Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1848-07-29

Taylor, however destined to win renown in
the approaching war, went to i exas mol 10
make war,-not desiring, not even expect
ing war to occur; but, manifestly, hoping or
thinking--''ihe wish was father TO the
thouyht''--ihat there would be no war, and
that the presence of His army on the new
frontier would have the good effect of re-
moving the only danger, by preventing the,
otherwise, possible inroads of exasperated
Mexicans into Texas. This appears unde-
niable. both from his official letters and his
acts. and from nothing more clearly than
his calm and Just accounts Of the Mexican
force and military preparation on the Rio
Grande--for he always secuted the wild
rumors of gathering armies, that designing
men, anxious for hostilities, sent home; from
his indisposition to sscall for volunteers from
the United States,n which lie did not be-
lieve would "become necessary, under any
circumstances" and from the fact that al
though instructed by Mr.. Bancroft, acting
Secretary of War, as early us June 10,
1915, to occupy post son or near the RIo
Grande," he avoided doing SO (Mexico
having made s'no declaration of war, OF
committed any overt act of hostilitles, he
did not feel at liberty, . he said, ''to make
such movement'') until constrained by the
Presidents orders of january Is, 1916. .'to
move forward with his force 10 the Rio
| Grande;" and here he selected the site OPP
posite Matamoros, instead of the more dis
tant Loredo, because that was the nearest
place to his depot at Point Isabel, and he
did not think il "entrcly safes to 'sseperate
his force further' at the time. rs
No: it is obvious rs from his letter of Mo-
vember z, lS45, that the veterans mind was
full of kindlier thoughts than those Of battle
aud ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS about the health and
lives of his poor soldiers, ifcompelled upon
summer marches, in that unhealthy climate,
to found the posts contemplated by govern
ment on the Rio Grande. 81 cannot urge
too strongly upon the Department. be says,
s'the necessity of occupying those posts be-
fore the warm weather shall set in. A
1 large amount Of sickness is, | fear, To be
unprecedented, with every precaution to be
taken; but the information which obtain
| leads me to believe that summer move
ment would he attended with great expense
Of health and life.n
| Sent to Texas, ostensibly, and as he felt
and believed, only to guard the new frontier
of the republic, in the vicinity Of the peo-
/ pie whom no considered swell disposed to-
wards our governments" no general in the
world could have entertained more pacliic
views and wishes, none could have acted
more faithfully and judciously upon the res
CLINTON, 10y purely defensive and concii-
iatory course, 10 preserve peace and avert
the horrors or war. p.ioetont TO an,v,o,
and moving only, upon the Rio Grande,
when positively ordered by the American
Government to do so, he went DESTROYS OF
peace, but prepared for war, and ready to
repel and punish any assault which his fore
bearance might not prevent ltwas not un-
Ill March goth, 1916, while on the banks of
the Rio Grande, that he was compelled to a.
bandon his hopes, and acknowledge that
the attitude ofthe Mexicans was "decidedly
hostile.'' IL is foreign to our present pnr-
pose to comment on the order of govern
smcnt which induced, or exasperated, them
to assume such an attitude; but when they
threw down the gauntlet and drew the
sword, the soldier. of Okeechobee sighed;
vet he was in moment in his harness; aud
in six months, Palo Alto, and La Palma,
and Zachary Taylor, were names for his
! tory. r-,t eNea. si5s8H