Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-08-06


Gen. Keaney. Never did the absolute monarch
Of Spain besiow upon any viceroy set over Mex.
co such unlimited faculties; for even such royal
deputies held under the laws ofSpain al least. aud
could not, al their will, declare in force las Gov
crnor.General Kcarncv may do) whatever code
liked them. Nor, indeed. did Spanish despol
ever appoint viceroys without at least consulting
the Council Of the Indies. The new office and
the new province, then, are more like those su-
lrapies which. nt the height Of the Persian power
the potentae whom the Greeks were accustomed
TO call 'lhe Great King" sent out with unimii-
cd command Of life and death. Never was Ro-
man consul or pro.consu invested with sdch
rights until. all freedom having ceased, an En-
peror, like Domlian, no longer designed to as.
semble the Senate, except TO mock them with
idle and insulting questions.
Ii must be reeollected that the only possible
excuse for this war; as made by the President,
is that the Rio Bravo is the righliul boundary Of
Texas, and that the act Of annexation constiiut.
ed all on this side Of il legally and actually
territory ofihe United States. lfso, we need not
say thai Sanla Fe and its population were subecl
TO no law, and could have no governor, except
such as are given BY the ordinary legislative,
judicial, and executive authorities Of the Union.
By what has been done in Santa Fe, then, the
Presdent--or rather MIR. Polk-has involved
himself in this inexricable dilemma; that either
he has invaded Mexico; or that no has upon a
United States territory rrampled upon every law
and every right.
Nor, though different, is the case less mon.
slrous which he has made against himself in
California. Whether, previously or SUBSEQUENT.
ly TO his taking possession there, part of the
United States, the Executive is mere usurper.
and the wanlonest Of usurpers, when he under.
takes 10 do any acts there which do not inure in
the ordinary Executive power over u territory
oflhls Union.
lfha would shelter himself las his apologisrs
say he mayl under the military power of com.
rr ogciO. lha, does moi better the
matter Tor, as commander of the urmies of The
Union, he can take no civil powers; or. if b, can,
he can equally take them over the entire Union,
and has just as much right to send Gen. Kraropv
to Virginia and North Carolina; there to take un.
on him all authority. alter their laws: remove or
abrogalC their officers and their State fupcliopq.
ries, as 10 do this in California
We have Sal that these uSurpalions arc mos,
wanlon. 1t IL now about year since military
measures were taken for aan,xmg New Mexico
and California. The success Of those measures
was considered, by lhs Executive, certain; ur.
rangemenls we've therefor. taken as for the ad.
of legal and permanent ACQUISITIONS;
instructions were issued for their civil govern.
ment; territorial officers were provided. Now,
all this was done before the meeting of Congress.
Say that there might Be circumstances under
which temporary aud PROVISIONAL establishment
ol this sor might b. justified. us neceSSary; here.
no such necessity can be pleaded military
possession was The only one which could be pre-
tended or has been effected. Bul had il been
it was The inevitable dmy of the Exc
cuuve 10 terminate, at the earliest dav, that iic
gal state OF things, by coming 10 Congress for
The legal enactmenls which were wanted. Mr.,
Polk has suffered an entire session of Congress
TO pass away, not on Without taking that neces
sary step, but has not even deigned to refer to
Congress the great and prominent question whi>h
they alone We're competent to decide-thc cues.
non whether or not we would annex to the Uni.
ted Sales countries which not even connues,
can make tghtiuIIy ours; until Mexico shall, by
a treaty OF peace and cession, have given US a
lilIe.
The President has, says this new rescrpt;
'devoved" upon Mr., Kearney the civil govern.
ment Of California. Is this new phrase some
ingenious invention District Construction, meant
10 AVOID The Constitution, which saws the Pres
dent may, By and toiih the dduice and consent of
The Senate, appoint MIR. Polk has not appoi8t.
I'd Mr.. KearnGy; he has "devoIvcd" him!
Is not The new civilian still Brigader Gcner.
nj in the Regular Army Of The United Sla,es1
And can there be any thing more contrary TO all
The spirit Of our institutions, or TO every thing r..
publican, Than this uniting in the same person
The civil and the military lunclonsl BIt MIR
Vccroy cumuIaIes even upon these; he is su.
preme legislator, and, if he likes; Chief Justice
Dt California, our eternal territory! He may
give these perpetual ciIizJns OF the United States
ni much or as liule of their new brlhrgbt, The
Constitution, as he shall judge wholesome for
heir young sIomlchs; babes arc not fed with
meat.
OflhcIr joint skill in such Interpretation, we
lre already favored with an exquisite example:
The Constitution says that Congress shall make
no law respecting an establishment of religion or
lbrdg0g hJ lr5S eXe'sIS5 thereof" aAl lhy We.
ry first thing which lh5 poten'ae and sub poren-
late do is, TO make law rtspettngan esabsh-
mcnt OF religion, and abolish lhe established
church ofCalIorna These profound and eau.
Ilous jurIsls have evidently construed The Federal
Constitution as conIerrng on Congress The pow
er actively TO bring about religious equality;
whereas th4 whole object was 10 prevent their
at all with religious matters. One
would think that the President of the United
States at least might know that religious disabiIi-
Ties agaInt the Catholics existed, unr of Ia,e. in
The Srale from which he draws his origin, North
Carolina; or that they sill exist in the supera.
lively Democratic State Of New Hampshire.
at is The desire and intention of the United
States" Uhese new lrecmen ure condescendng-
ly nlormed) "ro procure for California as speed
lily as possible free Governments like that of
ihpir nwn TprViiorpS md ,hay y,;u ,,o.,, ....