The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1847-01-05
CONGRESS.

President for copies of instructions TO
Gen. kearney and Com. Stockton, as TO
the governments they have established in
New Mexico and California, has been a
dopted in the House Of Representatives,
and a spirited debate is now going on in
that body IN the Presidents Message gen
orally. We regret that our limits pre-
vent us from giving a sketch Of this de-
bate, which is very interesting. The inn
putatIon of treason, cast by the President
upon those who differed with HIM as TO
the policy or necessity of the war, is
commenced with becoming freedom and
independence, and with a severity which
causes that functionary and his friends to
quail under the rebukes administered, and
to regret that the language was ever used.
1t is shown that the President himself, in
admitting Santa Anna through the block
ade of the coast of Mexico, has given
more "aid and comfort 10 the enemy"
than any body else, or all other persons
put together, and if there is treason TO be
imputed to any one, he it is himself, who
has been guilty of it. The Wings nobly
perform their duty to the country, now
that we are engaged in the war, by voting
supplies 10 carry it on, and hushing it to a
speedy and honorable conclusion. This
is the right spirit.
The President sent a message TO the
House on Tuesday in reply to Mr.. Da-
Wis resolution, from which we extract the
following paragraphs:
"Thess orders and instructions were
given to regulate the exercise Of the rights
OF the belligerants engaged IN actual wal
over such portions Of the territory of our
enemy as by military conquest .'might be
taken possession Of" and be occupied by
our armed forces-rights necessarily re-
sulting from Il state of war and clearly
recognized by the laws of nations. This
was all the authority which could be del
egated 10 our military and naval omman
ders, and its exercise was indispensable
TO the secure occupation and possession
of the territory Of the enemy which
might be conquered. The regulations au-
thorizcd were temporary and dependent
on the rights acquired by the. conquest.
"Among the documents accompanying
the Report of the Secretary Of War, will
he found ga form of government" SEES
tablished and organized by the military
commander who conquered and occupied
with his forces the territory of New Mex
leo. This document was received al the
Var Department in the latter part of last
month, and as will be perceived by the
report of the Secretary of War, was not,
for the reasons stated by that officer,
brought 10 my notice, until after my an
nual message of the 9TH inst. was COM
municated to Congress.
at is declared on its face to be a "tem-
porarv government of the said territory"
but there are portions of it which purport
TO establish and organize" a permanent
territorial government of the L. States
over the territory and TO imPart to its in
habitants political rights which under the
constitution of the U. S. can be enjoyed
permanently only by citizens of the Uni
ted States. These haze not been ap-
proceed and recognized by me-"
1t will be perceived from these passa-
ges that KEARNEY and STOCKTON acted in
some measure on their own hook.
The following paragraphs we copy
from the report of the proceedings OF
Tuesday by a correspondent of the Bal
timore American:
Mr.. DAVIS Of Ky, made a brilliant
speech in rebuke OF those who stood
forth as the servile defenders Of the Ex-
ecutive power. He argued upon the ex-
traordinary spectacle which was presented
to the American People in the defences
of the President. who had, without con-
sulting Congress, and in a reckless vio-
lation of the Constitution, involved the
country in a war with a Foreign Power;
and vet. for pointing out and condemning
an act like this, charges oil treason were
made.
Mr.. Davis r%eioined to those who were
charging the Wings with treason by a
most pointed retort. What was treason!
1t was giving aid and comfort TO the ene-
nv. And had not the Executive done
this in-admitting Santa Anna into the city
of Vera Cruz! Suppose Commodore
Conner, Morris, Perry or any other naval
commander had done this, would not they
have been arraigned aud tried for treason,
and most JUSTLY Surprising they had
been found in conference and correspon-
dence with Santa Anna, would they not
have been dragged before the House, un-
der Court Martial orders! Unquestiona-
bly, they would. And this was precisely
what the Executive had done and he
could not escape from the dilemma in
which he was involved.
MEXICAN ELECTIONS FAVORABLE TO
PEAcE.-The Franco .Americani, pub
lished in New York, states that a letter