The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1847-12-31
polthtal.
from he National Ialeiligeaeer
The Presidents BIesSage.

CONCIdl udlS HdNO now eidU5tu SlDCc
our readers in this city, and generally
elsewhere, were put in possession Of the
Annual Message Of the President Of the
United States to both Houses Of Con
gress. Until to-day we have foreborne
10 comment upon il, from an unaffected
desire uot TO interfere with their free d.
gestion Of its contents. That opportuni-
~ having been fairly afforded, we now
proceed to stale with plaiuness, bat we
hope without offence to any well-dispos-
ed reader, our views upon its leading
topics; and. FIRST, because it is first in the
Message, and uppermost in every mans
mind, upon so much of the document as
relates To
The War will Mexico.
When, on the 18th day Of May Of last
year, the passage of the Act Of Congress.
recognising the existance of War with
Mexico, was announced to the readers
of the National Intelligencer, it was ac-
companied by the expression Of belief
that by the largest portion of its readers
the information would be received with
alarm-alarm justly excited by the will
fulness and recklessness with which the
Nation had been plunged into foreign
war. which. as the People were in no
particular prepared for. they were in no
way forewarned of. For ourselves, we
were not taken wholly by surprise by
! 4
the news. In the craftsmanship of the
Executive, whatever confidence we were
disposed to place had been shaken by the
almost daily demonstrations by its official
organ during the first year Of its exis-
tance. We had watched its successive
developments, gradually disclosing set.
tied purpose to make war npon Mexico,
in the event of not succeeding in inlimi-
dating herinto prompt submission to the
demands which the President intended
to make upon her. That organ (the gov
eminent paper was hardly week old
before its readers were transported, in
imagination, to the Halls Of Montezu-
ma, which were 10 he occupied by the
United States as the crowning act of "a
second conquest of Mexico" The toe
sin being sounded, volunteers were to
flock from the West to the scene of ac-
tion, and TO carry every thing befire them.
The government paper taught us, also,
hon the war was TO be brought on by
which this conquest was to be Effected
1t foresaw, by many months, the march
of our Army from Corpus Christi (where
as every one knows, Mexico never in.
tended to disturb it) to The Rio Grande;
foresaw that the Mexicans might eros.
the Rio Grande, and that, if they did
blood would be she'd" and "war must
ensue." When, therefore, the predic
lion was realized when the catastrophe
arrived, however it shocked, it can hardly
be said to have surprised us. OF the ia
cility and precipitancy with which the
purposes OF the Executive came to be
sustained by the Legislative authority
we cannot say The same. We were boil
surprised and alarmed to find how easily
on The impulse of the moment, blindfolC
and gagged, Congress could be driven t'
lend its countenance TO those purposes
Bhndfold and gagged, we repeat. No
is the expression too strong; for. bcfor
the news of the dangerous position o
our Army was communicated by the Ex
ecutive TO Congress, committees of botl
Houses had been got together ION rb'
Sabbath) and measures prepared in con
cert with the Executive, which the mex
day, ON receiving the Presidents Mes
sage of form, without waiting to have The
papers accompanying it read over, fn
4 the information Of Members, were force,
through the House of Representatives
| Nor, even to a body excited as the Hous
was by the stirring news from the Ri
Grande, did the ruling party in the Hous'
venture TO propose the false and obnox
ious Preamble of The Bill until after al
deliberations and debate had been pre-
cluded on question as momentous Ger
taiuly as ever camo before Congress-
Had there been nothing else alarming il
this Declaration of War with Mexico
the despotism thus exercised over tn,
minority of the Representative body, re
peated on the following day in the Seua
ftorial body, (there,otoro exempt fror
such sharp practice, was of itself suffI
cient to appal the hearts of those accus
toned, as we have been, to regard tn
rights Of minorties as not less sacred lba
those of Majorities, aud, 1mong them
the right of proposing amendments to o
demonstrating against any propositio
coming before them. The minority i
each House was thus subjected by
most arbitrary and malignant exercise g
party power, without being allowed
moment for deliberation, to the alterna
tive of voting for bill with preamble
the falsehood ofwhichtlieysaw and detes
ted, or Of refusing to vote for enactment
Supplies Of men and money! TO which
all lavish as they were, there would, pei
haps, but for the Preamble, not have bee
} dssentient voice.
Whatever alarm we and our reader
felt at this beginning, has certainly bee
fully justified by the progress Of event
Even that precipitation in the action {
Congress-that Preamble, affirming wv
Observation-Disclosures. .-lhattyranny by whic
vote was extor,edfrom the two Hous,
have been continually appealed 10 by u
Executive organs as evidence of the
nanimity of the national will in approb