the writings-2-第8章

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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。　The　Mexican　army　shall　not　make　any　other

delay　on　its　march　than　that　which　is　necessary　to　take　up　their

hospitals；　baggage；　etc。；　and　to　cross　the　rivers；　any　delay　not

necessary　to　these　purposes　to　be　considered　an　infraction　of

this　agreement。

　　　　　〃Article　VIII。　By　an　express；　to　be　immediately　despatched；

this　agreement　shall　be　sent　to　General　Vincente　Filisola　and　to

General　T。　J。　Rusk；　commander　of　the　Texan　army；　in　order　that

they　may　be　apprised　of　its　stipulations；　and　to　this　end　they

will　exchange　engagements　to　comply　with　the　same。

　　　　　〃Article　IX。　That　all　Texan　prisoners　now　in　the　possession

of　the　Mexican　army；　or　its　authorities；　be　forthwith　released；

and　furnished　with　free　passports　to　return　to　their　homes；　in

consideration　of　which　a　corresponding　number　of　Mexican

prisoners；　rank　and　file；　now　in　possession　of　the　Government　of

Texas　shall　be　immediately　released；　the　remainder　of　the　Mexican

prisoners　that　continue　in　the　possession　of