Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1846-12-11

RALEIGH, N. c.. Nov. "a, 1876

terest to hear SOMETHING occasionally about
the doings OF the Legislature but very little
business of importance has been transacted as
yet.
The Governor sent in his message on Tues
day, the 18th inst, which you have, ere this,
perused 1t is long document, and touches
upon various subjects, but is principally devo-
ted to the immediate concerns of the State. Her
financial condition is such, arising from her I'M
fortunate connexion with the Rail Roads, that
her pressing liabilities cannot be any longer
delayed or evaded by favorable reports from
the corporations. His Excellency recommends
that all the debts owing to the Literary Board
be collected as soon as possible and applied
towards alleviating the present embarrassed
situation of the Public Treasury, and that the
Tavern and Auction taxes, which have hereto
fore constituted part of the School fund, shall
likewise be hereafter used for similar purpo-
ses, thereby diverting fromit appropriate chan
mel the money set apart by law for the benev-
client object of disseminating the blessings of
education to the poor children of the State 1t
is now manifest that the Free School money
will inevitably be absorbed in meeting the
debts brought on the State by improvident
Wing legislation. 1t is also recommended that
a sinking fund be raised and applied in pur-
chasing the Raligh & CASTOR Rail Road Bonds
But where the means are to come from to IL
quidate the States responsibility for this Road,
is a. subject of much concern
That part of the message of Mr. Graham
which relates to the war, is not in the spirit
which should characterize the Governor of
North Carolina it is too much in the character
of that arch Federalist and enemy of his coun-
try, 90 the God-like Daniel,'' as he was styled
by the Wings, and who voted in July, 1913,
against the bill to raise money to carry on the
war with Great Britain, and who, in Decem-
Der, 1918, voted against the bill to pay the
expenses of the war, and to rebuild the Capt.
tol, which the British destroyed. 1t is to be
regretted that the Governor of North Carolina,
a State which was first in the ranks of her sis
tiers to shake off the yoke of British tyranny
and oppression, by being foremost in freedoms
cause, in uplifting the banner of American In.
dependence, on the goth of May, 1775,
should have taken the course he has. But
| am DEPRESSING from the subject before me, as
it is my present purpose to merely remark that
the long continued and Lnredressed wrongs
and injuries committed by Mexico on the per-
sons and property of the United States, should
at least have restrained the Chief Executive Of
any State in the Union from employing such
harsh and ungenerous terms as Gov. Graham
mas used aso,@.lnst the administration of Mr.
, c.N. 1t is well known that in October, 1915,
the Mexican Minister informed the U. S. Con-
sui in Mexico that his 0he Mexcan) govern
ment would receive an Envoy Extraordinary
and Minister Plenipotentiary of the United
States, to adjust the boundary question and
settle the claims of this country for spoliations
committed on the property Of American citi-
zens. 1t could not have escaped the recollec-
ton of Gov. Graham that Texas, by her act of
December 10Th, 1886, declared the Rio del
| Norte to be the Southwestern boundary, and
that the country between the Nueces and the
Rio Grande has always been represented in
the Congress and Convention of Texas If
the President did wrong in ordering our army
to occupy a position on the left bank of the
Del Norte, the whole of Gov. Graham's party
in Congress acted still more uniustifable in
voting to extend our laws over the mhole of
Texas, and by voting for the bill to admit
g the Lone STAR into the Union, which was
unanimously done on the 31st of December,
1915. The President, therefore, simply dis
charged an act of imperative duty to his coun-
try in directing the military to occupy the sec
ton of country GO between the Nueces and the
Del Norte." Every administration, and all
the distinguished men of both political parties,
have invariably avowed the Rio Grande to be
the western boundary of Texas, and it has been
universally recognized by all the principal
statesmen of this country, of England, and Of
Mexico herself. And still, with full knowl-
edge of all these well-established and incon.
trovertible facts, which proves, incontestably
that the country lying between the Nueces and
the Rio Del Norte, is just as much the soil Of
Texas as any other part of her territory, Gov
Graham charges that Mr.. Polk has usurped and
subjugated the tract of country lying between
the above named rivers, by his own dictate
rial, arbitrary, and despotic prerogative; for
says MIR. Graham, call questions of War are
in the first instance, to be subjected to the will
of the nation ITSELF tits quite evident, from
the Governors allegations, that his object il
to castreproach on the President, and he would
seem to wish to convey the idea that the Con
gress of the United States had nothing to dc
in the matter of involving the country in the
present war with Mexico. But the American
people have not yet forgotten that the Presi
dent did not declare war, but that the repre-
sentatives of the people, in the exercise of thei
constitutional duties, passed an act, on the 13tf
of May last, declaring that state of war ex
listed between the United States and the Re
public of Mexico, and by that act authorized
the President, as Captain, General, and Com
mander-in-chef of the Army of the United
States, &c to employ the militia, naval, ant
military forces of the United States, and tt
call for and accept the services of any numbe
of volunteers, not exceeding fifty thousand :
and the sum of ten millions of dollars were ap
propriated by the same act for the vigorou:
prosecution of the war. 1t appears very
strange that Gov. Graham should so far over
leap the bounds of propriety as to charge thu
President with being responsible for the pres
ent war with Mexico, after admitting that gu
} Congress had duly acknowledged the bounda
ry of Texas, by passing an act for the estab
lishment of a port of entry west of the Nue.
} ces, and the appointment of surveyor to re
side in that district The Congress of thu
United States asserted our right TO the country
by extending our laws over it; the constitu
ton required the President to appoint the off
GERS and to see the laws faithfully executed
The unanimous action of the American Con
gress upon the question of annexation, ant
the extension of the laws of the United State
to the Del Norte, would seem to be suficien
to justify the President, and even authorlz
and require him, in the faithful discharge 0
the trust reposed in him by the people OF tn
, United States, to order our army to any point
where invasion was threatened by Tor
, eign power. But Notwithstanding all this
Governor Graham says: s'ln this postum
of affairs, without consultation with Con
gress, though in session, by authority of tn
Executive, as Military Commander merely
our army was made to take possession of tn
| L