The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-08-08
COM MUNICATION Ms.
For the Union.
For The Union.
THE EELY AND OILY INTELLIGENcER.

THE EELY AND OILY INTELLIGENCER.
The article in the "Intelligencer" Of the 7th OF
August, headed "Levying war in Texas" is one
of those peculiar specimens of patriotism and taste
for which the veteran editor' of that print en-
Joys an unenyied repue. 1t is TO be hoped that re-
gardng some of the elements of its constitution
and course, there is no party in this country OF
which the "lntelligencer" is the "organ.n Il is
to be hoped, to the whole extent of the gratif-
cation OF their pride, that, in all their sentiments
upon our foreign relations, they principals. IL
is to be hoped that there is no marty. or class of
men, IN this land, whose patriotic impulses of
that mysterious nature to prompt them to find their
own country never in the right or an enemy of
our rights, interests, or free institutions never H.
the wrong
In an unguarded moment and under the unstudied
impulse OF what plain justice and evident right
might extort from even the strongest enemy, the
" lntelligencer" justified the movement of the nd
mlnlstrauon IN sending troops into Texas for her
protection, and that of the (hatdly to be called
merely lnchoate rights and interests of the people
otthls Union over her soil and territory. This ad-
mission, the justice and candor Of which, in an
American journal, ought certainly TO be matter of
surprise, was nevertheless of nature so unusual in
the quarter whence il came, naturally to invoke
that notice at your hands which it received IL
seems, however that the "Intelligencer" was guilty
IN Its own estimation, of unjust leaning 10 It's
own government, and that, in moment of more
hcSuoh, IL lctlS IL W NC ITO uuly 10 IT'S
only admission of the single instance of country
being in the right, when thus being in the right can
put any other nation in the wrong.
As if conscious Of the humiating character Of the
task in which 1t is engaged of palpabe and shame
full retracon of the creditabe sentiments, hitherto
inadvertently uttered the eey and oily editors of the
lntellgencer grow unusually irdcund; and as If
there were anything ambiguous capable of mis-
Interpretation IN the language in which they have
delivered themselves, grow harsh upon Sword
mongers hair-splltters and strict onstructonists,"
Word-mongerng, hairspitting, aud strict construc-
ton" cannot help the editors in this their dilemma.
They have been guilty of the unreasonable impru-
dence, for once of finding their country in the
right; and the object of the piece which are
cing is to enable them to preserve their consistency
by speedy and humble, but hnmating re,raction
of their error.
The bold position first assumed by the Intelli-
gencer was, that the ratification of the measure of an
neXatlon by Texas gave us rights her soil and
her people, which the President would be justified in
defending by the armed force of the United States.
That is the isolated and single proposition which
you asserted, and which was endorsed by the Intel
bgencers assent--an assent which certainly no
American ought to deny.
But, behold! this is too liberal, too manly, too
patriotic, too American; ',cord-mongering and
"hai,-spHttng" are called into requsition.
We must not defend the soil of Texas. France
and England, suppose will do that for us.
lHe 1ftsiutUt must Keep 'StTlCtlV on inc uelen-
sye, and within the settled limits of the land whose
proper population merely, and not its territorial pre-
tensions, 1t is now necessary to defend"
We have inchoaie rights over the soil and the peo-
pie of Texas (said the lnelligencer the other day)
by treaty and convention, so matured, and in such
condition. that the President would be justified in
defending them if attacked
Mark how the lntelligencer sounds retreat from
this position! But, adds the lntelligencer, "the on
ly lawful manner of that defence is by keeping
strictly the defensive, and within the settled limits
OF the land tch0se proper population merely, and not its
TERRITORIAL prtenSionS II Is now necessary to defend
The qualified, retrealing doctrine here is, that the
President may defend the people, but not the soil of
Texas, except within its setlled limits. But here
comes the difficulty. Towards Mexico, the limits of
Texas are IN dispute. All that territory according
to the lntelgencer, we are bound TO let Mexico take,
and retreat to the old limits of Texas. Texas claims
to the Bravo, by possession and by arms. Her
title is not by ancient limits, but by revolutions and
this matter Of settled limits between Texas and Mex
leo (where nothing is settled, and all is in dispue) is
undignifed clubbing, on the part of the Intelligent
Ger, to reconcile its former contrary assertion with
Its present condemnation of the government.
Now, we would humbly ask of the Inlelligencer,
where rest the feet Of the "proper population but
upon the territorial pretensions" of Texas' Does
the "propr population of Texas live in the air. Be-
sldes but day or two ago, the lnelligencer utterly
denied the constituonahty of annexation. That
uchicu, Nh"t ~ US
or TO Texass That denied, what "proper population"
is there to defend But, with the Inelligencer eve
rythlng American in the matter is wrong; every
body and everything is reproved, except France,
England, and the flying gentleman in the trhite hat.
Texas is all wrong The soil and the people still be-
long TO Mexco--"by The grace Of God" ADnexa-
ton is unconstitutional, because it not effected
by treaty; and now that annexation is consumma-
ted by the assent of Texas, we have annexed .'ihe
proper population" and not the "ierroriai preten
sons of Texasthat is, the people of Texas, and not
the ground they stand upon; and the lnelligencer il
afflicted with sudden fit of "strict construction
which will permit it to allow the President other
means of defending the ''proper population" and
SHE territorial preensions of Texas than by causing
the troops of the United States to be kept with
in the ''SeHied limits" of Texas; and he cannot
even keep the troops there, son his own author
ity, and beyond all plea Of need, and even with
out any thought of asking Legislative leave y
And all this mass of contradiction, evasion, and re-
traction, grows out of subject which, the Intel
lgencer says "ca, mol sought by as, bat forced upon
us by The cdnt Of discretion Of the government paper
Now it is really hard, that the Integencer should
with its usual craft and astuteness, have sunk over
the hubs in this mre and all "by The rant Of discre
ton Of The government paper" In the name of edto
rial love and paternity, this ought not to be repeated
The 'gope,nmsni edtor' should go school TO learn
''discretionn
Everything being found wrong in Texas, the edi-
tors fly off to the fifty-second degree of north la-
tude and cool off by finding everything wrong in
Oregon. Col. Kearney is wrong; but it is only an
impression. "We cannot shake off the impression
that Col Kearney's force, now somewhere near the
Rocky mountains, has destination not altogether
pacific"
The government is wrong, but that is only by way
of interrogation "At best, Is the government doing
right in encouraging these rash and il-sarred wan
derers to that wayi" "a regiment OF dragons
is only likely strip the deserts of the forage, which
the emigrants need more than they need guards. I"
Thus, at last, the editorial wrath Qike the uncean
spirits in the Scripture) finds its way into the bodies
Of beasts. The poor horses complained of, for
not traversing the deserts empty-bellied.
The Intelligencers doctrine always was that Ore
gon would fall into our hands by being filled
up by our immigrants. Now, those immigrants
are crash and ill-stsrrcd wanderers" The forces
for their protection have a covert, undivulged
destination. Is this intmation of hostile ip.
tenton ON the part of the Dragons to justify
attack upon them, and upon the emigrants whom
4 for Anne innrpaIs IN tai