perty." He who directed officers of the United States forces, when assessments on Mexican States are not paid, to proceed to collect them from the ivealthier inhabitants, is the same Commander-in-Chief who, in his order of the jjreceding April, Avished that such of his soldiers as stole poultry, grain, &c., from the Mexicans, would desert at once, as then it would be easy to shoot them down, or to capture and hang them. Among other devices for ex- torting money, in connexion with the promised regene- ration of the Mexicans, was the official allowance of three GAMING-HOUSES in the Capital, in consideration of the annual sura of eighteen thousand dollars, payable in monthly instalments.'* "We can understand why Mr. Polk and his southern par- tisans deemed it expedient, to acquire Mexican territory at any cost of blood, treasure, and happiness ; but surely we may ask of northern Democrats and northern Whigs, why have you brought pillage, desolation, and death upon the people of Mexico ? What offence had they copimitted which, in the sight of God, can justify such horrible retribution at your hands ? Why have you, who have no interest m the extension of human bondage, fought the battles, not of .freedom, tut of slavery? When summoned, as you will shortly will be, before that dread tribunal, which, in another world, takes cognizance of every act committed in this, on what plea do you expect to vindicate that stupendous mass of human misery and human wickedness which your agency has helped to accumulate ?
- It appears from the Keport of the Secretary of the Treasury (Dec, 1848), that the sum of $3,844,000 was in these various ways extorted from the Mexicans. The value of property destroyed in the city of Mexico, has been estimated at four mil- lions. The total annihilation of Mexican property, caused by the invasion, no arithmetic can compute.
Mr. Root, of Ohio, oue of the ''immortal fourteen," in a speech delivered after the triumph of our arms, and the acquisition of the " indemnity " demanded by Mr. Polk, thus expressed himself on the floor of Congress :—"