Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1846-12-18
of this monster of Message is devoted to JUS
tiiication of a war of which he says:

of this monster of a Message is devoted to a JUS
tiiication of a war of which he says:
The nlacriiy and promptness with which our vol
unccr forces rushed TO the field their c0uhfrys call
prove not only their PATRIOTISM but their deep comic
ti0n That oar cause is lust"
If this is true, if it is "provcd" that "our
cause is just" why labor through eight columns
to prove it again! Why strive so prodigionsly
to strengthen this ''decp conviction T." But it is
not true, and nobody knows it better than James
A. Polk The war is a Presidential war and
nothing else. 1t is prosecuted for the main pur-
pose Of adding to this Republic, as Stare Terri
iory soil which under the dominion of Mexico
cannot be polluted by the abominaton of Slave
ry. It's prosecuted as it was begun. to procure
an overshadowing influence in the National
Councils for the pro-Slavcry Interest of this
Country! This is our opinion, and no whining
complaints Of the dreadful injuries that Mexico
has inflicted upon us, and no ingenious pcrvcr-
sions OF the fact about the western boundary of
Texas, will convince us to the contrary. We
say that the war was commenced by james
Folks ordering Gen. Taylor TO march into the
disputed territory on the Rio Grandc. Previous
to that time there was no war, nor any Likelihood
of war. And if the American Army had been
permitted to remain on the acknowledged tromie,
! ofTcxas-tlc river Nucccs --no war would have
followed
The absurdity of the pretcncc that the Rio
Grandc "from its mouth to its source' was the
western boundary of Texas is fully exposed by
the \. Y. Tribune, as the territory Of New Mex
leo and its capital Santa Fe, which lie mostly on
the east side of the Rio Grande, have been 'cajj-
ttWed from .Nerico'' by the American Army,
since the Annexation of Texas, as Polk declares
in his Message! This is the fix into which
false assumpt ions lead Mr.. Polk!
Captured, has it ? says the Tribune; "whv tina,
was ours long before, and not New Mexico at all, but
Texas. it your former assumption was well founded
Any man who has a map OF North America, can
see that nearly all New Mexico" including that
very" Santa Fc its capital, lies of the Rio Gran
de- and within that very State OF Texas as defined bv
herself and annexed by our Congress How is it that
city and vast territory can at the time be an in
tega portion OF State OF Texas and OF the Mexican
province Tor department Of New Mexico! Nay Sir,
how dare YOU treat portion OF the State OF Texas s
c0ptured territory, and authorize ut Mill
tary satraps TO appoint all It's Judges District Attor-
ncys &c. DC What an astounding usurpntion was
here! To send an armed force into part OF the State
of Texas and not merely drive ont the inradin2 .
McXicans, but actually trcatit as captured territory
and subject 1t to the most despite government CON
ccivaLle No, word whispered hv any body about
Us relation To IcXas-no rcl extension of Texan au-
thurity over tito opportunity afforded its citizens 10
vote tor Texan Members OF our Congress, though
these have lust been chosen, l. not the whole web OF
mingled uudacily and fraud covering the prctcxt of cX
tending TcXas to the Rio Grandc here exposed by
vcIy cOntrivers p
But we have documentary proof that the
Nucccs, and not the Rio Grandc. was consider.
cd by Mr.. DoNELsoy. (thc American Charge
who negotiated the Annexation rs the West
crn irontier" of Texas at the time of anncxa
ton, and that he. Mr. Doncl,un. pronounced
the territory between the Nucccs and the Rio
Grande disputed territory, when he advised
Gen, Taylor to take mp his position at Corpus
Christi. My position is says Mr.. Donesol
in a letter to NJ. Blcheuen dated July ., 1871!
: that we can hold Corpus Christi and all othc
points up lie Nueces If ATTACKED, the RICH
of defence will authorize us to cxpcl the Mex
leans to the Rio Grande.' We will give TIL
documentary evidence next week; We would d
: it now, but have no room. Mr.. Polk almo,
monopolizes our columns, but we warn o,
readers to take his declarations with large a
: lowancc. II we cannot Sho'c that Mexico ia
possession East Of the Rio Grande when tn
Armstce was declared between her and TcXa
and that the question Of boundary was not settle
n we will agree that James H. Polk is as il
G noccnt of this war as he claims to be.