Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1847-12-16
-MARTINSBuRG -
THrRsDAYs DEcEMBER 10, isa7.



We have no inclination to enter upon criti-
cal review of the Presidents annual manifesto.
( II is, by no means, pleasant duty to mark the
decline in the Chief AIagistracy Of the Union, Of
that pure and lofty PATRIOTISM that ardent desire
to act only for the good of the nation, and that
unselfish devotion to the right which marked our
early Presidents. Neither is il pleasant to look
upon the unworthy spectacle of one occupying
that elevated position-turning special peader,
assuming the attitude of an apologist, and sink
4 ing the patriot in the partisan.
| To our mind the Message of a President should
be grave State paper--true in every thing, and
worthy to be incorporated into the history of the
nation. win this Message of Mr.. Polk stand
that test In after years, when truth with its
iron pen shall write the history of this memora-
bic pcriod-will the statements of the President
in regard 10 the origin of the Mexican War, ac-
cord with the calm detail of impartial history
We, not intending to examine the Message at
length, will merely present to our readers sin
gle extract-and ask them to mark the strangely
anomalous position in which the President of the
Democracy finds hmself-and remember
that its embanassments and difficulties are the
penalty OF departure from princpie--a violation
| -unntended possibly--yet violation of The oath
to support The Constitution. and high handed as
sumption of powers, by the provisions of that sa-
cred instrument, expressly placed elsewhere.
But to the extract-which taken from amid the
cloud of Eighteen Thousand words which com
pose the Message-7gves Mr. PoLK's history of
the origin ofthe War:
"It is sufficient on the present occasion TO say.
tiat the wantoa violation OF the rights of person
90 No. .a.s ~ ha5 cs9.n Y rieA
series of wears. and her disregard of sosmn trea
ties STIMULATING for indemnity TO our injured c-
zens' not only constituted ample cause of war on
a,tar a ,oa 49,, $50, ~, ecu oua,
world in resorting to this extreme remedy. With
an anxious desire to avoid r,,pture between tho
two countries we forbore for wears to assert our
clear rights by force and continued to seek re-
dress for the wrongs we had suffered by amicable
negotiation, in the hone that Mexico might Weld
to pacific counsels and the demands Of i,,stice.
In this hope we were disappointed. Our minis
ter of peace sent to Mexico was insultinrlv re-
jected The Mexican Government refused even
10 near ,he terms OF adjustment which he was
nn;nsti6.b,s nrata~s ,aInnJ ~, uaue, mnoiy
in war hv ;nvading Tho terr;,o e s@ ~,
Texas sty;k;ng iha f;rst hIo,x "a stnJd u
blood Of onr cf,zens on orr o,,, se;i - s"e
va o"' so''
Auniitting most OF TINS statementto be true, we
ask is ii true that Mexico invaded the state of
Texas and shed American blood upon American
soil If it appear that Corpus Christi-from
which place Gen. Taylor and his army, were ad- |
vanced TO the Rio Grande. was The most u,es,er,
noint occun;ed b,, tho s,o,o &c IT,. a..
y '.'e ''"'o Vi ieAas' 'iic answer
documents are better transportation and upon
this point we incorporate from the Intelgencer.
various pieces of eyidence-oIl oft too from NC,
DEMocRAr,c Aurpop,rv
First. we have Mr.. BrNrou,s f,mo,s Roso,,,.
ton.
Resorpea. That the ;ncornor,,;on &C tho ,os
bank Of the Rio del Norte into the American I'm !
ion, by virtue of a treaty with Texas, compre-