles OF
Mexico herself and by the act OF Congress, and
the negotiations IN pursuance thereof between
the sovereign and independent Powers ot The Re-
publics otTexas and OF The U. States, anneIiug
the former 10 The la ter as Stale OF The Union
That the annexation oil Texas 10 The u States
was an act moral, rishiiul, and just justified BY
the laws Of nations, and authorized by The Co n.
siuion u the U. Sfates:-
| That Inc war in consequence thereof was wan
Il III
and was unrish.eous and unjust on her part
| That Mexico having In an authentic diploma.
| tic orm threatened The war and in tact officially
! notified the u. States, through her Minister Al.
monte al Washington, that II would be Immediate
! w commenced upon The event Of annexation
| 1850 t2ct0 The President of the U. States would
| have been wanting in The prompt aud energetic
| discharge OF his constitutional duty had he not
ordered the military and naval forces Of the U.
! States 10 take such position as was best 10 repel
invasion OF what was declared by act OF Congress
| and BY Convention with Texas TO be lawful ter
ri,ory of The U. Stales:-
! That the proper line on which 10 repel invasion
was the extreme verge OF The boundary claimed 10
have been conquered by Texas from Mexico, and
| which was annexed 10 the U. States:-
| Thai, according 10 the claims and prslensions
| 81 Mexico, The Uni.ed States, even after the act
OF annexation, had right 10 take military posi-
] uOn IN uhV pdll vi Ie1dS btcdusc MN, VI Het
territory had been yielded By Mexico; il follows,
| then. that il il was wrong 10 have marched our
troops from Corpus Chtisli 10 The Rio Bravo del
Nore, opposite Malamoras, il ,ras equally wroag
u hare marched our troops at al from anu point OF
tic United States mia any portion 0f Teas, be-
cause the ictole OF Texas, equally with that par.
| living between the Nueces and the Rio Bravo del
Nortc, was claimed BY Mexico; and The COM
| plant OF The march rom Corpus Christi - an
argument Eiict S0ps mt short Of yielding al
once our rhotc acquisition 81 Itras-
That Congress, by its own acts, pointed out 10
the Executive, and designated clearly the limits
o! Texas, from which, By the good faith OF The
treaty and cessioa OF annexation, tie Ezccntre
ot he United Siss ,caS J0und 10 rcpel tnDasio n:-
| That East OF the declared boundary, The Rio
| Bravo del Nortc, Mexico, III pursuance OF her
| previous notice, commenced 10 wage the wal,
and 'asi o. that boundary, The invasion by her, OF
! Inc .ne&ed territory, was thrice repei!et, before
our foUps crossed that river and hoslilites on our
| pal; mag truly be said never 10 have been Carried
| into the limits OF Mexico, proper until after Con-
| sress had, by public act in response To mes
sage from The Executive, submitting 10 Congress
entirely the question oi peace or war, soemniy
| declared the war 10 be an 'e1tSinS par
That this was most potential declaration Of
war b. Congress, whose constitutional power
alone il is 10 declare wal;" and previous 10 II
the President had simply discharged the duly
| imposed on the Executive by the Constitution, Of
rpsuins inrGs.on:-
| That alter The acl OF annexation was morally
certain, much less consumma,ed, had the Presl-
dent neglected 10 have ordered troops INFO
Texas and had he allowed Mexico 70 overIun
and lay waste her borders, he would have been
wanting in his Chief Executive duty, and been
Justly Liable 10 the severest ccnsure and condem-
| nation =
That the war has been prosecuted with unusua
moral firmness, and conducted with extraordinary
vigor, considering the small regular army OF The
United States and the limited appfopra tons Tor
military operations which had TO be carried on
in the enemy's counlry,) as proved by The bril-
liant success with which il has been crowned -
That il the war has cost too much, it has been
owing chiefly 10 the nagHanimi,y and humane
torbearance with Which il has been prosecuted in
the enemy's county; and The moral hfmness ot
The Executive, in maintaining the policy Of its
continued prosecution has been equalcd only by
| the valor and skill! Of our gallant and devoted OIL
| fcers and soldiers in the field, who have won for
US a glory in arms, worth mere among the ma
lion, Of The earth than all the cost Of the war,
even though il may far exceed the most exasgc-
| rated estimate -
| That looking 10 the final issue Of the war,
| there should be no hesilancy and no relrea, upon
| our pan. To hesitate, would be 10 manifest
doubt both OF our own wisdom and OF our own in
legritv al the beginning; and to retreat, would be
10 make III our expenditure, however great, in
vain, and TO convert by our own admission, all
our glorious victories into 50 many butc hercs
The blood Of which oush, 10 cry aloud 10 Heaven
asains; Us, not only from Mexicaus slain, but
from The lamenied dead OF our own country men
sacrificed By Wanlon and worse than worthless
invasion:-
That nothing bu, national dishonor and dis
grace could possibly follow The imbecility which
would nop-afcr all which has transpred, no mat.
Ter what might have been our duty and policy at
rs-iai TO obtain Tor indemnity for the original
claims, Reimbursement for The expenses oi the war,
satisfaction in the form oil damages for the inflic-
ton OF the war without just cause and without
net essiy, and Tor wa9ine j, barbaIously, and Sc
cnrlty Tor the tu ure against Inc Vaccinations OF
European mo'la7ctIes upon The North American
continent. These are the plain and obvious Oh.
iecis and ends OF the wall
And, finally, il causes beyond our control shall
prolong this war, and We shall be reluctantly CON-
PEELED 10 take more Of the territory OF Mexico
than We would originally have willingly negotia-
led Tor without war, We should take enough OF it
amply 10 satisfy and secure all those ends, and 10
acquire for ourselves the fruits Of The trade OF the
Pacific ocean, and, ii We forced 10 int orporate
the degenerate mixed race OF SpaBiards and In
dams vi Mexico, themselves inca pable OF selt-go-
yernment, we mus, show 10 the world that we
en- do il more for their own good than our bene.
fiji, By saving them from The domination of mill
lary ,Yrans a, home and OF The monarchy or i'm
perialism OF The Old World, giving them their
rGdisiu bed lard titles and their religion and all
their franchises free, without injury or sacrifice
on their part, Just as easily as we can and do
yearly incorporate heterogeneous masses from
Europe or govern tribes of savages on our own
borders, demonstrating that the Republican III
sulious Of the United States Of North Amerl-
ca are capable OF indefinite e1pansbiry and de-
velopment:--
The people OF The U. States have shown hem.
selves The riehtiul Conquefors OF Mexico ard
lie, no, the leaders oil the Democratic parry lot a
Il kLcL lie PcnuLe 1L liz