Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-07-24

,a,,an,;n. ,,mi,able defence Of Democratic Ad-
FoR TIE ENQUIRER.
The 11crican Var andAe Oreso" ssl9'e'ne"9y" -
pOltey of The President rimd'eaiea' !" 'es y"
Ioth, from Wig condemnation. ,,..,oa
n nv communication which was puoiis'ieo
in the Enquirer OF June l2th' attempted - ~
lablish, moi only that the Rio Gfanoe Is now Wv
that il has always been, The western 1ouhuaa5 n
Texas from the period when, IN Inc iaus m
thai most d. weruI Of modern Wrilers-the; ar
OF America-"Randolp oil koanoke a "a
Sale SINK INTO her auvions The fas-s,"il "
France and unfurled her broad banners " no' ~
The balmy zephyrs of 81. Bernard Day.
succeeded in provng that the American lilie "a
SUI ~ =, ~ r.rande The charges which mad
and ;nturiated parzans have again anu aS". .'
re;,sr,,ed Thai The President in ordering on oen.
FayIor 10 that river, unconslitutlohals 70 nd
himself to determine question o. ooun1 -
made war on Mexico without Inc aulnoany y,
CONGRESS. must fall 10 the .grouno, na 's n
foundation whatever 10 rest on. ou' !" -
moi how weighy the arguments a.e, " A1 ~ Tho
con,estible The evidence is IN snPPols y. ;ne
Tassn lain, 10 the Rio Grande, "conhImation
.e.an rroois oi holy writ" would fail TO bring
n;so,;on m The minds Of those who are oosli-
r,ern,ned per fas ct netas 10 condemn The
ad,u;n;srraton. So that all the facts that nave
hem arrayed all The proofs that have been au,
duccd which demonstrate, beyond all ia,ioiidi
dnnb, that the Rio Grande is The western oouh-
dary Of Texas, have been viewed py ullId VIE
,hronob medium 50 very distorted that What,
~ tho eyes Of all unbiased and impartial men,
ssens clear and unreasonable, is, 10 their men
al vision. al best, dcbatable And question
very much. whether they would have peen so
liberal as lo, admit thai The country embraced
between the Nueces and the Rio Granae was
even debatable ground, did they mol oeiieVe 'nal
Inc copduc, of the President was Just as onnof,
ous 10 censure upon lha, supposilion, as II would
49, been upon The supposition that the soil be-
tween the Two rivers belonged unquestlonably 10
MEXICO. The President must he denounced
HE contuct must be reprohaled, right or wrong
and The sworn enemies oil The administration, IN
their fixed and settled purpose, 10 wage con-
,;nucd and systematic warfare against II, uncer
anv and all circumstances, daily expose Them
selves by their egregious blindness and slanng
inconsistencies.
If there be any who doubt the vndctve and
relentless party spirit which has seized upon Inc
minds Of many Of The opponents Of Inc Auln'his-
,ra,inn and in measure deprived reason OF her
dominion, refer them 10 their rancerous ABUSE
and vepomous delraclion OF the President for the
nolicy he has thought proper 20 pursue Ielalion
10 he Oregon settlement. When MIR. Polk, IN
his inaugural message boldly and learlessly pro-
claimed what he no doubt conscienliously De-
lieyed, that our right 10 the whole OF oregon was
acear and unquestionahe, The losd ana mag
nant voice Of Wing condemnation arose sponla-
neously throughout The Union, and the PRESIDENT
was even declared 10 be The demon spirit spoken
Of by the prophets of old, which, in the shape OF
human being, was to involve The world in war,
and fill i, with devastation, havoc and ruin. But
in this age no man is "a prophet or the son OF
prophet" and Wing predictions, like those OF
most false prophets, were never verlhed. Mr.
