Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1846-12-11

stances will permit Up to this time and to the lith
Of March, 81, G,n. Taylor w,sal Corpus Chrisij
January On that day the Secretary at War directed
Gen Taylor to march 70 the Rio Granle AMI to take
up position orposi,, NJ lamoras IN 50 doing he is
instrictcd in case Mexico should declare wal TO as
any open act Of hostility not TO act merely on the
defensive.
throughout the correspondence a plain tina, the
intention was 10 cxtnguish the Mexican title to this
territory by armed occupton aud the instructions are
explicit, to treat every assertion oftc movement
on the part OF Mexico as an act OF hostility, and
proceed accordingly and resist it,
To show General Taylor understood the instruc
tols OF his G)ytrnnent it may be observed that on
the 81 of March. 81 miles from Matamorns nj n
stream called the Arayo Colorado, he was met bv a
party OF McXcans, whose commanding officer inform.
FL hun that it he crossed the it would b, deem
cd declaration OF war and put into his hand copy of
Gen. Mcias proclamation to that effect
General Taylor put his forces in order of bnc
crossed the stream and pushed on, the Mcxicans re-
treating
H. arrived on the Rio Grandc opposite NIatamoras
on The 2Jtl OF March,
viii next draw your attention to the language al- |
dressed by Nh Secretary Buchanan to Mr.. Sidell ON
the 2Ulh Jan l5i6.
There Mr.. w read document, the copy of which
was not furnish ID to the repotcrl
Now. il by ordering troops OF the United Statcs to
the LETT bank OF the Rio Gande he had taken posses
son OF all which any man had ever claimed IA con-
shutting part OF the territory OF Texas, what was ii
that he proposed to do with SO much" vgor' when
ever Congress should pern-Did he mean the prose
clilo' % g'leril wn a5lhst VI 'xico : Was it
gencla war otnvason. ami acquisition and conquest
which he intended to wage as he should OBJ.
tain the permission OF Congress Ii that was his pur-
pos, Hink il wJl have been much better Tor him
30 have adhered to it, and to have waited till Congress
did give MIN authority. 1t was an act leading to war
and Congress was then in session. Why should the
Executive, its own mere authority and discretion
tuke step important without consulting CungrcsS
time when Congress was actually IN session in the
Capitol Ihat Is grave question to be asked here
nhseIr, tA,ppause.l
IL, ISlb, reply the letter OF Mr. Buchanan He
then proceeded;
And here allow me TO say, matter of history
that before, and at the time our troops were ordered
march 10 the left bank of the Rio Grandc no mp
prehcnsion whatever was entertained otany INVASION
OF Texas by Mexico OF any acts OF hostility on the
part ofthat power.
This il evident from the letters Of Gen Tnylor 1t
is plain that snch apprehension felt down to
that time Of the instructions given to Gen Taylor, on
the lj,h August.
GIerc Mr.. w quoted several letters of Gen Taylor
winch he con,eni,d established two propositions }
lst. That no danger existed OF any invasion by
"a That ii was the object Of our government to
take pos sson by force of the disputed territory and
then otrcat II Mexico chose to treat mother words
that the President did without the authority of Con
gresS that which h. could only do by It's onty, viz:
ni1kra military moyrm mt on country then al peace
with the tutcd States
Nj " considered this very grave natter
II, should use no iuilmmItory Ian EdIgr but to him
II appeared Ike precedent in direct hostility with
te Constitution, and p-'Innn with evil consequences
/
war power was with Congress, bat that provision u
thc Constitution must b. untitled itth' President by
hs own m're authority c'nl direct sl,n an m'a-ion
q neutral territory. and must ,ssary involve war
as a Consequence. 1 10y tie Constitution 1t was for
Congress 20 say whether tha country shall 20 or
not, then surely cy'3y Executive measure involving
wdrsIoli. b., SAB H.ttel 10 Congress- loud and g.
