The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-12-10

the republic of Texas in which they declared the Rio
and by said act they extended their civil and political
jurisdiction over the county up TO that boundary
of the twenty Of December 1885, was admitted as one
OF the States OF our Union" .
Could any language be more expressive or precise :
Now who occupying that territory One OF the sub
ordinates OF the Executive And what had he done Or
ganized civil government in all its forms lie had APP
pointed, among other officers, attorney general was
that military official More than that he had incor-
poraied the people into this Union He would like TO have
heard that point the views OF the representative OF
Western Texas, within which this new organization mad
Mr.. PiLLSBURY !believed that there had been some
Little confusion about the organization OF the government
there and the people were not very particular now twas
Mr. SCHENCK was glad to hear such a confession
Ii was mark in the conduct OF the administration and
its supporters "No particular" No matter what, order
or disorder matter All that was important was the
loaves and fishes. Il citizens OF Mexico had been,
by general order OF that commander, made citizens OF
the United States he should like to know whether that
scheme OF naturalization limited, embraced every
color, from the pure white to the ebony Of the negro
from South Carolina, mir. RHErTl with his usual
ability to the relief OF the friends OF the admins;
traton, by trying to convince them that they are all
wrong, and that there safer ground, He MI -
proposed to examine that little. According to him, the
military commander was complete and irresponsible
despot To what did that amount! Why that in all
cases when commander conquered country he be-
its irresponsible sovereign never to be called to
account Well, that was, at any rate, bold doctrine:
Mr. RHEII corrected the gentleman lie was inca
pable Of such absurdy that the military command
er was not TO be bound by the general laws OF morality
and the law OF nations Neither was he opposed to the
Mr. SCHENCK had supposed he had not mistaken the
gentleman. From the great difficulty OF hearing IN the
hall he (Mr. 81 might have received an erroneous I'M.
preston But he thought that the gentleman held that
the military commander might do as he pleased was ne
pleased but he r r. did not say that he couldn't do
wrong, and not responsible for his conduct
Mr.. SCHENCK held that the military commander was
not r any degree relieved of his responsibility to his gov
eminent by going abroad He maintained that the doctrine
involved hebsurdy of that Congress sitting there and
voting supplies to military commanders, naval com
manders, who might establish monarchca forms OF gov
eminent in the provinces which they conquered, and do
Just they pleased II the resolutions were addressed to
Commodore Stockton there might be some nationality in
the argument rather in the excuse offered by the gen
teman from South Carolina. But they were not so ad-
dressed and the wond hardly be made for the
President of the United States II was to be presumed
that the President of the United States knew something
OF the constitution. No matter, them whether Commo-
dore Stockton had studied the constitution not this
question put to the President whether the act OF the
commodore was the OF the executive, authorized
assumed by it, He would read from the proclamation
of Governor" Stockton He supposed il was an anthem
tic documen-no hoax OF a mad wag, but really paper
began: al, Robert F. Stockton commander OF
the United States forces in the Pacific ocean" Where
did he get that tte' He (lIr 81 thought he but
post-capan in the navy But seemed that he desplsed
such small titles and his ambition becoming world wide,
he proceeded: "O the same, do hereby make known to
all men that having by right OF conquest taken posses
sion OF that territory known by the OF Upper and
Lower California, do now declare 10 be territory
ofe United States under the OF the Territory OF
California And do by these presents further order and
decree that the government of the said Territory OF Cali.
fomia shall be, until altered by the proper authority Of
the United States constituted in and form fol-
lows that to saythe executive power and authorl-
y in and the said Territory shall be vested IN gov
ernor, who shall hold his Office for four years unless
sooner removed by the President of the United States.
The governor shall reside within the said Territory shall
be commander nl-ehie Of the army thereof; shall perform
the duties and receive the emouments OF superintendent
of Indian affairs and shall approve OF all laws passed
by the legislative council before they shall take effect
he may grant pardons for offences against the laws OF the
ss and pG o Sf ssaa 81 b s
can be made known thereon he shall commi ssion
allofaicers who shall be appointed to office under
the laws of the said Territory, and shall take care
that the laws be faithfully executed" Was not
that annexation with a vengeance? Was not that
annexation, in despite of the forms so lately
thought necessary Democracy was indeed progressive
Under the anomalous and Inflated administration of John
Tyler-"so poor that would do it reverence"-it
discovered that the annexation OF foreign country
was high Legislative act But now, 80 progressive was
democracy, all that deemed necessary TO send
abroad some gallant commodore-and none more gallant
than he sent in this nstanceand let him, by his simple
dctum, do the whole business. Any commander could
do what it took three long months of legislative
ton to do only two years ago. The people of Texas be-
power exercised over them. But Commodore Stock
fon progressing again, said land do by these presents
Decree" &c.
Mr. HARALSON suggested that the discussion might
be deferred till after the information had come before the
House.
Mr.. SCHENCK would detain the House only to ex-
press his dissent from another proposition which had
been put forth He wanted TO say that they called the
President to know whether he had ordered the establish
men of the laws of the United States in California, for
that Stockton had done In reply to citation from Vate
by the gentleman from Georgia, Mr. HARRISON he had
a remark to make. That authority was European, and
recognised sovereign individual will But he thanked
God that the President OF the United States not
sovereign. 80
Mr.. HARALSON corrected the gentleman He had
cited Vatte universally recognised authority and he
had not supposed that the gentleman from Ohio would
be obtuse to imagine that he (Mr H. could regard
the President a sovereign.
Mr.. SCHENCK intended to say that the sovereignty
spoken OF by Vatte not the sovereignty of the United
States, and therefore the authority did not apply.
Mr.. WINTHROP next obtained the floor He said
that he did not wish to proong discussion He agreed
with other gentlemen that the proper time for dis
cusson would be after the information sought in the
oution had been placed before the House He could not
refrain, however from expressing the high qualification
with which he had seen the debate arise 1t discovered
that that House did not regard any Executive menace
1t was not his intention to entertain the House with any
homy free discussion. But it did to him that
grosser attack upon the principles of free discussion in
that House of Congress than that in the opening para
graph of the message had been made He referred
to that paragraph in which the President quoting the
very words of the constitution ITSELF actually undertook
to cast the mpuaton of treason on any who should
with which he had initiated and carried on the
now existing between the United States and Mexico
The House could not fail to have noticed that paragraph
in which the President quoted the words in quotations