Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1846-12-24

ritory as she really possessed; but was not the
purpose Ut Congress the desire of people to
rob Mexico by obtaining under false pretences any
thing rightfully hers. To guard therefore against
becoming party to any outrage it was sole,nnlr-
enacted. ''1Hot Congress doth coase,a~thdf lie
territory properly facluded scithin aud riehf6.fv
belonging 10 ne RepubEc Of Texas, may he erect
ed into Il new State TO be called the State of Tex
as, with republican form of government to le a.
dopcd by the people Of said Republic by deputies
In convention assembled, with tho consent Of the
existing government. in order that the same NAV be
admitted one of the States of this Union :" and
,cas further resolved That the foregoing consent
Of Congress is given upon the follo,cing condition
and with the following guarantees. to wit:
.'tTsf: SAID Stale TO be formed subject to the
adjustment By tis Government Of all questions of
boundary that may arise ,cith other Governments,
Sc"
This condition was accepted by Texas and by
accepting it she virtually revoked the act of her
Congress which fixed the Rio Grande as the line
separating her from Mexico. She came into the
Union, not with all the territory she claimed but
with 1.-THE territory property included scithin and
rgh9ulty belonging TO Mc Republic Of Ienas :"
and in SD doing she acknowledged that her bounda-
~ towards Mexico was not fixed, but that it was
left TO be matter for settlement between the Uni
ted States and Mexico. There was to be an ascer-
alnment OF 'the territory properly included within
and rghtfully belonging to the Republic of Texas -
V. From the foregoing it seems to be clear that
when MIR Polk ordered Gen. Taylor to advance
upon the Rio Grande and to point his cannon against
The town OF Matamoras. he took upon himself,
without authority, first to determine the question of
boundary between the United States and Mexico /;
and secondly, to make war upon Mexico. He
assumed that our territory extended to the Rio
Grande; he seized by military force NORTON of
country to which Congress had not asserted title.
Inc PRESIDENT seeks justification for this in the
,nrca's OF war uttered by Mexico he quotes the
clustering language of Paredes But Polk. of all
men, especially since the Oregon controversy. oupht
10 know that big words Of this sort, intended for
popularity at home. are to be taken with much al
iowance abroad. With all her warke anpuaue
Mexico had committed no act OF war. The Mes
sage indeed says that the COMMANDING General of
'he mexican forces COLLECTED large army on the
Opposite Sofe or The lilo Grande, crossed the river
hcdded oar territory, and commenced bos,ilites
by attacking our forces" Mr. Polk evidently mis-
takes his own construction OF our territorial RIGHTS
Tor that or Congress; he reasons upon the assump
ton that he is the Government
we are free TO express the opinion that upon the
rejection by Mexico of our Minister i'm March lSA6
The Congress of the United States would have bccn
Justhed In ordering military occupation of the
country on the left bank of the Rio (;rande Onr
ca''n TO that line Of territory, which was still in
MEXICAN occupancy, had not been defined by Con-
greSs 1t was an unsettled claim which we wished
to adjust with Mexico by negotiation -payino her
iJr any rights which she might be asked to rive nm
Upon her refusal to negotiate. breaking off all d.
plonaiIc intercourse with u.s. our Government as
last resort might have taken possession of the dis
puted section, saying TO MeXco-"You will not A.
gree 10 an amicable settlement of our respective
CLAIMS to this land; we shall occupy it therefore
ana hold 1t until you willing to come 70 terms
we snail not allow injury TO befal our rights by
reason OF your impraccabe obstinacy''
he issue, as we said at first and now reneat &c
not between the United States and Mexico but be-
tween Mr. Polk and the CoNsrIrur,oN of his
Countrywide facts, we believe, will show that he
has arrogated TO himself powers not lawfully his .
mat he has assumed, without authority, the treaty
making power which settles questions of BOUNDARY
with other nations; that he has assumed and eyer.
cised the war making power, which belongs to Con
gress. Doubtless those who adhere to him ON
mere party grounds will endeavor to evade This is
sue, and with much vehemence Of denunciation
they may labor to identify the President with the
country so as 10 throw upon those vino disapprove
OF the Presidents course the mpu,ation of being
censnrers OF their country. But this is a shallow
ar'ice y; 1t cannot deceive many whose judgments
are worth anything.