neral assent
ll5.,,.ities TIE consequence Of this act ofhe
Presidents, and then cane thr act Of May, preceded
yaprcamole o.. som, celebrity. TIA ding was tue
hsori,aily it was to b. believed wilton, an act OF
Congress, II it was not, no act OF Congress could make
it true
was savng of Chief Justice Nqrshall that the
Legislature nj chi alter the law bnt could not alter
the fact al h.. illustration of the position was ts
Slop1. Con trrsy slol3 pass an act DECLARING thai
Diyil HUM never wrote IN, history Of England,
whit woall be tn. force o.. sa-h lawl hmiIhtb,
said TINT Clhr-t.s hy IT,, a, of MAY justified the Pre-
ril,W AMI made the war it, a.., Bin, t,. ". did not
t. ia ii, ',I 5e exin I'I of our
own territory. bat not to urqIic foreign territory es-
ti-. ncw world t, The iion it meant 10 ia.y
this it at least never said So II, repeated. however:
thlt Mexico, was wholly ul'ust!ilha in rl.asin. 10
receive ou. Minister - rpi1urls were far from be-
inriaial ,l 10 rslifv N yco or TO show ND oar own
G5;,run.l, as IN the wrong His only aim VA. to
ira., H.. sanar,,fo of on. avn ,r1yrI
,.t an his I,rn, ,51 th1, ~, yr ] mr.
p,n.c w, sI1'l unite in rlqntai1iu, maj, it- IN
tori,y All s;..l'rh Nh, Communion Of The ui,ed
S,5,os + ami ana lo.ll, continued or,',rssl
Tho ,.Sr bl,ys,or vI. li,,4, ms tl,r ,r,li4e s,i
NJ " n.y. IN, I'm, .ll o,,r ;,,',. ~, ,I,s ,uJ Il, is
, .,,.,,. ~ ,. ',I.i, ,L. ,,,,.,,,',',r
w" ~, e., a.. 5o - ~ '' ,'' -, r i a. r
ava IT,, 1t II, ~ 49, I T., ~ ~ l "i
"P'i. ~ az r., l'' Nv . l'.-'" w.. -
:" s'''' "- Hll''t !" 'l ~ 'l'S en- ' H'''s
''ll "i''l's YER o'7 UAI,I l' o'd' o. t-l' -
eminent afI as a-n l!5l'.ilt wa o1.uieI!ie. ~
laf ''y hlu zone honor y" u, county IAN "chu
no MN s!1i W. " 4, 9s'rpi- rrilsa al' ""Ior 10
General lqy;cr l"d al hS oincafs lln'h,n'' cheer
ihg;! amO'hhl DIV i'rEard OF most nth NJ respect
and ADMIRATION or the G'oi conduct OF oqr Volunteers
lknow OF no history % or own or other countries,
which can Sho" an example OF raw recruits, lresA
from tn O)5)n u cl'ii me-, eNAIbng at once - much
coolncss bravery, anu uoIesty lJhceIs.l .
The most distinguished OF the new raised lcyes at
IilneI ~ ~ d.. D' pi'''y 1JnH' p.ilu ''"P,i4'y
't ~ ~ '''ii maui mn way "sH-'s' io !
LII a" ",; ''.l S-os io' 'i'cuuo' "t'a'Nci
TiI Nv 'u P'"''H,' an 'c st'cITS' uHues 81
~ ,Vli H"l1'vI ''t-f may nave clleH ti'l 10
rN ~, / at "'i} ~. h''''yi's 10 a1r ""nt we
Nv - '"' way u ''4"''! proves II al el''s'ic!
Fnrtb" ro,,,fpl,r, %, tho s,,o.,, ,, ,ro l.i,,d o
content nu,.,y,. viii n hr;f tsk.f"b ,rba Phr1jal
MI, ,l.,.r s.r..
Wr Nt-,. n, ., ,,,r,cl ,o s,,;,c.s Of q, do,o.,;c
cb,r,c,,r Fl rr ,n >ybtt h. , NAV.
ess which in / bs,, oi',c,.i no. ,L. ,'t.,i. 49, Tho
,,ns,;,r,;,,...i r,.1 - 4 Il 80.