Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-12-14
The President. Mcs>agc-No. 3.

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We have attempted. and we think successfully, to show
that the uue to the territory between tho Neuccs and the
Rio Grondc, of which Mr.. Polk ordered General Taylor to
take possession in January, 1916, after having permitted
that officer To remain six months at Corpus Christi. " s the
most western point occupied 10y Texas" being in dispute,
was dosigncdly left an open question:" by Congress. the
only authority which had a right percmPiorily TO close II;
mud consequently, that the FroHdeHf, by directing it,
military occupation, provoked, II he did not commence
the war. II follows, also, Us a consequence, that the ale.
gauon tina, Mexico began hosullues by shedding Amcri-
can blood, on Ameriean soiL," isl fgmen, OF the imagi-
nation, introduced fot the purpose Of srousing the passions
oi the people, To whose calm and sober judgment, upon the
naked facts OF the case, the Administration E rcluc,an, 10
rely for n verdict. II is tue that Mexico struck the first
blow; but it does not always follow that he who first strikes
i in truth The assailng party. liza man crosses his neigh
boris threshold, and even stands upon his own ground, and
shakes his fist in his n%eighbor's face, will it be pretended
that the latter is The assaiing party because he meets the
insult with a blow Was it strange that Mexico mani
Tested some resentment, and that, weak and feeble rs she
was, aud distracted by internal discussions, she dared even
10 encounter the peuils OF an unequal conflict, when she saw
our armed t~quadrons atthe mouths OF her puncipa' ports, and
our cannon, planted, as she believed, upon her own soil, on
one bank OF the Rio Grande, pointed at one Of her prin-
cipHl towns on the other 2 How should We have rolished
the appearance, during the existence OF the Oregon conrro-
vorsy, OF British s~quadrOns upon our coasts. and Of British
armies, even upon their own uniIsputed soil, overlooking
ON frontiers P Why, even when we heard, during the
progress Of that controversy, that there was unusual actyi-
" IN the Blush navy yards and ar~scnals,-lhat She was
building and fitting out an unusual number Of war steamer.
AMI filling W the ranks OF her armies, without waiting TO
see To what point they might Ice dIrccied,-we took fire Al,
these active preparations. ard instructed out Minister o.,
London TO demand an explanation OF the British gov.
eminent. suppose those ships had been seen hover
ing at the mouths OF cur harbors. and a large army
cucampcd upon the Canadian frontier, wm its can
non placed IN a position 10 destroy the town OF Buffalo
would not the martial spini OF lac county have been AZ
olcc aroused, and the demand Tor Instant war universal and
iHcs-ubIe 2 True, our army on the Rio Grande was cal.
Ell ian army OF observation" and our fleet before Vera
C'us was intended only To watch events. and be ready for
any emergency that might arise. b.. were not these very
movements calculated, however they were intended. 10 tr,
woke a war 2 AsNr Benton asked, when President Ty'cr
sent heets and armies ON similar expeditions aud under the
same prere2ts, "Wha, d an army OF observation ,but an army
q" n the field Tor war1 LIE an army whose a l. known.
" aud whose character j. defined, and which Is incdcn; 10
" war alone. In TO watch the ENEMY and can never
d" be made To watch a FRIEND. Friends canngtJc watcf
ed by armed men, either ind,r tulIly or nationally, with
- out open enmity. Let an armed man take a position be.
" fore your door, shew himself 10 your family. watch your
" movements, and demonstrate with you, and report upon
you 1t he Judge your movements cquivocal: Let him
" do this and Whist is 1t hu, an act Of hostility and OF out
" rage, which every feeling oi the heart, and every law of
bou anu mar require you 10 resent and TtluIsc ? Tins
would he the case with a mere indiyidual.-su nor,
with nations, aud when s~quadroEs and armies are the
" watchers and romonsIrants."
That these movemcnts-and especially the march in The
Rio Grande-induced Mexico 10 strike the first blow. is
demonstrated 10y innumerable circumstances. We have
already referred to the fact that every letter from Genera.
Taylor to the War Department, written before The camp
at Corpus Christi was brosen up, shows tie: the Mcxlcans
were not disposed to war, aud that they were making no
preparation ON the frontier tor such an event. In the inter
view between General Worth and General La Vega, shor-
ly after the arrival Of General Taylor on The Rio Gfandc.
the Mexican General expressly stated that .the march Of
the United States troops through a part o! the Mexican
territory CIamaulpasl was an act Of war" And, on be
ing asked by Gen. Worth, 1t Mexico had declared wal
ugains, the United States, he replied "No;" but added
That the MeNieans "iclt indignant at seeing ,Ic Amor-
eau flag flying on the Rio Gfandc, a portion Of The WeIi-
can teTritOTy' Gen. Ampudia, in his letter 1, Genera
Taylor, attributed hrs wlriko demonstrations 10 the Same
cause. And what Is perhaps still more conclusive. Pres
dent Paroles, in his celebrated Manifesto. dated ON ,b,
2Jd April. 1916, after he had heard Of the march Of ,b,
American forces, SAYS GmphaucaIly, " ! sOiemHlv agssy,,.
Maf do not deeiIre mar GgatrstMe L. S. Of Amsrieg.
because Il pertains 10 the august Congress Of the nation.
" aud not to the Executive, to settle definitely the rcpafa.
ton when so many aggressions demand. But the de-.
fence Of WerisaH territory, rhich the D.. s.. frgops o..
" rads, Is an urgent necessity, and my responsibility would
" be immense before the nation, did / not give command
" To opein sss JOrses, Whieh act luxe caemlcs. / have Sd.
" commanded. A"
All these, aud inuumorabie other facts prove inIiepu.sb,
Hat the advance Of Gen. Taylor 10 the Rio Gundo led 90
the war and that, had Inc remained OF Corpus Chrsu. b.
removal from winch point was required, as las own
letters show, by no hostile denominations on the
other side, aud by no urgent necessity OF an,
And. peace would have been preserved. and aI the
objects now sought to be accomplished by force
might have been secured by negotiation. Or, o., oil
events, il Mexico, sull further prosuming on aiorJcaraucc
aireudy too long extended to her, had refused to adjust the
boundary, Congna, tho warmakine power. was fully
competent TO thc task Oi yindcauug the honor and asserting
the rights Of The nation; aud that 10 would have done 90. we
presume neither Mr. Polk nor bis defenders will deny: but
whether 1t would or nIi, the President had no right 10
usurp 1t. functions and 20 supply be- lack Of patriotic zeal by
forcing 1t to assume a JclIigoront attitude before is own
scnse Of duy had prompted ito resort to that last aRcma-
five of nations.
That Mexico deserves the chasuscmcut sho has received
uo one r.. no readily admits Than VIC do. But The time and
mode OF Is udcuOu % was the night and duty OF Conrreu,
audol Congress alone. foo determine. u De- because Mr
ipI> snatcnci from that body "thc sccplro bud the rodr
chat We doH,unco him. We DO mot justify tic r.ur.s of
M'1co, or -]yuplalz- with Der complaints of vronr. r.
coiy'd lt our hands. but We ,iudIrltc te con.utuu.na.
power of C.ugre-s. winch hos been usurpedby on iucas,n
fblc aud arrogant Executive.