filling a sister Republic w^th wailing, and lamentation, and woe. The idea of thus killing other people, and sacrificing the lives of our own citizens, for the purpose of getting pay for fighting, is original with Mr, Polk ; at least, he finds no precedent for such pohcy in the history of his own country. Our revolutionary fathers rejoiced to lay down their arms the moment the object for which they had been taken was accomplished. Not a voice was heard recommending a continuance of hostilities till Great Britain indemnified us for fighting her the last seven years. In 1815, we again rejoiced in making peace with Great Britain, without asking any indem- nity for killing Englishmen, capturing British vessels, and carrying the war into Canada. It is only poor, feeble, exhausted Mexico, who must bleed on, till she pays us for letting blood.
But we are to continue the work of slaughter, not only till we are paid for our powder and shot, &c., but also till Mexico discharges a debt of a few millions, which she is.said to owe certain of our citizens. And thus, at a day when it is deemed inhuman even to imprison an insolvent, Mr. Polk recommends that Mexican bonds shall be steeped in human gore, and that we shall proceed to collect our debts by murdering the debtors. And all this to indemnify our " much-injured citizens." But how will Mr. Polk indemnify the vast multitude of women and children whom his policy has made widows and orphans ? What tariff will he establish for broken hearts and blasted REVIEW OF THE .MEXICAN WAR. 175 hopes? What indemnity would he claim from Mexico for all the crimes and blasphemies, for all the horrors of the hospital and the battle-field, for all the desolation and misery in this life, and in that which is to come, engen- dered by the war ?
In justice to Mr. Polk, we acquit him of the horrible atrocity of wishing to continue the slaughter of the Mexi- cans for compensation foi* the cost of killing them, and of the consummate folly of expending a hundred millions of dollars in collecting three or four of alleged debt. Poli- ticians often think it wise to conceal their real motives by assigning