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The Mexican War

The Mexican War image
Parent Issue
Day
29
Month
January
Year
1848
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

On rr-nriing Mr; O.lhoun's speech we conchidrd to inspit it in this number of the Signal.ns reporte. Isomewhat at length. It is frnm an old and sig.TMous suttmttian, (ielivered at n mniriPiilnus oriss of out history, anri. like nvst of bis speeches, abounds wiili cn))rliensve views ;ind mportnnt thoughts. He ngnin ndvooaes the motie of biingii g ihe war to n c'o.-e wh'ch I eproposed lnst ypor : by drawing B ] i:p tlimugh n pnrt of the Mexiran territory so ns togiva ui n slie snfficient to satisl y mir de-i'es, nnd rithdrawirg onr iroops wit1. in hn line. This scems to Ie. unrler a'l c:;i.siiiig circtimstancea, the best prnctica Ie mndnf briptring ihe wnr lo a closp. It wmild s.it:sfv, fr ihe present at fni, t!'e rflpnrinaa epiril of om-j countrynipn, wliif-h t). tliing bat more Ier-I ritory will sntisfy : i. would Ie sare for us in a military punt of view : it wu!d lie less sspensive i nd hazaniius timn the orcujintion of all Mexico : i: would liing in onlv a small f-rpjgn populatínn, sav a halfto a hii'e mülion : it would give us time to consolidite our mstitutioi.s as we extend them, as nl! empire mut d that ] arp peimaneni ; and il wuuld lew endnnger n dhiruption of the o!d ir.embers of Ui ■ confederacy. But tliree othei modes of ending the war have bsen .roposed, which it niay be woll to toneirier f(jr a moment in connftrliin with t!u's. 1. By witbdrawing onr roops tmmediati ly wilhin our own ackfiowleilgpd lioundsrie, and taking nu indemnity 'f Mexico f.r thn evppn-es of t he war. Tln's w.-is Mr. ÜDrwin's proposa!, wliüe l!,p lat'er pnrt of t hns bfen snnclioned bv Mr. Cloy. He as, in subsa.icr, '-Come iack, ,-uid relir.qui.h a!l our ron upsts." This exhortution is in (iec ded opprwition tn the Americnn chniRCtflr, hicli is always fur "goijg ahend" in every ernerpiizo. The Arneri'-an a-my rever wil: I crnrie back empty hnirle'l from tl;o Hallof the Montpzu'inas. Mr. ('lav, in giiing tle tdcf he diii, tni-t eflTeclual'v impsired his Piesienti.-il prosppcis. Mr. C:lh-iun and mot of onr s:a:e"m"n now ncknowler'gp that more ar less tprntorv wille rt'unly be acq'iirei!. Th;s mod' of terni'n-'ting tle nr is a virtual acknowledgment ilit we liv# been la thp wrong. It is a wiie nni magnaninioiimode ; but it is not cnleul.-itel to p!nasr ihe nnt'onal vanity, nr gra'ifv tu acqü:sitiveness ; imd will, theiefore bo r jpclpd by ihe great ma=s of the American pcople. 2. Bu! Mr. Pr.lk hi azrcd lo make a trea'y ivitti Mexico, by which íhe slir.l cede lo ns about a thiid of her trrilm y. How can sucl) a tienly be oblained ? - VV ifl Mexico ever consent to sucli rn oulrngs upn her n;ctionality ? Il is erv doubtful whether she would undrr anv cm-urnstance-;. But with whomsball this treaty bo ma 'e ? Shonld our trnopi coníinne to b i uccs-flJl far, six montlis lo come, ns thcy have bren for six moni tipit, there will bn no goverumonl left n Metido with whom a tieaty could be negó' iíítcri. 3. Tb thfM plan - th.it of conquerínp a ceaco by conquering the whuln Bitioii t!i whom we arp al war, s fast gniuing in poularry. VVe can do it : thnt i.no'v ceitiiin. We liave men, caiinon, P'iwder nnd nmr'g onongli (■ .