Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-03-30
MR. BUCHANAN AND MEXICO,

70 hide from observation the treacheries and
yillanies of his administration in the smoke OF
war with Mexico; and the leaders of the
democratic party at Washington would like
well some such diversion of public attention
to aid their movements in regard to the coming
presidential election. 1t may be, also, thai
the presidents disgraceful Mexican policy
is stimulated in part by stupid ambition to
acquire a strip of new territory, or do some
thing else remarkable, before his term closes
'Mexico is our sick man, ready to die, and
we must seize his effects else they may fall
into the hands of others. We must take mill
tary possession of the country" Such is the
democratic talk at Washington This I'M
scrupuIeus policy of the administration ex-
plains the recent naval affair at Vera Cruz
The CAPTURE of the Miramon steamers would
not have been made if the president were not
plotting the seizure of Mexico. His approval
of that affair has been announced; but the
nature of the man is SO treacherous and false
that he is quite likely to sneak away from the
responsibility, and leave it to be borne entirely
by the naval officers concerned, when the
consequences of the outrage begin to appear
more distinctly.
No view that can be taken of the capture of
those steamers will make it seem justifable.
1t was an act of war, without authority, prov
ocation, or reason. The steamers were quiet
ly at anchor in Mexican waters. They had
passed the castle without showing flag, and
our squadron had no right whatever to inter-
fere with them. Not the shadow of a good
excuse for doing so can be invented. Itshould
be noticed also that the Wave and Indianola,
used by our naval officers in their proceedings
against the Miramon steamers, were Mexican
vessels in the service of Juarez. Was it be-
lieved that the steamers from Havana would
answer in a friendly tone any challenge from
such vessels Flags were displayed immedi-
ately, when the Saratoga went into the fray
but they did not stop the "battle," nor prevent
the capture. 1t should be observed, also, that
the attack was delayed until the "small hours"
of the night. The Charleston Mercury has
intelligence which states the case as follows =
"At three o'clock at night the American
Commodore orders the American sloop-ofwar
Saratoga, and the steamers Indidnold and The
Wave, to proceed to the anchorage of the
Mexican steamers One of the steamers, TAX
ing alarm, raised her anchor and moved of,
and shot fired at her by the Saratoga.
The Indianola then sent up to her to overhaul
her, and her hail is very naturally answered
by volley of musketry. The Saratoga then
pours in a broadside, and a general fight takes
place. Now, in the first place, what business
had an American war vessel to attempt to
compel steamer, quietly lying in the harbor
of Vera Cruz, to show her colors AS these
steamers were in Mexican harbor, the au-
thority of Mexico only could demand the ex-
hibition of coIors. The American vessels
were in this har5or only by the courtesy of
nations, or by the express treaty. They had
no right to assume the sovereignty of Mexico,
and compel by force the exhibition of colors of
vessels belonging to other nations in the har-
Dor of Vera Cruz. Bnt if they had the right
to require of the Mexican steamers to exhibit
their colors, they required it when the colors
could not be seen. They went at the dead of
the night to perform their delicate affair. 1t
is stated that the Mexican steamers did run up
their colors, but of course they were unds-
tnguishable at night The Mexcans certainly
could not have inferred that this was the pur-
pose of the American war vessels. They
found themselves at dead of night surprised
and shot at. They of course supposed that
the American squadron were enemies come to
capture them. We fear they were right and
the hunt after colors was mere pretext. The
American squadron, we fear, attacked the
Mexican steamers in the harbor of Vera Cruz
at night with a view to capture them. The
Constitution says that Congress only shall de-
clare or authorize war. Is not this war, not
only on an enemy, but on a weak and unoffend-
ing people with whom we are in profound
peace 2"
The consequences of this affair are not like
ly to be pleasant to those responsible for it.
What is to be done with the vessels and pris-
oners ? They are neither pirates, nor people
with whom we are at war. There is more
"pracy" in the fact that our government has
in hand such prisoners, than can be justly al
legged against them. The capture is certain to
become very inconvenient, and, the talk is that
most of the men,-some $50 in number,-will
be discharged, while the government "keeps
Marin for trial" Trial for what? 1t will be
impossible to find an honest answer to this
question. He has done us no harm, and he is
guilty of nothing but being in the service of
one of the two factions now at strife in Next
CO. The thought of putting him on trial for
"piracy" is an insult to justice and disgrace
to the government officials who entertain it.
The annexation of Mexico to the United
States would be one of the greatest calamities
that could befal this republic and, those who
seek it do SO because they think it would eff
fectually counteract the influence of free insti-
tutions and make the slave power irresistible
1t would be an addition of ignorance, anarchy,
and barbarism, and could have no other effect
than to reinforce the dangerous influences al
ready at work among us, to discredit the Dec
laration of Independence and exterminate free
principles. If we had in the country no better
men than Wigfall of Texas, and the class he
represents, the country would soon be as disor-
derby, barbarous, and contemplate, as Mexico,
with less ciyility of manners and more brutal
villainy. We want no more such social and
political material. There is more than enough
already and, so long as we have Wigfalls,
and Utah, and New Mexico, and SO forth, to
civiize and train to intelligence and self gov
eminent, we may as well lay aside all designs
upon Mexico.
TIE CONSTITUTIONAL PARTY EXPLAIN
ED.-rhe Boston Courier is grieved that the
Boston Post should fail to see, at once and
without prompting, all the ravishing glories of
the new Constitutional Union party" "This
is very ungenerous, for, says the Courier,
without those who will constitute the new par