attacks from Mexico. A formidable naval force, of nine war-ships, was placed in the Gulf; a squadron was despatched to the Pacific coast; an expedition, professedly scientific in its aims, but found capable, afterwards, of being converted into a hostile instrument, was equipped for California and Oregon, and applications to enter it were more numerous than could be received.* In a word, all the elements began to muster their tempestuous powers, and brew the hurricane.

At this critical moment, the press, mighty engine for weal or woe, interposed but too often its vast influence, to fire the warlike passions in our countrymen. In the summer of 1845, no less than three long series of essays appeared in the organ of the national administration, relative to our difficulties with Mexico, and characterized by a belligerent tone of thought and feeling. The distant valley of the West was agitated by "rumors of wars," Texas already snuffed the coming storm. Unusual activity reigned in the barracks, forts, and navy yards of the country. The signs of the times were not to be mistaken; and the wonder now is, that, with all the preparations that were made for war, during the year 1845, any body should have been taken by surprise when it came, in 1846. They who had watched the filling of the magazine were not startled, when the spark was applied, to witness its explosion.

The following paragraphs, from various journals of that period, will show the temper of the times; and, when we consider that the newspaper press has an almost boundless power, both in creating and expressing public opinion in the United States, can we hesitate to believe, since effects must have a cause, that such sentences as these, read, copied, caught up by ardent temperaments, repeated from mouth to mouth, did not a little to precipitate the collision of arms?

* The Washington Union, June 14, 1845.

The Harrisburg (Pa.) Union, April, 1845, has these remarks on 66 our Foreign relations:" "Mexico, pronunciamento-loving Mexico, threatens the United States with all sorts of perils short of actual war, if the President executes a solemn act of Congress, and the expressed will of his constituents. We pity Mexico, torn as she is by domestic factions, whose sole object is to rob its poor and suffering people; but when she talks of war with a friendly nation, which has spared her on former occasions, we cannot help looking at her situation and resources, and recollecting how tempting it is to be invited by aggression to conquer her territory, and free her enslaved population from their petty ty

rants.

"The ports of Mexico on the Gulf, Tampico and Vera Cruz, can be closed by our cruisers in a few days' sail. Her harbors on the Pacific are open and defenceless, and an army marching from Texas would be paid in its rout by the silver mines scattered along its path, and the gold, jewels, and silver of the city of Montezuma, would reward its adventurous assailants, while it paid the debt of its conquest. The settlers of Oregon would take permanent possession of the Californias, which would thus be added to our territory on the shores of the South sea.

"Let Mexico therefore beware how far she tempts us by insolent and threatening language."

The Daily Union at Washington, May 10, 1845, has the following: "The Government of the United States has been compelled in consequence of the hostile demonstrations on the part of Mexico, to despatch a powerful squadron to the Gulf, prepared to prevent or resist any warlike movements. The naval force in the Pacific is, of course, apprized of the posture of affairs. Troops have been assembled on our Southern frontier, ready to act as circumstances may demand.

"These proceedings, however, are purely and exclusively defensive. Unless Mexico should commence hostilities, nothing will be attempted on our side."

The Daily Union, May 14, 1845, has an extract from a private letter from New Orleans: "Are we going to have war or not (with Mexico) . . . War is all the talk here, as you may readily conceive. There are many brave fellows among us who are anxious to show their mettle." Continues the Union in comment, "Sound but the trumpet, and there would pour volunteers enough from the valley of the Mississippi alone, to overrun Mexico, and subdue California. There would scarcely be wanting a single regular soldier to form the nucleus of twenty-thousand volunteers."

The Nashville Union of May 24th, quoted in the Washington Union of May 31, 1845, discourses thus: "Mexico may declare war, but that will not dissolve the bonds of annexation; it may result in additional annexation; and that view of the case deserves to be well weighed in Mexico before war is resorted to. In such a war, it will be found that annexation will be sustained by Whigs as well as Democrats."

Correspondent C. in Art. 14th, on Mexico, in the Union May 28th, says: "The other nations of the earth, must either exclude her from the rank which she claims among them, or must compel her to observe those laws of the government to which they voluntarily and cheerfully submit. We have seen, that by a timely resort to those measures of coercion which the circumstances of the case rendered necessary, France and England have compelled her to redress the wrongs which she had perpetrated, and to obey that law which she had violated. Were this course universally adopted, Mexico herself would grow richer and happier as well as better."

The Union of June 2d, predicts, "The march of the Anglo Saxon race is onward. They must in the end accom

plish their destiny-spreading far and wide the great principle of self-government; and who shall say how far they will prosecute the work?

"We infinitely prefer the friendly settlement of the great question now pending. It will secure the peace and welfare of the Mexican nation. It can now be done, and it should now be accomplished. For who can arrest the torrent that will pour onward to the West? The road to California will be open to us. Who will stay the march of our Western people? Our Northern brethren, also, are looking toward that inviting region, with much more interest than those of the South. They, too, will raise the cry of Westward, ho! However strongly many of them may now oppose annexation, yet, let California be thrown open to their ambition, and the torrent even of their population will roll westwardly to the Pacific."

Some papers lifted up a warning voice against this warcry. Thus the Cincinnati Gazette, in reference to the last article, justly remarks: "We feel, as we fear, the spirit of the article in The Union. It bodes no good; it is evil. Ho! Westward! Halls of the Montezumas, and the mines of Mexico, would start into being 20,000 volunteers! Ay, so it would. What then? Why, in this valley, teeming with life, a spirit of aggrandizement,—of mad and maddening excitement, of a selfish and burning thirst of power, — of military excitement, of conquest, in its worst and most detestable form, would rule as a master tyrant, sweeping all before it, and, as sure as it lives, desolating the hope of the virtuous and the free. Let all parties shun this spirit as they would dishonor. Let the country smite it down in its early manhood, ere that manhood be smitten unto death, by its foul and degrading breath."

--

"We are

The Houston Star, of May 24, 1845, says: happy to state here, that arrangements have been made to obtain accurate information of the movements of the Mex

ican forces; and it is believed that our government will be prepared to repel any incursions of Mexican troops into the disputed territory (previously stated to be the territory 'West of the Nueces.'")

The Washington Union, of June 11th, advises that "the Texans themselves should collect their own volunteers, and march to repel the Mexicans from their borders. If the troops of Mexico have crossed the Rio Grande, it would be better for Texas to clear her own confines at once, than wait for the movements of our regulars. We hazard nothing in saying that such, too, would be the decided preference of our own government. We had understood, indeed, that such was also the determination of the Texans, if the Mexicans should be found hovering in the country between the Rio Grande and the Nueces. We do not mean to say, that if the Texans should be found wanting to themselves, we should suffer a hostile foot to tread her legitimate soil, as soon as her Congress and her Convention have ratified our propositions."

The New Orleans Picayune, of June 7th, says: "We have received intelligence, by this arrival, to the effect, that the Mexicans are really concentrating a large force on the Rio Grande, preparatory to war, in case Texas should agree to Annexation. Our informant states, further, that the feeling in the latter country is thoroughly warlike; the talk is of nothing else than a brush with Mexico, if she wishes it."

The Union, of June 23d, confesses: "We are for peace, but it must be an honorable peace. We are for war, if the rights and honor of our country demand it. This is our true position."

Otsego, a correspondent in The Union, of June 9th, writes: "Ten years ago, our country rang with applause of the heroes of San Jacinto. It was a New Orleans victory, so far as Texas was concerned, and was universally regarded as a successful termination of the brief but glorious contest she had waged for national freedom."