The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1848-01-20

possession ample h rover the Eisims n
our rilizens aud Ihe expenses Of lhe war.
he sought II indireesly through treaty |
with sfexiro. lie thus pm II out Of our
own power, and under The control Of
Mexieo. 10 say whether re should have
indemnity Or MOI. and thereby enabled her
10 defeat ahe whole object of the campaign
hy simply refusing 10 treat with ms. Ow-
ing 10 This mistaken policy, after = most
successful and brilliant campaign. inyols-
ing an expenditure not less. probably. Than
forsy millions Of dollars, and the sacrifice.
Inv The sword and by disease. 81 many
valuable lives. probably not less Than SIX
or seven thousand, nothing j. lefl but The
glory which orr army has acquired.
But. as an apology Cor all this. il IS in
sisted that The maintenance OF a defensive
line wonld have involved as great sacrI-
flee as the campaign itself. The Presi'
dent and the Secretary OF War have as
signed many reasons for entertaining this
opinion. have examined them with care.
This j. not the proper occasion TO discuss
them. bu, | must say, with all due defer
ence, they are. to my mind. utterly ialla-
scious: and TO satisfy your minds lha. such
is the case, will place the subject IN
single point Of view.
The line proposed by me, TO which !
suppose their reasons were intended 10 ne
applied, would he covered in its whole ex'
lent from the Pacific Ocean 10 the Paso
del Norte, on the Rio Grandc, by The Gull
Of California, and the wilderness peopled
Inv hostile tribes Of Indians, through which
no Mexican force could penetrate. For
it's entire occupancy and defence, notillng
would be required but few small vessels
, Of war stationed in the Gull. and single
. regiment 10 keep down any resistance
|, from the few inhabitants within. From
|, lihc Paso del None 10 the mouth Of the
river. distance Of few hundred miles,
single fact will show what little fore
, lwill be necessary TO its defence. II was
frontier between Texas and Mexico
when the former had but an inconsldera-
BILE populaiion-not more than hundred
i. and fifty Thousand nj the utmost al any
lime-with no standing army, and but We.
!. nv few irregular troops; yet for several
!. years she maintained this line, without
g any, except slight occasional, intrusion
!. from Mexico, and iha, too when Mexico
n was far more consolidated in her power
Ia and when revolutions were not so Ire
). quent, and her money resources were Ia
s greater than al present. II, then, Iexa
- alone, under such circumstances, coul
n defend that frontier for so long period
!, can any man believe that now, when sh
}. is backed by the whole United States
!. now that Mexico is exhausted, defeated
and prostrated-J repeat, can any man be
n llieve that ii would involve as great SAT
= riice 10 us Of men and money to deien
:. that frontier as did the last campaign! No
= hazard nothing in asserting that, to de
i fend it for ain indefinite period, would hay
:. required less sum than the interest Of
!. the money spent in the campaign, AM
). fewer men than were sacrificed in carry
/, ing it on.
e So much for the past. We now conn
/. to the commencement OF another cam
n paign; and the question recurs, what shall
). be done The President, in his message
). recommends the same line of policy;
i vigorous prosecution Of the war--nol TO
n conquest, that is again emphatically disa
|. vowed not to blot Mexico out of the lis
i of nations no, he desires TO see her an in
o dependent and fiourishing community, ant
v assigns strong reasons for il; but 10 OBJ
5 tain an honorable peace. We hear M
c more of conquering peace, but presume
=. that he means by an honorable peace tn
e same thing that is, TO compel Mexico tt
e agree to treaty cedng sufficient par
E OF her territory, as an indemnity for ths
: expenses of the war and for the claims o
4 our citizens. .. 49,. ...s. ....e ..s..,.m@.
i have examined with care the ground:
: on which the President renews his recon
! mendation, and am again compelled 10 dis
e sent. There are many and powerful rea
/ sons, more so even than those that existet
i at the commencement of the last campaign
F. TO Justify my dissent. The sacrifice IN
j. money will be vastly greater. There is .
l. bill for ten additional regiments now be-
+ fore the Senate, and another for twenty re
5 giments of volunteers has been reported
+ authorizing in all the raising OF an add
,, tiona force Of something upwards Of thlr
i ~ thousand This. in addition to that al
i ready authorized by law, will be suflieien
II TO keep an effective army in Mexico o
is no, much, il any, less than seventy thou
l. sand men, and will raise the expenses o
lie the campaign to probably no. less thai
ID sixty millions Of dollars. ..,.<.~ =.
10 TO meet so large an expenditure wonl'
4. involve, in the presen, and prospective
A. condition of the money market. ii is to b
|; apprehended, not little embarrassment
re Last year money was abundant and eas
a. Ily obtained. An unfortunate famine /
re Europe created great demand for our as
is ricultnral products. Tha, turned the ha
OF ance Of trade greatly in our favor, and sp'
i'll Gle poured into the country with siron
to and steady current. No inconsiderab
-. nort;on III il nassed into the treasur,