Polk. with the advice Of the Senate, accepted The
proposition made By Great Britain, 10 settle The
Oregon controversy upon the parallel oil 40
Did Whig camor and vituperation then cease
Oh, no! These very Wings, who but lillle
while before believed that the President had the
moral courage, on account Of MS own private
opinions. TO involve the world in war, now charg-
cd him with ''cowardly shrinking from response
biily," because he consulted the Senate as 10 the
proprieiy OF accepting The proposition offered by
ENGLAND Can there be 4 more striking instance
OF what Inconsistencies men are Suiily, Wneh
prejudice and passion nave usurPcd the inronc
OF reason The Wing parry have always been
mos, strenuous and clamorcus in their opposition
10 what they are pleased TO call Zone man pow
err" The curtaiment OF Executive power, II
their declarations are TO be believed, is iunda-
il ha, arrayed the Wing party in opposition 10
Gen. Jackson1 II was because he assumed The
great moral responsibility OF crushing the monster
Bank and removing The deposites. Why was II,
tha, in later times Mr.. Tyler was denounced BY
The Wings not only as traitor 10 his principles
and 10 his party, but 10 his country? IL was be-
cause (and 10 his immortal honor be it Sad)
he respected more The obligation oil his oath 70
preserve inviolate The Constitution, man ne enc
49,
took upon himself the responsibility OF veloMa the
Bank bill What was the principa ground upon
which the Wings advocated The election OF Mi
Clay? Il was because he was in favor Of dimin-
ishDg the responsibilities Of the President by mo-
dihcalon OF the veto power. Now, suppose
Mr.. Polk had assumed the responsibility OF
rejecting the proposition made by Great Bri-
tain without consulting the Senate, war, in all
human probability, would have been The conse-
ouence What would then have been the course
OF the Wings who now censure him Tor previous
" advising with The Senate whether or not The
treaty should be nego,iaiedl Every opprobious
epi,bel that The English language affords would be
inadequate 10 express their utter deiestai!cn ana
adherence OF The man who had thus wan'onlY
involved The nation in war; The wofs, oi al human
calamilies, when il might nave been honorably
avoided. But Mr.. Polk, By The advice 81 The
wises political body in the world has settled The
Oregon controversy on the parallel OF ~ Ana
i, is Tor thus needing the advice OF The Senate that
he is charged with "cowardly shrinking from
responsibility" "Oh shame where is Thy blush!
But this is not all. The President in thus con.
sulting The Senate beforehand has been accused
OF doing that which is unprecedented. Hear the
Wing Of June 10th: 1.-THE function OF the Senate,
az heretofore invariably understood, has been 10
approve or reject treaty first negotiated and
concluded by the President. For the FIRST time,
we believe, in the history Of the government, the
President, departing from this course, asks me
Senate to advise, in advance whether treaty
embodyng certain provisions ought 10 be nesoii-
aed w
Now, this statement is Inconsistent with iacis;
Tor by reference 10 The Journals OF the Senate, u
will be found that as lar back as I92, General
Washington asked the previous advice OF the Sc
nate in relation 10 an important negotiation then
pending with Spain And, in 1906, Mr. Jetfer-
son consulted not only The Senate but the House
OF Representatives, in regard 10 The proprie-
| " Of purchasing by treaty the Floridas from
! Spain Such are The illu>trious examples which
| MIR. Polk had for previously advising with
the Senate. "But," says The Wing, I'VE hope
the soubrigue: OF Young Hickory will no long
er be applied 10 one who has, by mus looG-
iug 10 The Senate, proclaimed the lndecI>i'n
OF his own Judgment, or the tear 10 lake upon
himself the responsibility OF acting upon rs con-
viciions" Well now il turns out that, IN ihls
very matter, "Young Hickory" was following in
the footsteps OF "Old Hickory" for, in 1881, Gen;
Jackson submitted 10 The Senate the award
Of The King OF Netherlands on Tie Maine
boundary question, for their previous advice
and This is a stronger case; Tor The power was
vested in Gen. Jackson by agreement, 10 accept
or reject the award al his discretion; yet "Old
Hickory" with all the moral courage and obst-
nate self will for which he was distinguished, pre-
TERED TO ask the advice Of The Senate in matter
OF this Il would seem, then, that, in this re.
spect at least The soubriquet oil "Young Hickory
is not nspplicable.
Blu, the Wing also commended that il was I'M
constitutional Tor the President 10 ask the ad-
vice of The Senate in regard 10 treaty before he
has acted on il himself Now, il does appear,
that il there be clause in The Constitution whose
words are so clear and explicit as 10 preclude any
difference of opinion as 10 its construction, il is
the clause creating the lreaiy-making power
The President "shall have power, by and with