Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-02-12
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
THE MARYLAND FARMER, AGAIN
ron rnE NATIONAL 1srrLLIGEscER,

a,,oi,able What can indemnify the nation for the
loss the many thousandbrave men whose corpses
are now fostering in the chaparrals of Mexico
win land or money do il We cannot get them
if they will All the valuable lands of Mexico are
nriyaie property; and as TO money, it is impossible
to get from her the tenth part of the sum required
for the daily subsistence of our armies. Will her
mines indemnify us Let us inquire first if they
enriched Spain during the three hundred years that
she possessed them. Will they be more profitable
to us than they were to her
But let us sec if we can get !" securty;" for Sc
CURLY is something that certainly need-not
against Mexico for so far she is concerned we
have never been in the slightes; danger. No one
is now so shallow as TO believe that, since the bat
tie Of San Jacinto, Mexico has ever had the least
intention of attacking us. True, she attacked our
troops when they invaded her soil but she did it
for the same reason that the sparrow will endeayor
TO defend its nest from the assaults of the eagle
The "securly" that we need is security against
the INSTRUMENTATION Of the Executive. Do we
not need an amendment of the constitution which
shall place the movements of our armies beyond
the control Of Executive power! Let us suppose
that hereafter g hairbrained young man. shall
succeed in reaching the Presidential chair; and let
us suppose further that the hyperbolical iend =
of foreign conquest shall get possession Of his
weak pia mater that, like second Malvolio, he
can talk of nothing but glory. II such man
be sufficiently fool-hardy TO throw himself over a
precipice into the midst of foreign war; is he 10
be permitted to drag the nation after him? Even
we are dared TO refuse to follow the Executive lead.
We boast of our constitution as the perfection of
human wisdom !; let us see if il be not found here
after to possess some unhappy defects.
But according to Others we now fighting TO
sustain " the honor and glory of the naton.' It. is
not difficult 10 see how man may acquire glory
by defending his country; but how he is to gain il
by assalfag weak and powerless people, is aot so
clear If l, who am six feet high, attack my pigmy
neighbor without provocaon, and beat and abuse
him beyond measure, instead of glory, | acquire
everlasting disgrace. | exhibit myself to the world
as dastardly rufian. But if continue my assault
until my victim, in utter despair, offers TO give up
his farm his purse to purchase respite from my
i'll usage, shall not cover myself with eternal in
fanny if | take them, by thus giving proof that
was governed by the meanest and vilest motives in
making the attack But if we could gain any amount
OF glory by the present war; would it look magnani-
nous IN US 10 acquire II at the expense of the Blood
the tears, and sorrows of Mexico! Would not the
heartlessness and cruelty of such course disgrace
the name of Christian nation
Conquests are in general alike injurious both to
the victors and the vanquished. The most of those
conquerors that we read of in history were the
meanest, vest, most unconscionabe scoundrels that
ever dsgraced the world Their principal charac-
teristic was ereeious recklessness of human life
and happiness.
The Cabinet appears TO be actuated BY spirit
so dark and vindctive towards Mexico that il is
perfectly appalling. Their only fixed line of poll.
cy is TO kill, kill, KILL The feeling of patriot
ism, heretofore considered as the first of human
virtues is punished in Mexicans as the most afro
cious OF crimes. Any attempt TO defend their native
country IS stigmatized as instruction and pun
hpI htrG 49,
with arms in his hands is called a guerrilla. and
every petty subaltern appears to feel at perfect lib
ery to inhct military execution upon all guerrillas
without the slightest hesitation, Not only So but
they are insuted, scof1ed at, eered, and assailed
with opprobrious epthets, even when being led out
TO be shot. And if an American is found slain by
private assassin, his comrades Immediately murder
score OF the first Mexlcans they meet, whether
innocent or guilty, by way of revenge Truly
"Man's inhumanity TO man,
''Makes countless thousands mourn"
II we will take the trouble TO read the history OF
the American Revolution, we shall find that the no.
bic and patriotic men who distinguished themselves
under GREENE, SUMTER, MARION and others were
reduced TO state but little superior to Mexican
guerrillas. They were at times almost totally dis.
organized, and without food, clothing or arms
Yet who does not admire the noble perseverance
with which they adhered TO the fortunes OF their
ahiappy IOuHuJ 0ildll VIC iIlSut the memory oil
such ancestors by furnishing men for displaying the
same virtues which they exhibited! Ii Is OF No
avail 10 tell Us that guerras desperate and law.
less men. What has made them desperate and
lawless, but our own unprovoked invasion Of their
country!
The friends Of the Executive tell us We INNS, send
an immense army TO Mexico FOR the purpose ri
producing a moral effect" And. astonishing a
it may seem, some Wing gentlemen unite with then
in the opinion. What do they mean by a mora
efFect!" Isit not the effect Of fear! The purnos,
then is ayowed that Mexico is 10 be frightened an,
dragooned into compliance with our terms. Bu
men who are governed by the fear Of military pow
or are Siares. Are we, then, TO e1sidrc Mexico
But il we assist the Executive in enslayng for
eign countries, how long will it be before he vii
be desirous Of attempting the same process upol
ourselves Even now his par'isans deprecae al
freedom Of debate, lest Mexico shall hear Of il. NJ
man Is to be permitted 10 breathe whisper in favo
oil truth and justice, lest Mexico shall be encourage
10 resist.
we nave always supposed that perfec; freedom
OF speech and debate was the birthrght of ever,
American. Must we now give them up 10 accom-
modate President Polk Was there any contrac,
express or implied at his Inauguration that. durip
ms Administration The nation should wear GAG
But what sort OF Democracy is this. which take
upon itseli all the attributes of the mos, odous IL
ranny = A Democracy that seeks TO enslave ma
tIons abroad and supDress al frooJo,, =, .UaoaL .