The Mexican War

Mr. Editor : - WiU you bring into requisilion n share of your nntive benevolenco, and help rae omi some others, out ofasatí dilemma. 1 nm one, who rcíidsa goodly number of the jmunals and perjudicáis oí the dny, nnd without ehuminglo be ícarnetí n any brnncii, yet í would choosc to be estirmted hy aiy neighbors, asa man ofordinary discornment. Now, sir, what I wisb to know, ií, what is ilie real oíuho of the bloody war wbich ve aro wnging witli Mexico ? 1 have stipposed for some time, thnt I wa bchind tlio limes, that every one el-c, perfeclly understood what were ihc injuries and insulls, wbích that nation liad inliicíed non us, and bv somedental oversight 1 had missed thein. I voad evcry democratie paper I could find to supply the defoct bul without success. Theo carne the Jong message of biir beloveH President, nud with a glistening eye, I said, now í have fouhd it, but after the perusal, there wns such a confuseJ mnss of causes thrown upon the niiud, that ignorance nnd uncertainly was the result. To ronder my ignnrance st : 1 1 more embarraí-sing, I have laloly beón nsked by different individuals, to explain the original causes, and the process of' negotuition, wliich our gnvernment hnd tuíopted, and why it is thoy had not ben ainicably adjusted. 1 wish you to give your rendéis a clear, comprehensivo statement, of one or two overt acts oí ihat nation, which jnstiíies us, and would justify nny other nation, Cor Inking ampie vongeance upon them. Give us the truc roason, so convincing to the underslanding of everyone, that if eilher ofusshould be sitñng to-morrow evening, ilj a parlor of a public house, in London or Paris, and the nouirv should be made of us, forthecwmmon informaron of the occupnnis, we might readily give the nnswer without blushing, und nt onco rcccivc the npprobation of every foreignor, and a wish ihat ourarms might bc successful. ENQUIRER. nK.MAllKS. If our corresponpeiit haswaded through the President'sMessage, and all the Democratie papers, nnd has found no light upon the subject of lus onquiry, we can scarccly hope greatlv to cnlighten him. But we will briefly state our views of the matter. The remóte cause of the Mexican War was a strong desire for territorinl ncquisition - a leeling which has to a great extent controllcd the councils of prosperous nations in all ages. In monarclnes the national fecling is made manifest through the acts of the King or Emperor, while in Republics it shows itself most strongly in the popular debates. - n the Roman hislory we see thal long series of conquests by which the empire of the world was ultimately attaincd : nnd it would seem that in the minds of the Roman Senators possessing the power to seize a foreign country was often a sufïicient reason for exercising it. Inie Punic wars, that most virtuous of the vomans, oíd Cato, would ihundèr forth t the conclusión of every speech - lDcenda est Carthago " - must be estroyed, and tho often repeated denunciation of destruction to a neighboring nnd sister Ilepublic, received a cordial csponsc f rom great ihe massof the peoplc. The same lust of dominion exists in the great body of the Amorican people. [texisled ihere nt the foundation of our government, and bogun to devolop itself through the purchnso of Louisiana. It was nourished by the acquisition of Florida ; and for the lastquarter of a century, ihe vanity of the people has boen stiinulated, but not satiated, by a mercenaryiress and by thousands of Fourth of Juy orators, who have proclaimed that l we are a great people," and it is our iestiny to exiend our institutions over ihis continent, and ultimately througli ilie whole earth. The Southern leaders of the Democratie party,inlont theniselveson the annexation of Texas for the benefit of Slavery, at the Iialtimore Convention in 1844, seized on to this feelingoftlie ma?s of the people as a bait hy which tlieir aio rnightbesecured for the annexation of Texas. Henee their declaration of our rights to the whole of Oregon, and in favor of Annexation. The Northern Democracy were amused with the President's talk about " our rights in Oregon " until he l'ound itconvenient to cedeaway half the country. But the Annexation of Texas wasefiecled, and the lust of domin on nmong the people was gratifit-d that wc had added to our limiis a country great enough to make some thirly-five or forlv Staleö as largc as Massachusetts.Tliis " extensión of the aren of fmerlom" was hailed as a grand step in our "desliny" butonly preparatory to others inightierslill which weretofullow. The nalion and the governmcnt became ambitioua & insolcntin feeling,and wero prepared to manifest these dispositions as occasion might offer. The fust chance for their di&play occurred through the pending negotiation wiih Mexico. It was dcemed best by Mr. Polk and his advisers to attempt to mí mídate that feeble people, for the purpose of inducing them to comply with the demands of our government. For this purpose Gen. Tnylor was ordered io advance from Corpus Christi in Texas to the Rio Grande. lic did so ; encamped opposite Matainoras, and planled his balteriesso as to reduce tl e town to ashes at any moment. The Mexican authorities remonslrated again and again , but after waiting sometime, they sent bodiesof troops acrossthe river, by the colusión of which with our troopshostilities werp eommonced. Vhich charged iTrsi upon the othcr is 3 disputed poini but nol a material one. Tho tlueaU ening attitude of Gene-raí Ta y lor, u.nder alï the circmnstance', wns cause e-nongh why the Mexicans should resist. VVere the case made our own, we should act wnUirtoro promplitude tban they did. The maroh of Gen. Tnyïor fro,m Corpi Christi to the Rio Grande was tho direct cause of the war. Had that ndVQnce not taken place, it is not probable that war would have ensued. But why is the war continued? Soïelv to gratify ihe national lust foral aggranaizëméni. New Mexico, e fornia and seve ral moro provinces have v )ccn overrun by our troops, and the v ionnl vanity aix' pride sny, "Let us j ïold on to these conquesls, and if f co rofuses, wc will malee more." This } war is mphatically n trar of conques!, nnd that is the rc-ason why it is continucd. ( Were it not, peace could bc had ( clinici y. Btit no peace can be mado j out wounding the national prideof our ( eountryinen, unless the traty brings us more territory. Ilencc the war , tinuos f rom month to inonth, and unless ' territory can be obtained, it will probably ( last Trom year to year. , We cannot comply with the request of our correspondent, to give "a clear, comprehensive statement of one or two overt acts of Mexico, which justifies us, and would justify any other nation for taking ampie vengeance upon them." - Wn knowof no such overt acts. The injuries done to our citizens by Mexicans had been mostly adjusted by Mexico, and installmentsof the indemnity agreed upon we believe were regularly paid until Texas was annex cd. Wero we to be fuestioned in a foroign couniry respecting ihe causes of this war, wo should bo compolled o acknowledge it was a war on our part of injustice and wrong : that t had ils origin in the ambition, insolence, nnd rapaoity of our countrymen : that if successful in the procent object of dismembering a sister Ropublic, we should opprehond tliat the samo disposition would lead them to seek for more annexatlons in othor quarters, to bo consummated, if necessory, by more wars of conques!, until the American neo pie would lose their liberties at home by an indulgenco of those feelings which promptcd tlïom to subvert the rights and destroy the liberties of their neighbors. Wo should acknowledge this becauseconformable to truth, and not because wc woulcl needlessly injurc the chnracler of our country. We love her too well to justify the wickedsess of hor rulers and of that portion of the people who support iheni ; and henee by our voice and iniluence, feeble as they are, we cali opon thein to stop in their projectod conquesis, recall our arm y and navy, settJe the boundary whh Mexico on rcasonable terms, and oxpinto the wrongs we have done lier by n just, magnanimous and peaccablc course in fuiure.