Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1848-02-24
From the National hiteMgncr.
PRIvATE.l
To JAMES X. POLK, President Of Me
United States of America, DC.
Cry OF MEXICO, ANNEXED u. $,

Dear COLONEL : Icei Poou ot.al ahNlOus 10
hear how you are getting along there to home,
and spose you are full as anxious to know
how We are going IT ont here. | got your
message Ia Congress, and their first three days
doings, and that's the last I've heard. When
| found the Wings had fairly carried the
House, ! see IN moment there was a bad
time ahead for us. Says |, look out for
squalls the old ship will have rough time of
it this winter had good mind TO come
right home to help stand by the helm, for |
knew you would need me. But then | see at
once that wouldn't do, for our officers have got
dreadful snarl here, and shouldn't dare to
leave till things is settled, for fear the anncxin
would all 90 back again, and we should lose
our two years work. SO as can't come, all
can do is to give my notions about things a
little, by way OF advice.
see how twill be the House will be quar-
rel ng with you all winter: they'll be asking
you all the hard questions they can think of,
aud all the time prying into your secrets about
the war and annexin. And don't believe the
Senate will be copper better. Ills true there
alnt so many Wings there, but there's them
there that is full AS bad. You never can do
any thing with Mr. Calhoun; you know he
always splits every thing in two, even to a
this anncxin business will be to split off lit
tie piece of Mexico. If he finds out we are
nnncxin ,hc whole of it, he II fight agn us II
all is blue. Then there's Col. Benton, don't
thn is a whit better than Mr.. Calhoun. You
know what fuss he made when we took in
Texas, because we sot out to take III little
strip of VI ,y'co with it, only little rea-
sonable strip, too, jest on our side of the fiver
so as to make square work of it. Col. Ben.
tons ebenczer was right up about it he said
it ddn't belong to us, and it didn't belong to
Texas. and we had no right to it, and shouldn't
touch it. Now, if he had made such . fuss
about that little strip on our side of the river,
he il be likely to raise Ned and turn up Jack If
he finds out we have "A notion of anneXin the
whole of Mexico. And he's a terrible enemy
to have, | cnn tell you don't believe there
another man III the country that can look down
opposition equal to him. Now, with such men
as these in the Senate, besides all the thunder
OF Webster, and all the pcrsuadin Of Crttcn-
den, how are you going TO get along' think
there s no way for MS to>gct along safe but to
keep such men in the dark. Keep coaxing the
money out of EN- TO conquer piece, but never
let EN- IN 'srust that we intend 10 conquer the
whole. We must look one way all the time :
time of it, for Congress will keep diving into
you all the time with this question and that,
aud pryn into all the secrets about the war,
and want TO know what orders you give to us
ont here in Mexico, and what the armies are
going to do, and where all the money goes to,
and Il thousand things that they've no business
with Now, when they keep coming to you
with these ugly questions, think the only
safe way will be for you to shet your mouth
right up, and keep stiff upper lip, and not say
a word, And do pray be careful what YOU tell
to good old Mr.. Richie, Cor you know he new
er CouM keep his mouth Shut. There 5 some
dogs, YOU know that always bark AT the wrong
time, and irightcn away the game. You never
can train EN- to keep still when they ought TO.
You remember, more than two years ago, be-
fore the war begun, when you was laying but
the work privately and carefully, and getting
you ships round to the Pacific, and giving the
officers their orders to stand ready and wait I'LL
the train was touched on this side, and the mo-
ment they heard the first sound of the war to
snap up California, and annex it, and hold Oh to .
it, so that if we found the people wouldn't let
the war 90 on, we could come to a settlement,
and each side hold what they had got-you re-
member how Mr.. Ritchic got so full fthe mat
ter that he liked to blowcd the whole business
up by letting on about the conquest of Mexico.
4 little more such carcessncss at that time
would been likely to upset our whole klttlc
of fsh-we might a lost California and Santa
Fc, and likely enough even that little strip on
our side of the river lining Texas. And, AS
for the whole of Mexico, our jig would been
up at once we might whstled for 1t till
doomsday, but 'twouldn't come
think you did right to make belief in your
message that you had no idea ofconquerng the
whole of Mexico ! don't believe II would bcI
safe to take that ground till the work is all
done. The people OF our country are too sklt-
tsh vet about conquerng other countries they
haint got use to it, And for this reason you
will have to be very firm with Congress, and
not let EN- cross-qucstlon you too close, and
get YOU into bother. Call upon them boldly
for large armies. and all the millions of money
the mints can make, and all that Mr.. Walker
can borrow, aud tell EN- YOU are digging into
the vital parts of Mexico to get that five millions
she owes us.
If they ask YOU if Mr. TYLER didn't offer to
give up that five millions 10 Mexico To pay
her for our taking Texas without her leave,
cst shct your mouth up.
If they ask YOU if we hadn't ought to give
mp that five millions to Mexico for that strip on
our side of the river that YOU sent Gen. Taylor
to take without her leave, jest shct your mouth
up.
If they ask you if Mr.. Trist didn't offer to
give up that five millions to Mexico and pay
her twenty millions more If she wouldn't try
TO get back California aud New Mexico, that
YOU had taken from her without her leave, Jest
shct your mouth up.
II they ask YOU what upon earth you car
want now of hundred thousand soldiers III
Mexico. and hundred millions Of dollars a
year for spending money, Jest open your lips
carefully little WAYS, and tell en- you are
digging into the vitals parts of Mexico TO get
tina, five millions she owes US.
Then shct your mouth right up again, and
keep it shct, and guess you'll be safe. Dom
be afraid of en-; they cant pry your mouth
open if they should try; and | guess ,hst
answer will pacily EN- till we get the work all
done and Mexico all annexed. Then you can
step up to EN- boldly and tell EN- you have
made the greatest bargain that any body ever
made on this air,h you have got thr whole of
Mexico, people and all, for five millions of
dollars. which is only about fifty cents head
for the people, and the lands aud the gold mines
thrown IN for nothing.
I'm persuaded it will make the greatest man