Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1846-12-25
The Presidents Messaye..-again.

The Presidents Message-.-again.
We believe there never was an official doc.
u,ncnt put forth whose facts were more distor-
trdand whose reasoning was more inconscquent.
than are those of the recent Executive Message
Mr.. Polk as it appears TO us, must have count
ed more largely than politicians generally dare
to do upon the crcdulity, or upon the ignorance
of the American People, when he undertook the
task of shifting from his own shoulders the dire
responsibility of involving the nation in an UNI
necessary and expensive WAR. That he felt
this responsibility resting upon himself, before the
Message was written, the very length and elab-
orateness Of his attempt to escape from it incon-
tcstablv proves! II it were true. as he asserts
aud e-asscrts, that the war was COMMENCED DY
MEXICO" ten lines instead of ten h,Hircd lines,
would lave asserted the fact, and formed his jus
tiication for the active prosecution OF hostilitcs.
But it is .or True. The eye. Of the people
have been fixed on Mr.. Polk, and his movements
touching this war, ever since the evil hour that
saw him naugun'cd ms their chief Magistrate.
The People have steadily ndintelligently watch
ed the measures and tirc policy of this Admins
tration.-tiley were learned by their proioundcst
Statesmen to erpect' evil from its accession, and
they have. more than is usual, interested them
solves in the conduct Of those to whom they had
entrusted it> mana cement. They are, therefore.
not to be reasoned nor ceji0ied out Of the knowl-
edge they have thus acquired. 1t was the rom
,ic,ion weighing heavily on tie mind Of Mr..
Polk. that his measures and policy hal been thus
narrowly observed. and that the popular verdict
was strongly and intcgenty against him, that
forced him into the immense effort 10 vindicate
himself which he made in his Message. But it
will not answer the END anxiousy hoped for -
A great majority of those who have readhs Mes
cage knom that its facts are msstatcd and its ar
gumcnts are unsound. They know that by lis
own unauthorized and unwarrantabe acts he
plunged the nation into War; and that, too, at
the very tim, when he was surrounded by those
who, and who alone, under the Constitution,
have power to declare war! The special plead
ing of the Message may puzzle the brains. but it
will fail to warp the sound Judgment, the peo-
pie. The character and the motircs of this war,
anil the history of its origin, were well under
stood long before the Message was written, and
that precious document only serves to swell the
rhetoric, and inhame the spurious patriotism, Of
apatisan ressand of partisan politicians. With
the great body Of the people it inspires neither
confidence nor respect. It's tone of moderation
and christian forbearance under the multiplied
and aggravated insults and wrongs inflicted by
Mexico, is great deal too humble to stand ever
cousin-german to the rough and ready Language
ofTRuTH. 1t is the practised cunning Of .h'
engaged Attorney. not the plain and simne eln
quence Of the Statesman. 1t awakcns dstrus
b. its very elaborateness, and throws doubt upo
its own conclusions by the very extraordinar
and unnecessary effort expended in their demon
stration!
We ask our readers to look on the fDllowin
collection of phrases, each of which can be foun
in that portion Of the Message which is devote
20 the War, and then tell us if such supcriuou
and repeated declarations of innocence are ne
among the sureat evidences of glih--irthey
not betray the guilty consciousness of MacDel
at the sight OF the ghost Of Banquo -
"Thou ranst not say Ibid it: never shake
Thy CORY locks al me"
In running through Mr.. Folks messag, W
find the changes rurg on the assertion that Me
leo &C mmenccd this miserable war, as fellows
"upon the commencement OF hos,iltcs ly Meri
against the L. 5. &c"
Being involved in war thus commenced Iy Ne,
eoSe."
"ln less than seven months after -nerico commcne
hostiif:es Sc
"'rhe war has not been wagcd with view to co
quest, bu, having been commenced by Merico &c"
"Amoug our Just causes OF complaint against Me,
60, az well before since the war unJustiy COZ
menced on her 7Ia,t Sc"
"1he existing war with Mexico was neither d
sred nor proroked ty the L. $. &c"
"Mcrico herself became tie assrcssor, by invadi
our soil in hostile array &c.
But Mexico herself has never placed the war nhi
she has Gagged" &c.
1t is absurd for Mexico to nlegc, a pretcxt
--'pplsncing hosfi!itics against tie L. S." nc
Outrage against ouif S9nsuiilinhed her long course
s,re nar," Sc '' commencing an opt
"Congress recognised tie existence Of the y
rhich lad teen commenced ty III, Government of /
rides" &c.
:" 1t being manestly his Santa Annals interest
70 prseyere IN the prosecution OF a conmen,
" Pdredes. &c &c. Sc
Iueire times is the assertion rer,atcd ~
"nnportant variations CT lhrascology, Il
MARCO trsunn! Ard cur readers will obsey
that in almost every instance the assertion
mere surplusagc, and might be omitted wiho
in the slightest degree. affecting the sense. II
Pathological reteration gives the Message ,
air OF criminal indictment rather thsn a era
State RAJ Grand we are almost disappointed
its failure to conclude its averments against t
srraigntd Rel ublic in the ortil ary words :.
gn'nsf The peace u The leTie # MeUnitcd Sta
sud their digniy,"
Who commenced the WnrP
We promised our readers, last week, that
would lay before them documentary proof" III
the war with Mexico, in which our gallant arr
has so highly distinguished itself for cour,ge =,