The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1846-12-15
PRESIDEIT'S MESSAGE.
Etl12r Citissns q ffhe .Saaase
md House Of ReRresent62

the people, it Is a subjesi Of cungratulalion
t,lat there has been no neriud i'll our past his
r,cv when ali The elefaents oil our national
prosperity nave been, So fully dev,loped.
Since your last SESSION 10 affecting 'lispensa-
,iou has visited our country. General good
health las prevailed. Abundance has crown
I'd The toll Of the husbapd.nen, and labor In
all lis branches is receiving ain ample re-
ward. while education, science, and The ARTS
arc rapidly enarging the means oil social
h,ppiness:
The progress. 81 orr country in her career
ri grcllncss, mol unly in the vast extent OF our
roll, limits and The rapid increase Of our
population, 5ul in resources ana wealth aud
il the happy condition Of orr people, is with
out example III, lhc History ul nations. r. AS
the wisdom. strength and .henefcence oil our
free institution are unfolded. every day adhs
fresh motives 10 confentment ana iT"Sn III
cenlives 10 patriotism Our ucfoui aho sin-
ccre Acknowledgements are due 10 ile gra-
ciors giver Of adj good, Tor The numberiess
hItsshYas which our beloved country enjoys
linn source ofhgh satisfaction tolnow thai
the relations of the United Sta 0s with all
oIhcr nations. wiiha single exception, are oil
Inc most amicabic character. sincerely at
r,rhed 10 the policy orpeace, eaEly adoprcd
anI steadily pursued by this government l
have anxiourly desired 10 cultivate 2nd cher
ish friendship and comuerciIl intercourse
with foreign powers. The gI,irit and habits
OF the american people are favorable 10 the
maintenance Of such international harmony.
IN adhering 10 this wise policy, pre- limina-
ry and paramount duty obviously consists in
the protection Of our national interests from
rncroachmemt. or sacrifice, and our national
honor from reproach. These uuSt be MAIN
tuned al any hazard they admit Of no com
promise or nc.oli,tion, and must be scrupu-
lousy and constantly watched guarded III
their virilant vndication.-Co and
conflict with foreign powers may sometimes
become unavoidable. Such has been our
srrupuIous adherence 10 the dictates OF JUS
ice IN all our foreign intercourse, that tho
e'eadily and rapidly advancing in prosperity
aud power, we have had no just cause OF
urplairr 20 any nation, and have enjoyed
she blessings of peace Tor more th;In thirty
ycars.-From policy so sacred 10 hnmani
~. and so saIulary in lis effects upon our pc
liiical system. we should never be induced
Violently 10 depart. The existing war with
Mexico WIS neither desired OF provoked by
the United States On The contrary, all
hpnnrabs means were rcsOried 10 20 avoid il.
After wears Of endurance, of aggravated and
unredresscd wrongs OH our part, Mexico, in
violation Of solemn treaties, stipulation md
oi every principle of justice recognized by
civilized nations, commenced hosiiliiics, and
thus. hy her own act, forced the war upon
us. Long before the advance of our army
10 the Jeff bank of the Rio Grande, we had
ample cause OF war against Mexico, and had
the United States rcsoried 10 this extremity
we might have appealed 10 the whole civil
iIed world for The BUSINESS Of our cause. /
deem II 10 he my duty 10 present 10 yon on
the present occasion, n condensed view of the
IIurcs we have sustained, of the causes
which led 10 the war, and Of lis progress
since its commencement.
This Is rendered more necessary, because
If the misapprchensipns which have 10 some
extent prevailed as 10 lis origin and true
character. The war has been represented
: I'm Just and unnecessary, and rs one OF ag-
erosion on our part. upon week and in
I'Ircd enemy.-Such erroneous views though
entertained by hut few. have been widely
and extensively circulated, moi only al home,
hut have been spread throughout the world,
aud more efectual means could not have
been devised 10 encourage the enemy and
protrast the WAR. than TO advocate and ad-
here 10 their cause and thus give them aid
and comfort. Ii is sourceio OF national prl de
nnd eXtliation that the great body Of our
people have thrown no such obstacles in the
way OF The government IN prosecuting The
TLr successfully, but have shown them selves
10 be cninenly patriotic and ready 10 vindi-
cafe their country honor and interest at
any sacrifice. The aIacrIiy and prOmpncss
with which our volunteer forces rushed 10
the field on their couniry's call. prove not on
ly their patriotism, but their deep conviction
that our cause is just. The wrongs which
we have suffered from Mexico, almost ever
since she became an independent power, aud
the patient endurance with which VIC have
hrrnc them arc wiiIiou, parallel in the his
Tory of modern civilized nations. There is
re:uSnn 10 believe that if these wrongs had
hrcn resented aud resisted in the first in
s:ancc, the present war might have been
nrai led. An outrage however permitted to
pass ~iih mpunily, almost necessarily, en-
Conrages the preparation Of another, until ai
last Mexico seemed 10 attribute The weak
mrs. and inlecislun o. our part, !orbcar
imcc. Which WIS the offspring of maGnanim-
iiy AID ola sincere desire to preserve friend
" relations with 4 sister republic. Scarce
" nd Mexico achieved her Independence
which the United States were The first among
nations 10 acknowledge, when she ron,mchc-
she has ever since pursued. Our citizens
engaged in awful commerce, were imprson-
"a. their vessels seized, and our flag insultcd
in her ports. II money was wanted The
llwle>s seizure and conii>ca'ion OF our mer-
chant vessels and their rarI0es was ready
resource, and Ifto accomplish their purposes
il became necessary to iniprison the owners.
captains and crews, ii was done. Rulers
suppanted rulers in Mexico in rapid success
tr"n, but still there was no chtnge in der
system OF dcpredations.
The government of the Unltcd States
made applications on behalf OF lis citizens.
hut these were answered by the preparation
Of new outragcs. Promises of redress made
by Mexico, in The most solemn forms, were
postponed or evaded. The files aud records
OF the department Of State contain conclu-
sive proofs Of many la~lrsS acts. pcrpclra
ted upon the property and persons Of OIL
citizens bv Mexico, and al wanion insults ia
the national hag.-Thr inirrPnsllon of our
government TO Obtain rcd css, WAS again and
again invoked, under circumstances wl.irl