Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-12-11

rtory, in full legal action and organization,
just as much as any other portion, and that inns
was The case before our army was ordered TO
the eastern bank Of The Grande; that our army
took post west Of the Nueces 10 August, lS45,
and that this fact was communicated 10 Congress
in December last, without exciting complaint in
any quarter; lba. Mexico herself has never re-
garded the advance 10 the Grande as cause OF
war any more than The advance 10 the Nueces;
that Paroles had ordered the Mexican general
to "aiack" our army by "every means which
war PERMITS" as early as the 4lh Of April, 1886,
before the arrival of General Taylor al The Rio
Grande could possible have been known al the CT
ty of Mexico; that The reconquest of Texas, and
not The repuIse of our army from The Rio Grande,
was the avowed and pledged purpose Of Paroles
in this order; and, finally, that Mr.. Webster
himself who comes forward TO make this charge,
that the march of General Taylor 10 the Rio
Grande was the "invasion OF Mexican or neutral
territory" did, over his own signature, in an orfl-
eial despatch of The 9Th Of July, 1912, distinctly
declare that "the territory between the Sabine
and the Rio Grande," was, by the treaty of 1919,
as part of The old Spanish province Of Texas,
re-ceded and confirmed 10 Spain by The United
States!
In our judgment, This last fact. as brought oul
in The Message, will come home to the mind OF
The whole country with electric power not be.
cause Of its bearing on the general question OF
the true boundary OF Texas, Qor amidst the
great mass Of highest authorities by which This
question is settled, the authority Of MIR. Webster
needs not TO be quoted bu, because OF lis direct
bearing on the question of the sincerity and The
spirit OF Mr.. Websters recent very remarkable
declarations. He stands before The country at
this momen as having just declared that The ad-
vance OF our army 10 the Rio Gfande was an act
of war done beyond The boundary line OF Ibis
Union; aud that as such, II was, in his judgment,
"jus cause OF Impeachment" against the President
ut the United States; and, now, here are his own
words written in 1912 and quoted in the Message,
showing that he himself iiirmed the Rio Grande
TO be the boundary Of that Texas which is now
one OF The States OF this Union We wait with
impatient curiosity 10 see how The great lawyer
will plead TO this avermenl Of staggering and
overwhelming seli-conlladiclion beforehand, in
case where all official decorum required him, as
member of the high court OF impeachments, not
SO to speak al all, and especially 10 guard we'll in
such matter his character and his motives from
the shame of open Inconsistency with himself.
g. As TO The return of Santa Anna to Mexico;
How utterly puerile becppc he charges, and The
suspicious, and The conJeclures Of The opposition
press, and of The opposition leaders, upon this
subject, before the brief, pointed, simple state
ment Of the facts as contained in The message
We will mol undertake TO reslate them. Any
change Of the language would weaken its force.
Il vii! be read by the country with natural and IL
rcpressb!e Indignation that any partisan, or any
partisan journals, could be al once shorl-sshed
enough and false hsrled enough 10 delane and
10 malign, on such pIelext, an administration
laboIing 10 uphold The rights and honor of the
country. What becomes ol that miserable tissue
OF hypothesis and IN Representations which
The Federal presses have so deliberately woven,
and so perinaciously repeated, viz: that there
was an underslandin. and bargain between The
administration and Santa Anna that he had
been bribed 10 sacrifice the interests OF Mexico
10 The demands Of he United States; that he
was 10 make peace on our own terms; and that,
for this he was 10 receive The whole or the greater
part OF the two millions Of dollars asked Tor by
the President towards the close Of The last session
OF Congress- The proposed mode Of accounting
Tor This fund, il 10 any degree employed al all, as
"other public expenditures" are accounted for,
destroys al once The idle and insiduous SUPPOSE
lion.
Sd. The expenses OF the war. The "halt-a-
million-a-day" panic is brought b. The message
10 most untimely and ludicrous end. The
great panic-maker, who sci This idea on foot, re-
ceives from the message, on this point, another
unsettled The centre OF gravity OF the Holy Clerk
of Copmanhursl. The public debt incurred du-
ring The seveD months through which the war has
lasted amounts, iniead Of halfa million OF dol
lars day. 10 less than SIN MILLIONS AND
A HALF in ALL To carry on The war I'LL The
Goth OF June, 1915 The government estimates
that, under existing laws, an additional loan-nol
exactly OF halt million of dollars day, but OF
tccniy three millions in all, will be required. bul
even this estimate is made in view oil Inc TACT
that four millions are to remain constantly on
hand in the treasury, and in view OF the further
fact, that If the Graduation OF the Public Lands
should take effect and a temporary war duty be
imposed on The principal articles OF the free list,
loan OF eighteen or nineteen millions will be
amply sufficient for The vigorous prosecution oi
the war even fit should last till the Both OF Ju-
", l84S. We have the Presidents assurance
that The war twill BE- vigorously prosecuted in
Mexico with a view 10 obtain an honorable
peace" With a nation like Mexico, no other
means is so well calculated 10 compel peace
and to obtain justice.
Ii is impossible for us, amid the great pressure
ofour columns, 10 specify, much less 10 expaiale,
upon all The important subjects TO when inc mes
sage refers. We must, however, make one briei
remark upon The great question Of the Tariff
The views which The President deyeopss upon
The acl OF 1916, and the sound principles OF Re
venue System, are singulary luminous and pro-
found. He comes al last TO an important and
sound conclusion. He says:
at has but just commenced 10 operate; and 10
abandon ormod,fv ii ruhoia eirlng II a fau trial,
,ro,.!d be inerped,ent and unciss. Should defects
in any of It's details be aceriained by actual
experience 10 exist, these may be hereafter cor
reclpd; but until such defects shall become mani.
les the act should be fairly tested. Its submitted
Tor your consideration whether il may not be
proper, as war measure, 10 impose revenue
duties on some of the articles now embraced in The
free list"
But We forbear for The present from any further
comment upon This luminous exposition OF The
slate Of our country, as presented by lis Chief
Magistrate. We doubt not that il will be received
by The country wilha degree OF satisfaction and
favor at least equal 10 that which attended the
publication Of The previous annual message. II
will present anew 10 The minds Of The Democracy
the impregnabe strength Of their cause, and The
wisdom and justice Of those great measures
which the Administration OF their choice has, al
The call Of The country, undertaken and carried
into effect