Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1846-08-13

ui icc N.ates shsl transcend his consu,u
uunal authority, and Csusc less, involve his
country IN he calAmtiles OF war, are we TO
be tod that no voice Of watning or tebuke T
mus, be heard When the qrest high priest
Of or pohucAl church shs,l lie rushing To I
tho nmb.e OF hbeuy with blazing torch in |
hand 80 FIRE It's sacred affairs, are We 10 he !
told that no arm must bo rAlsed TO STAY the I
impending desecrauoni Go with such Goc- /
, times - these 10 the Ctawltng and ctinginp &
~ rs oflhe rotten and cfumbhng despo,sms
Of the old world. They are unfit to I've utter
ed "a the legislative halls Of free Republic
/ They are unit to be addressed TO an Amer.
can oiuIen, claiming the ri9hts and eIerci. !
sing he privileges, and standing up tn the
bearing and dignity and independence OF an
American freeman bold w equal contempt
and defiance that dasiardlv spirit Of denunci
atom which changes as enemies Of their ow n
country and AZ the friends ~ allies OF for
eign foe, those, who discAfding the doctrine
of!he divine right Of kings" dare to hold Up
10 public reprohaiiou the Unauthorized and
unconstitutional acts OF our own Fedora
Executive. And wha, measure Of pity Is
due To that incuIablc stupidity, OF TO That in
.Nttefable blindness, which can discern no.
/ thing but palPable incunslStcncy Ia voting
supplies OF men and money for the defence
oi the country, and al the same time disap-
! proving those acts which involved the neces-
siy OF such deiences which can see no diff
Terence between resistance 10 Executive ag-
gresslon, and opposition TO the country'
/ With these preliminary remarks, | under.
lake 10 assert, and - show that this Mexican
war has been brought upon our country 10y
the secret and ill.adylsed acts, by the unau-
ihorlzed and unconstitutional acts OF the Ad-
minlstratlon. Passing by, then, the anterior
question OF the annex alton ofTeIas; passing
10y all inquiry into the necessity or the orpe
dlency OF sending the naval & military force
OF the country tn the coasts and frontiers OF
Mexico at oil; and passing by the question OF
title 10 that portion OF territory lying upon
The right bank Of the river Nueces, as lar as
the actual possession a. settlement OF Texas
eNtended for the purposes OF my present. AT
gument. | will concede to the Executive the
right to place the army OF the United States
at Corpus Christi, at the request OF Texas,
for the purpose OF rcpellng a threatened in
vasion from Mexico, in the event that Texas
accepted the ptofieTed terms Of annexation.
Such, at any rate, was the osteRslble and a
vowed purpose for which the army was
placed IN that position, and Tor which Texas
made the request, no; but she was Their as
she had been for nine years before, fully able
10 defend herself against any invasion from
Mexico but because she chose that the u.
States should assume the expense and bur
den of her defence. Accordingly. on the
2sh Of June, 1915, the Tinted Stated troops
under the command Of General Taylor, were
directed TO take possession al Corpus Chnsu
| on the right bank OF the rlver Nueces, the
orlgional geographical boundary of,he prov.
nj in thp oi ct
following, they were encsmped al that point.
This place was recommended by Mr.. Donel-
son, our charge at that time in Texas. as be-
ing healthy location convenient for supplies
and as being the most western point occupied
bv Tsras' Ii was doubtless In every respect
an eligible position for the defence oTTexas,
and the protection OF our citizens from Mex
lean INVASION Not Texan or ana merican
citizen was west OF that point; and between
them and the Mexican citizens, upon the east
side Of tho Rio Grande, vast unlnhaohable
mountain desert interviewed. Texas could
not he invaded, nor her citizens molesied by
Mexico, except by first crossing this DESERT
or by landing from the coast, which was
guarded by strong naval iorce. General
Taylor and his troops remained IN camp al
this point fromAUgust until March lasi,ahoul
seven months During all ihis time they
were never disturbed, or called from their
quarters, by the approach or appearance OF
any danger. No invasion was made or at
! ,empted on the pant Of MeXico, although the
annexation OF Texas, IN the mean time, had
, been fully consummated by her admission as
State into this Union. II there ever had
f been any good reason TO aPprehend all inVa-
, sion from Mexico, that time had now passed g..
I The President himself shat! be my authority
3 for this assertion In his annual message at
the opening ofthe present session oitongtess
on the second day Of December last he SAID
"Our army was ordered 70 take possession
in the country between the Nueces ana 'he
. Del Nor,e, and to repel any INVASION OF lhe
Texas territory which might he attempted oy
tho Mexican lsrces Oar squadron in the
pulfwae ordered to co Operate with the army.
l. But ,houch our army and navy ,rere place
N a posl.ton 10 d,fcnd our O~h and The r1eht'
s oC Tcras they were ordered to commit no
ac, NJ hostility against Mexico, unless she
= declared war, or was herself tho AGGRESSION
6 b, striking the first blow. The rctUh has
. b, IN hat Memo has made no acgresnr
7 ,,,r,,aeui and our military and naval com
! nandets have executed their orders win
. such discretion that the peace OF the two re-
= publlcs has not been disturbed And,
viii add that the peace Of the two repubuc Ks
. wopld not have been disturbed 10 this DAY
y had our Executive Government here actec
l. with hall the discretion which they commeh
- ded in our naval and military commanders
J. and had permitted the army to remain a
+ lCo,nus Christi, where the President hlmsel
t. saws il is IN position to defend our own d
I, the rights of Texas n,.
ID Mr Chairman,he grand and reprehensio'e
'i a,,o, was m order,np the removal OF the ar
Ut ms from Corpus ChnstI 10 the banks OF TN
N Rio Gtande. That this was the dHee' AM
immediate cause Of the war, admits oil no "a
Is ,lonsl ground o. denial. THIS removal wa
W made. by order OF the President on the iSt
10 day Of January last. The inquiry most ma
70 turaHy arises. what possible reason wa' 'he'
" =. .L.. ardarI MhaI nccaslon was lhet