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

Our Mexican Conquests.
The National Inteligencer of this morning, in OF
the longest editorials ever written being about seven
columns, gives what purpors to be aifrevew OF the
Presidents message in relation to the Mexican war
We mean examine this article hereafter. 1t is enough
now to remark upon the first six columns of it, that so
far from answering the Presidents exposition of the
case they do even state it in such form as to be at
all appehended by any reader who has not seen the mes
sage itself.
The last portion OF the lntegencer's article, upon
which alone we now propose TO comment, distinctly
charges upon the Executive the determination to amer
and incorporate into the territory OF the United States
without treaty, and without the consent of Congress-
but by Executive act, the Mexican territories Of
which government has taken military possession
under the power. This change, which forgets the
most essential and obvious distinction between MILITARY
occupation OF enemys territory during the war; and
the ultimate disposition OF such territory after treaty of
peace shall have been concluded is involved in the fol-
lowing paragraphs OF the Intelligencers article:
eve have neither time multiply proofs, which
might DE adduced, of the intention of the administration
consider New Mexico and California least, when over.
having been acquired by conquest for the United
his recommendation TO orde for the security Of these impo
ant by making for %
tons proper state Of requiring such specific
appropriaonand for defaying the expenses of the civil
dent established in these Territories Of the United States
This accommodation by the Executive is full recognition
OF what his officers have said and done.
The President has of himself no lawful authority to an
acquire territory TO establish civil governments
territories either within without the United States
All such acts foreign to his office and in the absence OF
any authority derived from Congress- cannot but be regard
ed as usurpations of power"
The proper and alsuicent answer to all this in so
far assas the of the administration upon the
subject is to be found in the following passage of the
Message:
"By the laws ofnatons, conquered territory subject
and Dna there Is either treaty Of peace Or he a,aR po'@,
riy withdraw from t. The old civil government being
queror his conquest and provide for the mainte-
of civil order and the rights OF the inhabitants This
military and naval commanders, by the establishments of
temporary governments in some of the conquered provinces
in Mexico assimiating them far practicable to the
New Mexico and of tho CALIFORNIA; little if any further re.
ary governments which have thus from the necessity of
the and according the laws of war, been established
poaBt conguests by baking an adequate sppropaton
for the purpose of erecting Qualifications and deayng the
expenses necessarily incident to the maintenance OF
possession and authority over them"
This is old and familiar doctrine set forth with a
dstnctness and precision not to be mistaken The
queror of territory "duing has military possession, and
until there is either treaty Of peace, voluntary NTH
drawal his part has the right and is under the duty,
Of securing his conquest" by providing for the mainte
OF due authority in the land which he has conquer
ed This right the President alleges have been exer-
csed by our military and naval commanders; and he
suggests to Congress the propriey of making appropra-
tons to defray 'he expenses necessarily incident to
the maintenance of such possession and authority" Be-
yond this pointthe military possession and occupancy
of the conquered country in due fomhe President does
not proceed The ultimate destination of the country
when treaty of peace shall be concluded is not at all
alluded to- The consideration of that point belongs to
future day and TO different state of things To hold
our conquests in military possession during the
is one thing, and in time of is very important
thing The annexation of the conquered territory and
its incorporation into Union is quite another thing
The former is not only legitimate but necessary exer
else OF the power The latter is purely civil ques
ton, with which the power has nothing to do which
belongs to the constitutional authorities OF the country
which is not yet in any form before our government and
which the President has certainly neither attempted de-
eide nor discuss.
But as if not quite satisfied with the success of its
attempt to show from the Presidents Message that the
administration has understood the military occupancy of
Mexican territory be the thing as its permanent
annexation and incorporation into our own, the Intei-
gencer endeavors to bolster up its position by citations
from the Union On this point that journal is peculiarly
unfortunate II there be position in relation to this
whole matter upon which we have been more entirely
explicit than upon any other it is precisely this that, in
our judgment all the proceedings of military and
val commanders in the Mexican territories to be
garled exclusively provisional and temporary
es, intended solely to military possession Of
those provinces during the war, and until their