-uLdup th wHole c 'untrv aii'l keep il in sul jeelion. U'ii.l e do il ï Tliis i- theq'ipn tioi' nmv bef ■rf liie American propio : and a graver and mme íiiortierit'ins nne(erha;is npver was presrnted Tur llieir c'iriNÍdeiatio'1. The co-l of b!ood nnd treature roquisilo fbriho entprprise nny b immenj-e ; nnd t mny t;ikf to do it ; lut ki I it can I done bv .üúidy ari'l uatiring eíf.ris on our part. A republic, where iho hearls "f a people "re in a war, can curry it on as siiccessíully as a monarchy. But when we havs conqnered the twenty b!tIos of Mexico, wiih iis i-even 1 or eight millions of poopl1, whnt nro wo todo wi,h them ? Are we to hold the country ns conquered provincos, or are wo to ndmit the twnnty slatps lo our own Union siih-tani:ily on an iqunl fuoling with the present 20 1 One or the other tve must do. lf we li"IJ the country ín mbjugütion. dividd 11 to h.-ilfn d07.cn provine, r-.ich lh iis procónsul or vicroy, sftpr the eaiM)le öf t'.e Roman Reiub!r(;, ai.d eai-h cornmanrling nn ;inny to enfi.rre "beünce l'rom iho provincia!, whai becimeü of ihe g'ent principie emblnz nerl hy our fu'hers in tl e Dcciara'in of Independenre, iliat nll giveriimenta amonp men df.rive thcir jast yowersfrom the consent, of the gooerned? Shnll we ihrow nwaythis principie on which a'il our own St;iies liave bffn nrjpnizod 1 Brsides. thp ftddltion to ilifi pppointiog power oí tl e President, by the riomination of all the penons npcfssnry to givrn a vast couni'-y and seien or e'ght million of [leaple, wnld le díingetons in tlie extrpme. W(cTnnot bel ea ;hat uur people would lancdon tliis modo of governing Mexico. It would savor :oo mucli of inonnrcliy and arbitrnry power. It follows, ïhfin, that I' Mpxíco be mbjug!ed and l;eld pirmnoiitly, h r peopie must bp admiited to a participaron in the privilpgesofsell-goverijmerit. Whai would be the effect of siicii nn arrangemem? Proponioning tlie repre-eniati in accord ng to nur ovra, o sh"ii!d lime S'irue twenty-five Mexican senntors n t hut august body, and a hun lied Represent.-i. lives to ihe o'.hfr ilnu-e. Senators Snnta Anna, Ampudia, Canules, Sic , would sit side nnd Mile wiih Webrer nn I C.-iss and Calhnun. Air we sure, positively su e, that sin-l) un nrrangeripni w uld uoik wel! 1 Shoiil) we te nny be'.tcr govemf-d. l'.ave m'ire libeitv, I) tter laws, or 1 ghter tavrs, for havii g 125 Mexicans to help g'ïvern ns? Wuultl there not be dangpr of sliotig MeJtican infltjence ? Washington is dist;u,t f.o:n Vera (Jruz, ilc principal spajjort o!' Mexico, some 2,500 inil.'s ; nnd pne of thp first bteps trfieé ai nexati n wouM probnLly be tu remove the seat t.f goveaiiiierit to itw I Orlrans. Bf-siJe-, if llie whole of Mc ie be ahne.e1, shull !s 125 Sopstor-. anJ R preientmives reprcseui Fieo Smt s, RrSlav linlding Slittes ? If the lalter, t Vill give nn inmenso prfpondeTnnce to ihe Slave over aJ tl. e Fien Stnte?, ind n lact give the Slnvi hulde'-s il. e control of t; e goveMiment tlirongh all coming lime. Rut if ihey n il ippi'pseni Free Sintrs.tlen Slavery wil! sonó be overivlielmed. And we ver ly belieie lh.it th:s is what Mr. Calhoun now most fann. And lente liiseíTorls lo grt onlv n tlice of tenitiry, ii part of whici) sv4Ü Ke within tle boundanes of Texas, anJ mny tliereforc be consecraled lo