The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-12-06
From The Courier DIES u,sts Unis Of Dec. 4

day morning if the post could have delayed its de-
parture until SUNRISE for If nine hours were sui-
cient for the express TO traverse the 225 miles which
separate Washington from New York. our pen
would not have required longer time to traverse the
twelve columns of this prodgious document II so
fully occupies our paper, that we have room for
an examination and judgment oft. We shall merely
say that II will disappon the expectations of those
who hoped TO find in the language of the democratic
President an incorporate rudeness which might
serve AN alment to the passions of parties and
as provocation and signal for international con-
tests. Not that the message does not bear the i'm
press, in all the questions to which IL refers, of
frankness and vgor which invest it with powerful
interest-a startling importance We even hear in
1t the suppressed mutterings of the thunder which
has been for long time threatening TO burst over
the peaceful world But Mr.. Polk has displayed
an admirable skill in Disgusting the energy Of
thoughts, and the boldness of Intentions, under
forms full Of moderation, address, and courtesy.
u has b en- many years since the people of the
United States held towards foreign nations Ian
guage proud and so calm. There is, if not always
JUSTICE at least always dignity, in its complaints and
menaces. France has her full share of them: we
accept them for her with good grace; for, if Mr..
Polk has reproached her with an Interference in the
affair of annexation which he had pretext for con-
sidering hostile TO the United States, but not to
the law Of nations, and which, in reality, was
only awkward, he has done so in expressing regrets
at the interruption Of the friendship Of the two coun-
tries, and wishes and hopes for It's rc-establishmen
which are TO us guarantee that he will entertain
only sympathes for France, when he shall have
ceased TO misunderstood It's policy and the signfca
ton of the luckess .qmsrican equilibrium of M. Gu
zot at which he does not forget to strike passing
| blow. We also return thanks TO Mr.. Polk for his
earnest recommendations to Congress in favor of an
important branch of French commerce, which the
tariff of 1912 had parayzed at its outset-that of the
imitation Of the wines of Oporto.
The message passes successfully under review: !.
The annexation, of which it urges the consumma-
ton without recommending as it had been said would
be DONE the conversion of the debt of the future State
into federaldebt; g. The abortive menaces of war
between the United States and Mexico, and the pa
ci6c secondathought of the latter power, which has
taken much longer step towards peace than we an
ticipated, for i has formally asked that American
minister plenipotenary should be sent, who, in fact
arrived in Mexico before his departure from this
country was suspected: (Mr. Polk wished to keep
this little touch of diplomacy in reserve 8. The ces
sation of n. payment Of the indemnity agreed to by
Mexico With respect 10 certain American citizens:
to this matter, the President has no other informa-
ton with respect to the disappearance of the two
dividends than that which had the honor to learn
from him seven eight months ago. he does no more
than give an official character to our version which
it will be recollected, occasoned so many clamors;
4 Then comes the famous Oregon question, Of
which the diplomatic history is given to us ab oro
explainnghow, since 1873 the 49th parallel of north
latitude has been three four times offered to Eng
land, and always been rejected by her; and how,
after having himself renewed this Offer with certain
restrictions which rendered it more than ever unac-
ceptable, Mr.. Polk has formally Withdrawn it, de-
termned not again to offer inch of the territory of
which he was willing six months ago give up one
half Ii is TO this discussion particularly that we re-
ferred in saying that the boldness of intentions was
masked under skiful forms. As the rest the Presi
dent confines himsefto recommending the cessation Of
the joint occupancy, after previous motive given to
England, in conformity with the treaty of 1927; and
is only after the expiration of this term that we
have glimpse Of war, which is thus deferred Is or
10 months. This is very consoling. However,
in order to profit by diplomatic delays, he recon-
mends the adoption of measures for the purpose Of
commencing the establishment of the American
sovereignty in Oregon. California, the sister of
Oregon, and equally an object Of the lodgings Of
American and British ambition, is not mentioned by
name in the message; but it is not the less evident
that il inspired the menacing paragraph which
closes that portion of the message relating to the
American equilibrium.
We shall not continue the enumeration of the
questions discussed by the President: those which
we have mentioned are-a that are important in the
vast field Of external politics, to which one-half of
the voluminous message is dedicated With respect
to internal politics, Mr.. Polk reviews, in succession,
the subject of the federal revenue and expenditures,
of which we shall not copy the calculations; that
Of the tariff, to which we shall in moment, briefly
recur; that Of the defunct sub-treasury of which he
recommends the reestabishment; that of the sale of
the public lands, with respect to which he proposes
some reforms; that of the prowess Of the federal
army, whose incursion into Texas he speaks of in
Wanting terms that of the navy of which he recon-
mends considerable increase, particularly in
steamers that of the deficit of SO per cent in
the receipts ofthe General Post Office in consequence
of the reform, of which he advises q repeal in part
We said that we should return to the question of
the tariff, which to us is perhaps the most impor-
tant Of the topics discussed by Mr.. Polk. We can
not, however, follow him in his skiful and deadly
assault upon the tariff Of 1912 and we must confne
ourselves to expressing the opinion, that never have
the true principles which ought to serve as the basis
OF the establishment of impost duties been power
fully and so logically developed. Mr. Polk has
placed his finger upon all the wounds and all the
remedies of the existing fiscal SYSTEM but if he has
sounded the depth Of the former, he has not meas
ured all the breadth required by the latter; he mere
y indicates their nature. That is, to express our
selves more clearly, after having proved to demon-
stration the necessity ola reform in the tariff he has
not stated in figures the exact extent of the reform
This, however, he could not well do, as it is task
which does not appertain to him, and which he has
properly left TO the Secretary of the Treasury
whose report we must await, in order to learn the
extent OF the expected reforms. The rest will de-
pend upon Congress, upon which we are unhappily
| compelled to rely. 'r
but much better by the public than by the news
papers, which maintain their opinions only by the
| exaggerations or Misrepresentation dictated by
party spirit. The democratic papers, as might be
expected, have carried their enthusiasm to rdicu-
ous extent; the wing journals, as was equally nat-
raj, have either maintained sulky silence--whch,
in our opinion, is very eloquent compliment--or
else have INDUCED in the most ridiculous anahemas.
The Evening Post, the organ Of the pacific and aris-
tocratc democracy, has not had the courage to CEN
sure: in Analysing the pretensions of Mr.. Polk with
respect TO Oregon, instead of declaring frankly that
too outa nd
like, it confines itself to is and buis, which are sufi-
GENTLY transparent to reveal the uneasness of its
position. The Globe and the Morning News, on
the other hand, have not been able to find terms suf-
hcienty magniloquent to express their admiration
at the thoughts and style of the young President.
The Courier and Enquirer has evidently regretted
that the message was not signed by Henry Clay: it
would then have lauded to the extreme all the dip
omaiic portion of it, but it has done much in hon
orng MIR. Folks signature so far as to abstain from
all censure. |, confines itself to predicting war, if
Congress should concur with the President in his