第 7 节
作者:
翱翔1981 更新:2021-02-19 00:44 字数:9321
first blood of the war was shed;that it was not within an
inhabited country; or; if within such; that the inhabitants had
submitted themselves to the civil authority of Texas or of the
United States; and that the same is true of the site of Fort
Brown; then I am with him for his justification。 In that case I
shall be most happy to reverse the vote I gave the other day。 I
have a selfish motive for desiring that the President may do this
I expect to gain some votes; in connection with the war; which;
without his so doing; will be of doubtful propriety in my own
judgment; but which will be free from the doubt if he does so。
But if he can not or will not do this;if on any pretence or no
pretence he shall refuse or omit it then I shall be fully
convinced of what I more than suspect already that he is deeply
conscious of being in the wrong; that he feels the blood of this
war; like the blood of Abel; is crying to heaven against him;
that originally having some strong motivewhat; I will not stop
now to give my opinion concerning to involve the two countries in
a war; and trusting to escape scrutiny by fixing the public gaze
upon the exceeding brightness of military glory;that attractive
rainbow that rises in showers of blood; that serpent's eye that
charms to destroy;he plunged into it; and was swept on and on
till; disappointed in his calculation of the ease with which
Mexico might be subdued; he now finds himself he knows not where。
How like the half insane mumbling of a fever dream is the whole
war part of his late message! At one time telling us that Mexico
has nothing whatever that we can getbut territory; at another
showing us how we can support the war by levying contributions on
Mexico。 At one time urging the national honor; the security of
the future; the prevention of foreign interference; and even the
good of Mexico herself as among the objects of the war; at
another telling us that 〃to reject indemnity; by refusing to
accept a cession of territory; would be to abandon all our just
demands; and to wage the war; bearing all its expenses; without a
purpose or definite object。〃 So then this national honor;
security of the future; and everything but territorial indemnity
may be considered the no…purposes and indefinite objects of the
war! But; having it now settled that territorial indemnity is
the only object; we are urged to seize; by legislation here; all
that he was content to take a few months ago; and the whole
province of Lower California to boot; and to still carry on the
war to take all we are fighting for; and still fight on。 Again;
the President is resolved under all circumstances to have full
territorial indemnity for the expenses of the war; but he forgets
to tell us how we are to get the excess after those expenses
shall have surpassed the value of the whole of the Mexican
territory。 So again; he insists that the separate national
existence of Mexico shall be maintained; but he does not tell us
how this can be done; after we shall have taken all her
territory。 Lest the questions I have suggested be considered
speculative merely; let me be indulged a moment in trying to show
they are not。 The war has gone on some twenty months; for the
expenses of which; together with an inconsiderable old score; the
President now claims about one half of the Mexican territory; and
that by far the better half; so far as concerns our ability to
make anything out of it。 It is comparatively uninhabited; so
that we could establish land…offices in it; and raise some money
in that way。 But the other half is already inhabited; as I
understand it; tolerably densely for the nature of the country;
and all its lands; or all that are valuable; already appropriated
as private property。 How then are we to make anything out of
these lands with this encumbrance on them? or how remove the
encumbrance? I suppose no one would say we should kill the
people; or drive them out; or make slaves of them; or confiscate
their property。 How; then; can we make much out of this part of
the territory? If the prosecution of the war has in expenses
already equalled the better half of the country; how long its
future prosecution will be in equalling the less valuable half is
not a speculative; but a practical; question; pressing closely
upon us。 And yet it is a question which the President seems
never to have thought of。 As to the mode of terminating the war
and securing peace; the President is equally wandering and
indefinite。 First; it is to be done by a more vigorous
prosecution of the war in the vital parts of the enemy's country;
and after apparently talking himself tired on this point; the
President drops down into a half…despairing tone; and tells us
that 〃with a people distracted and divided by contending
factions; and a government subject to constant changes by
successive revolutions; the continued success of our arms may
fail to secure a satisfactory peace。〃 Then he suggests the
propriety of wheedling the Mexican people to desert the counsels
of their own leaders; and; trusting in our protestations; to set
up a government from which we can secure a satisfactory peace;
telling us that 〃this may become ; the only mode of obtaining
such a peace。〃 But soon he falls into doubt of this too; and
then drops back on to the already half…abandoned ground of 〃more
vigorous prosecution。〃 All this shows that the President is in
nowise satisfied with his own positions。 First he takes up one;
and in attempting to argue us into it he argues himself out of
it; then seizes another and goes through the same process; and
then; confused at being able to think of nothing new; he snatches
up the old one again; which he has some time before cast off。
His mind; taxed beyond its power; is running hither and thither;
like some tortured creature on a burning surface; finding no
position on which it can settle down and be at ease。
Again; it is a singular omission in this message that it nowhere
intimates when the President expects the war to terminate。 At
its beginning; General Scott was by this same President driven
into disfavor if not disgrace; for intimating that peace could
not be conquered in less than three or four months。 But now; at
the end of about twenty months; during which time our arms have
given us the most splendid successes; every department and every
part; land and water; officers and privates; regulars and
volunteers; doing all that men could do; and hundreds of things
which it had ever before been thought men could not doafter all
this; this same President gives a long message; without showing
us that as to the end he himself has even an imaginary
conception。 As I have before said; he knows not where he is。 He
is a bewildered; confounded; and miserably perplexed man。 God
grant he may be able to show there is not something about his
conscience more painful than his mental perplexity。
The following is a copy of the so…called 〃treaty〃 referred to in
the speech:
〃Articles of Agreement entered into between his Excellency
David G。 Burnet; President of the Republic of Texas; of the one
part; and his Excellency General Santa Anna; President…General…
in…Chief of the Mexican army; of the other part:
〃Article I。 General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna agrees that
he will not take up arms; nor will he exercise his influence to
cause them to be taken up; against the people of Texas during the
present war of independence。
〃Article II。 All hostilities between the Mexican and Texan
troops will cease immediately; both by land and water。
〃Article III。 The Mexican troops will evacuate the territory
of Texas; passing to the other side of the Rio Grande Del Norte。
〃Article IV。 The Mexican army; in its retreat; shall not
take the property of any person without his consent and just
indemnification; using only such articles as may be necessary for
its subsistence; in cases when the owner may not be present; and
remitting to the commander of the army of Texas; or to the
commissioners to be appointed for the adjustment of such matters;
an account of the value of the property consumed; the place where
taken; and the name of the owner; if it can be ascertained。
〃Article V。 That all private property; including cattle;
horses; negro slaves; or indentured persons; of whatever
denomination; that may have been captured by any portion of the
Mexican army; or may have taken refuge in the said army; since
the commencement of the late invasion; shall be restored to the
commander of the Texan army; or to such other persons as may be
appointed by the Government of Texas to receive them。
〃Article VI。 The troops of both armies will refrain from
coming in contact with each other; and to this end the commander
of the army of Texas will be careful not to approach within a
shorter distance than five leagues。
〃Article VII。