g1vmg us peace-My doctrine is to strike al the enemy a home blow-When Rome carried the war inlo Africa il was not until then Rome was free of Carthagenians. Was ever two cases more similar-? We have caged their Hannibal-al home they have a few smaller Gods much easier to manage-Give them time to resusitate & they will give us trouble. Now is the Lime when troubles are ripe in their own household to cut them up & confirm our Liberty-As to the national or moral right of burning a town & destroying private . . . [ lorn j civil nations, can be justified first upon the principle of lex ... [Lorn] upon the ground of absolute necessity for instance when the doing of which is necessary to Peace, Liberty & Existence of Lhe whole people & the failing to do is the consequent & certain destruction of that people. How far these justificatory principles are applicable to the circumstances of this resolution; Let first, the wanton & indiscriminate burning of our towns & the destruction of our property throughout the country answer- Secondly look to the very line of our western border see a rich city the storehouse & magazine of our enemy the place of & recruits rendezvous- The plan of concentration & preparation of all their invasions & who will be so puritanically blind as to say we ought to spare it-If it be our interest to hold it & prudence justifies so doing we have the same & much better right so to do than the British nation has in holding Gibraller-they hold that post as a sentry upon the good conduct of a foreign far distant, & insulted nation & a guard upon their own commerce in the Mediterranean. We would hold the mouth of the Rio Grande as a guard over our commerce upon the one hand & the protection of our citizens upon the other & as the highway of our own destruction- The very lock & key of our nationality yea our individuality- What is the most practicable way of reaching Matamoras is the question? Two modes of doing so are open- By sea & land. We are at present 270 miles distant by a road upon which abundance of beef is to be had & now al the commencement of the rainy season there is lillle fear of not having abundance of water. This route I think practicable, keeping the cavalry in advance always ready to unite with the main army upon approach of Lhe enemy-at the same time this route be commenced throw in Matamoras spurious letters purporting that Monclova & Monterey is to be your destination & that you intend to cross the Rio Grande higher up-This will draw off such forces
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