Evansville weekly journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 184?-18??, 1848-01-20

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queror. But how a free and independent re-
public can grow up under such circumstances,
is to me incolnprehensible. l had always sup
posed that republican government was the spon-
taneous work of the people-that it came from
the p~eople-from the hearts of the p~eople;-that
it was supported by the hearts of the people,
and that it required no support-no protection
from any quarter whatever. But, sir, it seems
that these are antiquatedn otions-obsolete ideas
and that we may now manufacture repub-
lies to order, by authority ola conquering gov
eminent. * h. +.-a .f,a
But suppose, sir, all these difficulties sur
mounted. How can you make a free govern
ment in Mexico9 Where are your materials?-
1t is to be, | presume, a confederated govern
ment like our own. Where is the intelligence
in Mexico adequate to the construction of such
Ia government? That is what she has been aim
ing at for twenty odd years, but so utterly in
competent are her people for the work, that it
has been a complete failure from beginning to
end. The body of the intelligence and wealth
of Mexico c~oncentered in the priesthood, who
are altogether disinclined to that form of gov
eminent. Then the owners of the haciendas-
the large planters of the country, who comprise
almost all the remaining mass Of intelligence,
are without opportunities of concert--and
destitute of the means of forming such a
government. Sir, such a government would
be impossible-and if put up, would tumble
down the very next day after our protection was
withdrawn.
Itappears to me to be a far more plausible
plan if it is determined to have peace, to sus-
tain the government that now exists in Mexico;
or rather to refrain from putting it down. Let
it grow up and mature itself. l have conversed
with several of the officers of the army-men of
intelligence-on this subject, and all agree in
the opinion that the mere shadow of a govern
ment which now remains at Queretaro, will
have no authority whatever, and tina if we were
to make a peace in any degree conforma
tony to our view of what a peace ought to
be, the very moment we withdraw, it would
all be overthrown; and what then? The .ery
country assigned to us by the peace for an
indemnity, we mnst either hold defensively
and be brought back ultimately to the defensive
line, which would be the end of the whole oil
it; or, return and renew this war ill it termin-
ates in the conquest of the country,
| protest utterly against this government I'M
dertaking to build up any government in Mex
leo with the pledge ofprotection. The party
placed in power must be inevitably overthrow
and we will be under the solemn obligation tt
turn and reinstate them in power, and tina
5 would occur again aud again, till the country
would fall into our hands precisely as Hindos
| tan fell into the hands of the English. Thii
5 very conquest of Hindostan which we have
been censuring for years, ever sine | r~ecollect
} was the result of mistaken policy, leading OF
| from step to step, each one deeper and deepe
, scarcely any design of conquest being enter
2 tanned, but ultimately conquest became una
voidable and it was necessary not only tt
hold the country, but to conquer the adiacen
/ territory.
Well, sir, if this contingency follows-ifth thu
Executive fails in establishing another govern
I ment there under our encouragement and pro
f lection, and if The government itself shall re
: fuse to make a treaty with us on such terms a
: we will accept in regard to indemnity, then tn
e President himself agrees that he must take tn
4 very course which have said would be the in
, eyitable consequence ola vigorous prosecution
of the war. The President says in substance
: after having attempted to build up such a gov
ernment-after having employed the best ef
: forts to secure peace upon the most liberia
r terms, if all fall; | now give his own words
if all fail, we must hold on to the occupation o
the country. we must take the measure of in
+ demnity into our hands, and enforce sucl
4 terms as the honor of the country demands
Now, sir, what is this? Is it not an acknow
S Judgement, that if this fictitious government
which is aimed at, cannot be built up, we mus
t make a conquest of the whole country and oc
: cupy it?-can words be stronger? "Occup,
n the country,"-Take the full measure of indem
= nity;-no defensive line-no treaty;-and tn
force terms;-terms on whom? on the govern
: ment-No-no-no. 1t is to enforce the term
+ on the people individually; that is to say, to es
a tablish a government over them in the form G
d provinces.
n Well, the President is right. If in the Wig
IS oreus prosecution Of the war, as the Presiden
II proposes, the contingency should fail, and tn
chances of its failure are many, there will be n
h retreating. Every argument against calm
back the army, as they designate it-agains
e taking defensive line, which ii is now advanced
will have double force after you have spent SIX
e ty millions of dollars, and have acquired posses
sion of the whole of Mexico. The interests i
favor of keeping us there will be much NOR
is influential then than now. The army itsel
will be larger. Those who live by the war
| large and powerful body-the numerous cor
lie tractors, the suffers, the merchants, the specr
lie lators in the lands and mines of Mexico, an
? all enaged every way, directly or Indirectly i
is the progress of the war, and absorbing the Who'll
a expenditures, will be all adverse to retiring
lie and will swell the cry in favor of continuin
| and extending conquest. The President talk
10 sir, of taking indemnity into our hands, ther
but, why not take indemnity now? We al
il much nearer indemnity now, than we will /
+ at the end of the next campaign, when W
t, shall have sixty millions added to the expend
re ture of the last forty, What will you the
at have to indemnify you? Nothing but a Mex
1e can population, on whom you are to impo:
r. taxation in all forms and shapes; and among:
tn which you will have to maintain an army of
sh least forty thousand men; according 10 the Sci
us ator from Mississippi, (Mr. DAvIs,gnot
. very large number, for he says, that the sever
at ty-three thousand men now there are in dal
ut ger. That there is no indemnity at all. Yc
ct will never get enough in that way to meet yol
be expenditures. 1t with all have to come out
of the pockets of the people of the United State
re and after all, the talk Of indemnity, of pushir
to on this war vigorously to success, at the end
he the next campaign, instead of indemnity, yc
Of viii have a heavy pecuniary burden in
nd posed upon the present and succeeding gei
he Grafton.
Ir. Well, MIR. President, we have now come
IN the solemn question proposed by these resol
to tons. l have shown where his line of poli'
he will, in all probability, lead you'll may sa
re will inevitably lead you, unless some une
IS pected contingency should prevent. 1t W
lead to the blotting out of the nationality
ID. Mexico, and the throwing of eight or nj
ng millions of people without a government