Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1848-01-13
VOL. XIII, NO. 9.---WHOLE NO. 2I52.


ed, any part Of his original scheme Of
coDquering and annexing considerable
portion OF the territory Of Mexico, the
President comes to Congress and de-
mands its concurrence in plan for col
onlzlng and annexing almost one half Of
Mexico, with a recommendation to con-
tinue the war, until he, the Conqueror,
conquers all the residue Of that unhappy
Republic, in the event Of her not will
lingly scvering from her body her most
valuable provinces. Instead Of advising
n peace, which this Government might
have at any day upon terms Of honor he
informs Congress, in ST. nguinory strain,
and almost in the dialect Of the shan.b es,
that he is persuaded "that the best
means of pindicdting The national honor
and interest, and Of bringing the war 10
an honorable close, will be to prosecute
i; tci'h increased energy and po,cer IN THE
VITAL PARTS of The enemy's couairy."
He knows that he and his war stand con-
demned by his own countrymen. He
cannot if he would, mistake the scnti-
ment of the People; and yet he Graves
more conquest, more butchery; he de-
mands deeper penetration into the vi
tails OF our adversary, and yet further
waste Of the blood and treasure of our
own country.
Before he take captive our senses by
the seductive indictments, in which his
Message abounds, to yet wider course
of rash ambition and suicidal aggran-
dizement, let us stop for a moment TO
consider upon what grounds he places
and justifes the career of cruelty and
conquest in which he has already en-
barked our country. A single para
graph includes the whole story; and,
as we propose 10 examine it with some
particularly, we here republish it:
Z" 1t is sufficient on the present occa-
sion to say that the wanton violation OF
the rights OF persons and property of our
citizens committed in Mexico, her re-
peated acts Of bad faith, through long
series Of years, and her disregard of
! solemn vows, STIMULATING Tor indemnity
TO our injured citizens, not only consti-
tuted ample cause of war, on our part,
but were of such an aggravated charac-
ter as would have justified US before the
whole world in rcsoriing to this extreme
remedy. With an anxious desire TO a
void rupture between the two coun-
tries, we forbore for years TO assert our
clear rights by force, and continued to
seek redress for the wrongs we had suf-
fered by amicable negotiations, in the
hope that Mexico nigh, yield to pacific
councils and the demands Of justice. In
this hope we were disappointed. DOR
minister Of peace sent 10 Mexico was
insul'ingy rejected. The Mexican gov
eminent refused even to hear the terms
of adjustment which he was auAzed
to propose and finally, under WiToiiy
unjustiiiable pretexts, involved the Two
countries in war, by invading The terri
tory Of the State Of Texas, striking the
first blow, and shedding the blood of our
citizens on our own SOIL"
] Thus the President again recites al
: lodged wrongs by Mexico, through a
f " long series Of years." &c, as being
y such as not only to constitute ample
g cause of war, but as would have justified
: the United Suites before the world in
: resorting TO this extreme remedy. Tins
e every one at all acquainted with history,
j knows to be gross exaggeration. The
: long existence of claims for wrongs now
r alleged to have been so enormous is of
n itself proof of the fact that they were
n not at any time deemed by Congress 10
S constitute a sufficient cause Of war
i Most Of them had besides been actually
: adjusted by treaty between the two
=, countries, which was in the course OF
p faithful execution by Mexico when the
i hostile demonstration Of our adminstra
e ton suspended the payment of stipula-
: ted lndemnities. As 10 what remained
# Of unad lusied claims, there was nothing,
f until the occurrence of this war, to pre-
: vent their peaceable and satisfactory
: adjustment. AS to the refusal by Mcxi-
c leo to receive our minister, being, as the
y President intmates, sufficient cause of
:, war, it is a sufficient answer TO the Pres
= ident that the army was ordered 10
)
/ ding to the programme of the Govern
{ ment paper, The 0ar was 10 begin) Two
: months before our minister was finally
! refused to be received by the Govern
ment of Mexico.
, But lei it be admitted, for the sake of
argument, and for that sake only, that,
S according TO the customs and laws of
| nations in less civilized, less moral, and
F.. less enlightened aye than the present,
{ we really had cause of war with Next
, CO, so far as war between two Christian
7 Nations is ever just or necessary yet,
, war with Mexico, distracted, weakened,
and impoverished as she had been and
, then was, with intestine factions and d.
visions, was neither necessary, magnan-
mous, nor honorable on our part. Such
, a war, even for such objects, being np-
, necessary-the only inevitable effect in,
deed upon the claims for which II would
be waged being to fasten them upon our
; own Treasury instead Of the Mexican--
could never rebound TO the glory of the