Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1846-12-31
MESSAGE OF TIE PRESIDENT,
In reliy 10 .A.y Udris' RosoLtfIuii G; Enquiry.

2
II lie House oC Representatives. q The Z. sfaies;
In com lance with Tie request contained IN the heso-
lupn OF the 9Th inst. communicate herewith reports
iron The secretary If War and Secretary Of the Navy
wih the documents which accompany them. lhoSa
Il eumens contain all the orders or insirucuns'io any
GERS OF the Government in relation u the establishment
OF organization Of Civil Government many portion ol the
terfory 81 Mexico which has might be taken psses-
SION tfby the Army or Navy of the United States
I These riders and instructions were given 10 regulate
the exercise Of The rights of the Gclgguns engaged IN
actual war over sr portions of the territory Of nr enemy
As by military conquest might Lc taken possession Of and
Dr. occupied by armed forces ighs necessarily result
ing from OF and clearly recognised by the laws
Of nations his all the authority which could be
delegated military and naval commanders. and It's
exercise was indispensable the occupation and
d Of territory OF the enemy which might be con
quered-1he regulations autlorz were Temporary and
dependent the rights acquired by conquest.
4 They were authorized as begerent rights ard were
be carried INTO effect by Military or Naval oil 'ers
Thy were but the amelioration Of Martial law which
modern civilization required, and were due as well to the
security Of the conquest as to the inhabitants Of the con
qnered territory.
! he documents communicated also contain the reports
ufseyers gy morItorous officers of our Army Navy
who have conquered and taken possession Of portions OF
the eaemy' terribly.
Among the documents accompanying. the Repor of the
Secrea OF War will be und''a form Of government,
established and or1lnlzedn by the military commander
Who conquered and occupied with his forces the territory
OF New Mexico. Tins document received at the
War Department in the latter part Of the last month";
and will be perceived by the report Of the Secretary
81 War, not. for the stated by that officer
brought 10 my notice until after my annual message Of
the 9TH inst, was communicated 10 Congress.
II Is declared its face Ia be tcmpofarv government
Of the said territory but there portions Of 1t which
purport 10 Establish and organize permanent territorial
government Of the United States the territory, and
10 lmpart to It's inhabitants political rights which under
the constitution of the United States can he enjoyed per
manently only by citizens fthc United States. These
have moi been approved and recognized by me,
Such organized relations have been established in any
OF the conquered territories for the security OF
quest for the preservation of order for the protection Of
the rights OF the inhabitants and for deprvng the enemy
Il the advantages Of these territories, while the military
possession ofthem by the forces OF the United States
continue, will be recognized and approved.
II will be apparent from the reports Of the officers who
have been required by the which has crowned their
arms To exercise the powers # temporary government
the conquered territories, that if any of powers has
been exercised the departure has been the offspring OF
patriotic desire to give 10 the inhabitants the privileges
and lmmunltlcs cherished by the people of own
country and which they believed calculated 10 improve
their condition and promote their prosperity.
Any such excess has resulted in practical injury hui
can and will be early corrected in manner alienac
little as possible the good feelings of the inhabitants Of
the conquered territory.
JAMES X POLK
Washington ed December, 1876.
Accompanying this Message of the President arc a mum
Der Of Documents from the War and Navy Departments
The Secretary Of War writes -
You will perceive that stated in my letter of the Sd o
June last To Gen krarney, that proclamation in tho
Spanish language would he furnished him for the pur
p"sc OF being distributed among the Mexican people
few copies Of the proclamation for Gen. Iay lor weT,
Sent TO General kcarny but owing to the dlflercn
circumstances in which the generals might be placed
1t was afterwards deemed proper to instruct Gen. kcaml
n1 TO use them and am not aware that he did IN am
instance My letter to him ON the subject, dated the Oh
June, is one Of the papers herewith transmitted.
Among the accompanying documents you Will find tw
proclamaons issued by Gen. kearny, but neither tn
form nor substance Of them furnished from this de
parimont
In relation 10 the annexed paper, No. "a } called thu
" Organic law of the Territory OF New Mexico it i
proper that should state that received the Ad
utan Generals Office the 23d OF November and theme
7 scnt 10 meas the document voluminous and IN
whole time required Tor the Indispensable current bi
s!n,ss Of the department. then unusually pressing
and for preparing my annual report TO accompany you
q m ssagc to Congress, did that time. unit
lew days since, examine it. and it not laid betJr
u You 10 receive your directions IN regard to II
The following is an extract of the Secretary Of War t
i Gen kcany:
Should you conquer and tnke possession Of New Mex
leo, PIPER Calionia considerable places In either
You will establish temporary vii governments therein
aboshng all arbitrary restrictions that may exist, IA
II may he done with safety. In performing this duty
all such the existing officers known
friendly to the United States, and will take the oath
allegiance to them. The duty at the custom houses oug
: at TO be reduced 10 such rate may be barrel
sufficient to maintain the necessary officers without yield
ing any revenue 10 the government on may assure tn
people of those provinces that the wish and dcsig
# tie United States 10 provide for them free govern
u mont with the least possible delay similar that whic
u exists in our territories They will then be called on
: exercise the rights of fecnen in elccng their ow
II that what relates the civil government will be
= irut and unpleasant part of your duty. and niue
must necessarily be fl To your discretion.
The Secretary Of the Navy says =
II will be perceived, that the only subject whc
the commander of the naval forces in the Gulf has be-.
c, instructed, which appears be within the range Of tn
resolution is the othe import and export trade
III ports of which he held temporary possession.
The last official despatch received from the Paci
sl1adron is dated the 2Sth OF August last At tina
date the dispatches from tc department of the 18th
May had us arr, cd and those Of subsequent dates aT
pear have been received The operations Of til
squadron were conducted under the order of June 9th
4 1915 which required the commander of the naval force
II exercise all the bclligoren rights which bel, ngcd
him, the declaration Of war; or the commencement
hCsiiics by Mexico against the | ned States.
In my despatch OF 9th November last, Commolon
Stockton required TO renqush the conduct OF opera
- tinns land and the control of such Of civil
government the military occupation of the country
queed might devolvo on the conIueror until definite
treaty of peace should settle the right of poSSesSon the
officer in command the land forces of the United States
- who in company with the bearer my de patch, pro
cepdCd O the 10 the command