Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-05-10

which its admissions have furnished us. And, be-
sides, il is not zoe that are conducting the Govern
ment, responsible TO il for what we say about Its
acts. Ii must net think to change places with us,
and, while in power, TO put upon us the burden OF
conducting, defending, and explaining its own acts
Unless there be one rule as to dealing with Eng
land and an opposite one in dealing with Mexico,
all that we have established as to Oregon, and all
that the Administration has just admitted, applies
just as rresistiby TO Texas; and we are only sur
prised that thoss in power fail TO see the strict APP
plcabity to both cases of the argument which they
declare to be plain that TO present it to them was
altogether "grauious and superfuous' Ia trite and
tedious homly'' Of truths SO usry orthodox that
nobody needed to hear them.
Ii the violence of the measures which Govern
ment may be permitted TO take inpurspit Of Sclaim
can only be in proportion to the clcarness Of that
claim then it follows that the Administration, in de-
Gliding 10 negotiate for Oregon and NOT fonegofiafe
for Texas, las the joint resolution gave it the option
to do, has decided that our title 10 the former is a
great deal weaker than to the latter. Every body
knows this to be nothing: what then must be its
estimate of thu?
1t has declined TO act upon the alternative which
the joint resolution gave so, at least, we learn from
Texas, where the counsels of our Government have
all the while been much better known to every alien
and adventurer than to our own citizens. Now, the
embodiment in the joint resolution of a provision
for constitutional as well as an unconstitutional
form Of proceeding for peaceful one as well as al
violent one for one proper to the common Execu-
tive function of conducting treaties, and for another
setting ii aside certainly implies, most irresisbly
that it the duty of the Executive to begin first
by the gentler and more legitimate method, and only
to resort to the other when that failed. This, mere
sense, justice, and peace commanded; but there was
besides legal obligation. For where law is Of
this double form, the rule is that it shall be exc
cuted that both provisions, the weaker and the
stronger, may, if necessary, be employed. But
weak. The President has exhausted the law, at
his very first action; and that we have said, by
using not only its most violent method, but that of
the most questionable legality.
But at least the very presence, in the act Of Con-
gress, Of provision for negoiation irrecusably inn
plies that this was case where were moi bound
to incur the hazards Of a war already denounced,
and the reproach Of unjust and fathless proceedings
Such is the necessary Legislative Of the pro-
vision; and how comes the Executive, then, 10 have
set it aside in defiance Of those very principles Of
official and Of national tury which me has becnr com
PEELED 10 subscribe TO in the Oregon matter
Can il be held thai The obligation of equitable, o
peaceful, Of amicable, and of prudent action, is les,
towards Mexico with respect to Texas than towards
Britain with respect to Oregon! The only differ
ence in favor Of the latter is the dsgracefl one that
a far more formidable Power is there TO be encoun
tered and even that difference disappears, partly in
the face OF facts, and still in front Of those al
legations which the Annexaiionsts cannotb be al
lowed to dispute, however false,) since they have
been their own chief appliances for deluding the
country into this outrage upon an unofiending peo
pie. They have all along clamored that England,
not Mexico, was the real party TO this contest
against US for Texas; that, bent on possessing it,
as point fulcrum on which she must rest the
lever Of her policy, with which she burns to upset
our hated institutions and dreaded rivalry, il was
she alone that plotted and acted, Mexico being but
her instrument. Clearly, then, as not only Of much
greater value and of far less right us, of much
more dangerous consequence in these English de-
signs, Of greater territorial and productive worth
to her, of threatening proximity TO her posses
sions and trade in the Gulf, and las General Jack
SON nov says, though formerly he said just the con-
rary) the military key all States Of the South
west, the probability far greater that England
would bring about and indirectly assist war Of
Mexico against u.s. than that, letting slip that occa-
sion she should 90 alone into direct conflict with
us for Oregon, which is comparatively valueless and
will little serve her imputed designs against us.
Ii England is not TO be expected to fight us about
Texas nor yet by secret encouragement and aid to
spirit on Mexico TO vindicaie her condemned rights
and honor, and ruin our trade by general priva-
teer war and if the Administration believes this,
then is il plain that il has never had the slightest
faith in what all its members have lent their voices
to sound in clamorous alarm over the land. But,
England apart, the Administration cannot but have
known from the first that Of which every days
news strengthens the probabilities, that we are to
expect--that, at least, we were bound by prudence
to act expecting war with Mexico and that
war deplorable in its origin, and in any possible
view of its consequences.
We say, then, and we press it upon the Admins
tration that, in admitting negotiation on the Oregon
question TO be overruling duty, has condemned
all its own course fostards Merico The leading
statesmen Of the Democratic party set the first ex
ample Of pledging us TO ADJUST and honorable neu-
trality between Mexico and Texas, pronouncing sol