Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-01-08

] uanfs is the proud welcome which grees them.
L modern phlanthopss talk they please thei Instincts
of nature than the doctrines they preach Military
Of the great elements Of national strength,
Of the proudest Of qualification to every
who loves his country and desires her occupy dsn
guished position among the nations OF the earth.
should have been proud to have been in Europe during
military operations in Mexico Proud 10 witness the e
feet Of the skill and powers OF our army upon the statesmen
and politicians and communities of the old world During
the OF these there war there to attract
the general attention, and excite by its uncertainties and
vcsstudes the solcude Of the Government Our
the Of the day, and many steadast gaze cast
the Atlantic to watch the prospects and progress Of the
pattern Republic, invdiously termed in the
career into which had entered As all know in
situations have friends and foes in the other hemisphere To
both they light shining the ocean, but inviting
and warning Others the impressions experiment
! has produced have been favorable unavorabe
The anirepublcan croakers of the old world, at the
mencement Of our Government predicted that could not long
resist the shocks Of peace When they found could
do BOTH and do successfully they then denied power
carry without boundaries, should circum
stances require such exeron of national strength This
first great trial. for in the invasion Of Canada during
the last the operations that they did
strength for distant warfare The trial has been made
and has succeeded. No will hereafter call in question
capacity to assert rights wherever these may require
interference If the great experiment had failed would
have taken ages TO from the misfortune But now
wherever the American flag is borne, the Of Amer
known and that is every where. the glorious eats Of
this have proclaimed power, and have announced
nations Of the world Hereafter in the widest dreams Of
ambition there will be dream Of conquerng u.s. will any
hostile foot poue shore but escape from it. if can,
| as best 1t may.
The present bill provides raising ten additional regiments
Of infantry during the The average number
each regiment in the field is rather less than hreeouhs Of
the legal establishment that this measure if adopted, will
add about 500 men TO the army The organization pre-
sy that provided in the act which passed the last session
of Congress for raising additional orce and, the details
then fully considered and well known the Senate
need not recapitulate them here.
The which render this increase Of force necessary
clearly and forcby stated the report the Secretary
of War; that need do little than request that that por-
ton Of the document may be read.
The following extract from the report of the Secretary of
War was then read by the Secretary
"Our career Of success disastrous Mexico
quest Of many Of her States and territories the subuga-
and occupation Of her capital the defeat and dispersion
of her armies, the capture of mss of her matef OF war
and the humiliation OF her former commerce. have not yet
brought peace the offer Of such could be accepted
by the United States without national degradation The
still continues; and it is PROF to present suggestions
in regard to its further prosecution In making these sug
gesions, pass without remark, the proposition that we
should abandon all acquisitions and withdraw troops
from the enemys country Such proposition could only be
seriously entertained if we in reality the vanquished
party and convinced OF inability to polong the
test with reasonable hopes of success
Our further operations must, my opinion, be conducted
in Of the three following modes First to take and hold
an indemnify line recede from all places and positions
occupied in advance of it. and from all aggressive
operations beyond that line Second to the whole
country, and hold all the principal places in il by permanent
garsons and, third to retain what we possess open
the lines OF communication the INTERIOR and extend
operations to other important places and the
prospect of advantages shall ndcae-keepng dsposabe
force always ready within appoachahe limits to annoy the
enemy to seize supplies enforce contributions and illustrate
his efforts collect and assemble troops for the pur
pose of protracting the
full discussion of the comparative merits Of these modes
of conducting military operations would extend this
liz ahnn
conne my remarks few prominent considerations relative
! to EACH
Wih reference TO speedy peace with proper indemnity
and securityhe only object Of the wa-ihe ne-poicy
regarded Objectionable If present position cannot
command acceptable terms Of pucifcation from Mexico,
firing to indemnity line would certainly fail to. produce
such result it would weaken the inducements of the enemy
to put end to hoslies. Restored by voluntary
render to the possession Of his capital and important depart
ment and relieved from the pressure Of and from
all appehensons Of further conquest and annoyance beyond
the limits might select he would be left with abund
ant resources than he possesses prepare leisure and
security TO strike effective blow with concentrated forces
at detached posts To hold these posts safely to retain
possession OF the seaports have iii that should fall
within the poicy and to prevent incursons into the terri
tories which might choose appropriate TO ourselves,
would, in my opinion require force large would su
flee TO maintain what we now occupy and to carry our opera
tons still further the interior of the enemys country and
make him feel the caamites Of in way best calculated
to induce him to seek for peace. But if in this am mistaken,
and the nepocy should enable reduce the number Of
our troops, still VIII not as conceive, thereby elect re-
/ duction Of our actual expenditures for the
In consequence of the interruption of intercourse between
the eaports in possession and the parts Of Mexico
the collections imports have hitherto been nconsiderabe
IL the policy adopted this intercourse will continue TO
be interrupted, and consequently the receipts Of from
this source will be small.
"Unde the operation Of the line policy, all expectations
of lessenng the burden Of sustaining troops by deriving
supplies and contributions from the enemy, would be dsap
pointed The supplies in the vicinity of posts would be
Withdrawn from ourreach design TO seize and
appropriate them asccrained suspected But
Otherwise posts would be from the wealth and
Of the country the which could be obtained
would be uncomfortable.
ESQ far from deriving advantage from the line policy by
way obtaining assistance from the Of the enemy
towards the support Of troops should, apprehend
confer upon portion Of the people Of Mexico direct benefit
by opening them cost market, in which should
become the purchasers Of their products exorant price
These considerations without bringing into view Others have
led look Of the other modes Of operation have
mentioned preferable to that Of occupying indemnity line
ell regard to The second mode suggestedha Of occupying
the whole countryside wide extent of territory embraced in
the Mexican Republic, the many important points to be
oncd and the long lines Of communication be kept open
present difficulties OF no ordinary magnitude if our occupancy
is 10 be Of such character superede the Mexican
hoy, and require the temporary establishment Of civil gov
eminent In carrying this plan into effect would not be
reasonable to rely upon the favorable disposition,
aly of considerable part Of the Mexican people, until
Of the stability Of power derived from
its continuance Our posts therefore be strong and