Mobile register and journal., 1846-12-30
MOBILE.
wednssday Morning, December 30, 1slo

hy- The Advertiser is plainly about to pursue is usual controversial tactics, and fit away from the very questions which il started with an air of bold confidence which promised much better perform ance It charged in tones of animosity, that Polk, Stockton and Kearny had acted illegally un- conslilulionally, and as asdespotcayas Caesar or Ma poleon-ln that they "subverted" by proclamation the government Of conquered territory-establish' ed other governments by military authorily-absol- we'd the citizens of the from allegiance to their own government, and exacled "oaths of fidelity to that forced upon them bv the conquerors." These are the enormes specified by the Advertiser, to which we oppt SC the doctrines of the Supreme Conrt,-and tn, ecedsnt of exactly similar acts of President Madison, executed through Gen. Harrison and Com. Perry.
 The reply of the Advertiser is le of is slow pro- mises to make il appear hereafter that these prece dents do noi justify these acts When he begin perform we shall see how he will make out thai case.
 In the meantime he intmates that there is some ting else which he did not specfy-some act or do ing of these officers, which the President has not ap proved, and will sayow and that we, the Register will of course go with MT. Polk and agains Stockton and Kenrny We think it not at all unlike ly Ifthey have violated their instructions they are certainly censurahle, whatever may be Ahe intrinsic proprety of the acts themselves. If they have ex, ceeded instructions they may be disayowed-per- haps censurec; but the censure will be given in the same spirit in which MT. Madison censured General Matthews in l6ll for having taken armed posses sion of part of East Florida then the undisputed property of Spain -misaking the contingency in winch his instructions gave him that expressed au- thorty. His troops wtre withdrawn, and the go. vernment dsapproval ofhi proceedings was direct ed to be communicated to him through Gov. Mitch ell of Geo., with ths utmost consideration for his "personal sensibty." Gallant sailors and soldiers unaccusomed to all the niceties ofanguage in which closet politicians contrvs to confuse the boundaries ofduty by subtle definition, will not be abruptly and roughly condemned for honest mistake in their zeal to carry forward triumphanty over foreign people the power of the arms and the institutions of which they are so proud at home.
 We have never doubted that some of the doings in Mexico, unless greatly msrepresented, were strange and indiscreet; but we were not of those who make haste to assume that they emanated from our govern ment or that if they were unauthorized, that they de- serve the ferOcous abuse which has been showered upon them by venomous pariizanship. Those men who supported and applanded Gen. Gaines on a laIe occasion for the noble preciptancy with which he as- sumed responsibilities in a national emergency, at this distance from Washington, are bound 10 deal tendery with mistakes springing without doubt from the same motives, and in position so much beyond the reach of the advice or aid of the government.
 The President, it is said in the Advertiser, and we believe il, for it allies with our own impressions It all tines has not approved of all things done on the Pacihc but venture to declare that in no one of the selected by the Advertiser of Thursday last for condemnation will the President fail 10 assume and make good the awfulness of the things done -he conquest of the terrltory-the subyerson of the Mexican authoritiss-the establishment of an Ameri- can government-and the exacton of allegiance confirmed by oaths of fidelity imposed upon the con qursd These are the acts for which precedents ave been furnished in the presidency of Madison, and performed by Harrison and Perry. They are the acts which the Advertiser has denounced as despotc and unconstitutional usurpalions.
 We do not believe that he ever means 10 attempt to prove this. and if his yesterdays lodging article is a sign, he means to drop this position and expand himself upon the inferior errors in the manner ofex ecuting of these duties which the commanders of the forces may have committed.
 Instsad of mpeaching MT. Polk the baflled wings must turn upon Stockton and Kearny dis grace and punish ,hem-a spirit of partizan rancor which the generous heart of the nation will be very reluctant 10 g'atify.