The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-02-29
NUMBER A.

craven rear, anu WHAT Dy uamnaDle cOErNEN&
ton.
But the conduct of those who had bean;the
most inscriptions in plotting to affect annex
alton was less enormous in atrocity than that
of their Northern allies, who had excused theh
votes for annexation under the saIvo ofsisEs
"Wilmot proviso," or the "BrinkeriHf preySa.
according to others. If they chose to aosteo ff6S-
gerheads with each other about the name let
them do so, and keep at it as long as they
liked. MIR. Nj. was willing to vote in support
OF that war. Whether it was the Brinkerhoff
or the Nilmot proviSo, it was the boI,lest expe-
riment that ever had been tried on the credu-
hty OF the American people but now that that
humbug had utterly failed to accomplish either
of the objects for which IT was gotten up, he
should not be surprised if those who ed been
the loudest and most clamolous IN It's favor
shouldprove to be the very first to list, II to the
voice of temptation from high places.
He knew that there were some DE- nocrats
who had voted for that measure WHO were men
of honor and integrity, and had been ;ctuated
by an honest regard for the good of he peo-
pie; but others had been tempted TO concur in
the measure as a means Of testifyine the regret
they felt at having voted for annexation But
the great mass were of far different desc rip
ton. Some were actuated BY pIopelling
force operating at home others Tor the sake Of
disposinc of an obnoxious Western c: ndidate
for the Presidency, who had committed him
self by a vote in the Senate while Il cir Nor
thern candidate lay snugly pertlu. ant e., aped
the responsibility. If the same Wes.oan eel,-
tleman should be candidate, his no sitst adj
vocates wonh fnd-(bnt what i WAS thev
would find the Reporter failed to h, sr) in
March that proviso had been defeated Nv Eve
votes, after having been previously carried By
nine. The Administration succeed, i in It's
defeat by using only five votes, had more been
necessary, they could have had fifty. Voices,
THAT Is tact,') But because an election
was approaching in New Hampshire, and an
other in Connecticut and something else was
coming on Maine, dispcnsatidn, was granted
for this one time to Northern friends Of the adj
ministraticn, and they were allowed rs an act
of grace to vote for the proviso, for this tine.
Mr. NJ. sad he was not very well atquain-
ted with present feelings OF Southern gentle
men ON The subject of annexation, Int he be-
lievcd that they began to discover THAT it was
not quite that Eldoradb they had in aeiaed;
that it had involved us in war, and lad had
the effect Of exciting among our people lust
of land that had led and was still urging rs ON
TO the commission Of all sorts of crimes In
the North it had raised tempest bciHre which
the Administration began TO quail and even
some clear-headcd men III the South itself be-
gan to doubt the wisdom of the step they lad
taken, and were fiin to be content 20 veil the
cfiulgence of the clone star by accomplishing
pcae with Mexico.
The only remedy for the evils we endured
was just ana honorable peace. But what
was an honorable peace? No peace could he
honorable to Ills that that WIS not ~ The sanc
time honorable to Mexico. There @ss no hon
or for the strongest party in contest IN bring
ing it TO an end, unless he had REGARD tothe
honor of the weaker party also. 1t was said
Mexico was largely indebted to Us, and We
must insist upon full payment of the denand.
Was Mexico indebted 10 us for secretly 70
mentin1 rebellion in one OF her provinces?
Did she owe us for onr taking iorciblc posses
sion of territory she claimed as hers, and which
our own Senate had solemnly voted to be hers?
Did she owe us for Strengthening her unoflen-
ding citizens. for the capture OF the Castle Of
SanJuan de Ulua; for the bOmbartment OF We
ra Cruz; for the capture OF her ancient capital,
or for the disgrace and dispersion of her Gov
ernmcnt? What in fact, did she owe Us but
the debts due to our private citizens for dep
relations committed on their property? And
who could doubt that these she was willing
and anxious to pay
But, on the other hand, had it never been
declared here that we owed Mexico for the
loss of her province OF Texas? Nay, had no in
timation been made to Mexico herself to that
effect? Who was prepared, who was able 10
strike the balance. and show the amount due
from us? Our citizens claimed some three
millions for indemnities; could any one show
that the compensation we owed MeXirO was
not twice or three times three millions:
Gentlemen repudatcd all idea OF acquisition
of territory by conquest. All they asked was
that VIC should ret California and New MeSi-
co as an indemnity to the United States for the
charges of this war Mr. NJ. insisted there
was no excuse for tie war on the Plea of in
dcmnity. Texas alone was indemnity enough.
That alone was more than enough. y corr
pulsorv treaty to paw us for the war would rs
TO AcxicO and doubly dishoncr-
able to ourselves. And the President and the
were now ready to buy what
before was TO have been obtained by con-
quest
It ought never to be forgotten that the strength
Of a nation was not measured by the strength Of
her amy or navy, or by the splendOr Of its Gov
ernment. A splendid Government was not the
object in the view Of cur fOrefathers when they
framed the constitution. Would any gentleman
maintain that the little republic Of San Na1inO
was less happy than the great State of Europe. or
that the Duchy of Tuscany was less harpily adj
than If it under the splendid
sceptre Of Meftcrnich Did gentlemen forget.
that the quiet unprctcnding Norway WIS at this
day the frcest country in Europe Ii was not
military strength which enabled a country to re-
sist the invasion of their liberties. Great aeets
and armies, the contrary, were themselves
means Of Executive patronage. They were q con-
embodiment Of Executive power. while
the resistance of that power was enfeebled from
its being scattered. In small republics the disIi
button OF power among different departments
tended to the preservaionof liberty. But in large
republics the reverse was true. The States hal
no fleets, ne regular armies; ard though the mn
litia even of one State, might defy the armies of
the Federal Government 10 arms. yet those ar
mics might nevertheless enable an ambitious anil
President TO subvert the liberty Of
his country So it happened in the Csc of Rome:
the leeions which had been raised for the pTotcc
ton of the frontier had fixed Dictator ON Ito !,