The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1847-09-07
v oil. 5.--No. "a

no right 10 term war. for every body
knows that il takes something more than
collision of their respective forces on a
disputed territory TO constitute war be-
tween two civilized nations. In no pos
sible point of view was the announcement
Of the President that war existed between
the two Republics, and existed by the act
of Mexico, correct. II did not exist at
all; or, if it did, it existed not by act OF
Mexico, but by our act. In either case,
the official announcement was false, and
cannot be defended.
1.-The President may have been.govern-
ed by patriotic motives; he may have felt
that prompt and energetic action was re-
quired; he NAV have believed that, in
great emergencies, the chief magistrate Of
powerful Republic, having to deal with
weak and disgracelul State, should rise
superior To mere technical forms, and the
nicetes of truth and honor; but il strikes
us that he would have done better, proved
himselfeven more patriotic, and sufficient
ly prompt and energetic, if he had con-
fined himself to the ordinary rules Of mo-
rality, and the well defined principles Of
international law. BY aspiring to rise a.
bove these, and to appear original, he has
placed his country in false position,
and debarred himself, whatever the Just
causes of war Mexico may have given US
from pleading one of them in justification
of the actual war. We must be permit
ted to regret that he did not reflect before
hand that, if he placed the defence of the
war on the ground that it already existed,
and existed by the act OF Mexico herself,
and on that ground demanded Of Congress
the means of prosecuting ii, (as he must
have known itwould,l have nothing what
ever to allege in its or his own iusti6ca-
ton. He should have been lawyer e.
nough to have known that he could not
plead anew, after having failed on his first
issue. 1t is often hazardous in our plead
ings to plead what is not true; and in do
ing so in the present case, the President
has not only offended morality, which he
may regard as a small matter, but has e.
ven committed blunder
"The course the President should have
pursued is plain and obvious. On learn
ing the state of things on the frontier, the
critical condition of our army of occupa-
ton, he should have demanded Of Con-
gress the reinforcements and supplies ne
cessary to relieve it, and secure the pur-
pose for which it was avowedly sent to
the Rio Grande; and, if he believed it
proper or necessary, to have, in addition.
laid before Congress a full and truthful
statement of our relations with Mexico,
including all the unadiusted complsilts.
past and present, we had against her, ac-
by the recommendation Of
declaration of war. He would then have
kept within the limits of his duty, proved
himself a plain constitutional President.
and left the responsibility of war or no
war TO Congress, the only war-making
power known to our laws. Congress,
after mature deliberation, might or might
not have declared war-most likely would
not; the responsibility would have rested
with it, and no blame would have attach
ed to the President.
"Unhappily this course did not occur
to the President, or was too plain and
simple to meet his appreciation. As il
fearful, if Congress deliberated, itmight
refuse TO declare war, and as if determin-
ed to have war at any rate; he presented
10 Congress, not the true issue, whether
war should or should not be declared, but
The false issue whether Congress would
grant him the means Of prosecuting war
waged against us by foreign power
In the true issue, Congress might have
hesitated; in the one actually presented
there was no room to hesitate, if the Off
cial announcement Of the President was
to be credited, and hesitation would have
been criminal. By declaring that the war
already existed, and by the act of Mexico
herself, the President relieved Congress
Of the responsibility Of the war by throw
ing it all on Mexico. But since he can
not fasten it on Mexico-for war did not
already exist. or if so by our act, and not
hers-it necessarily reeoils upon himself,
and he must bear the responsibility Of do
ing what the constitution forbids HIM 10
do, of making war without the interven-
tions of Congress. In effect, therefore,
he has trampIed the constitution under his
feet, set a dangerous precedent, and, by
the official publication Of palpable false
hood, sulied the national honor. II is
with no pleasure that we speak thus Of
the Chief Magistrate Of the Union, for
whose elevation to his high end response
BILE office we ourselves voted. But what
ever may be our attachment to party, or
the respect we hold to be due from all
good citizens to the civil magistrate, we
cannot see tie constitution violated and
the national honor s. cri6ced, whether by
friend or foe. FROM good motives or bad.
without entering, feeble thongh il be, our
stern and indignant protest"