Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1847-12-29
their disposition for peace with The Uni

uiSI ulSPOSltiOH jOI peace Will sH0 Sus'
ted States, was followed by the success
ful usurprtion Of Paroles on the ayow et
!. principle Of war with the United States
All the incidents and preparations for wal
J were before the country, and Mexico re.
, jected every attempt at negotiation, be
cause the United States had honoreG
her with the highest respect known t.
our diplomacy by sending her Minis.
ter Plenipotenfiary instead Of a mere Gem
missioner, and, we have no re.son to
I doubt that If commissioner had bees sent
the faction in power ~ ould have regarded
that as an insult, and expressed prefer.
ence for Minister.
"Upon the view Of Mr.. Clay, that in
taking Texas, we took Mexican wal
with it, this can no longer be regarded al
the presidents war" unless The term il
applied to President Paroles. The PEG.
pie Of the United States ratified the an.
tnexation Of Texas by the election as Pres.
ident Of a comparatively unknown man,
over the foremost man in the Inited States,
and, the people having willel the annexa-
ton Of Texas, and accepted the threaten
| ed Mexican war a. consequence Of that
net, we must regard the war as a Nation
al one. a
! 'ln view of all these circumstances, We
hold that Mr.. Polk was justified in follow
I ing the principles so clearly expounded
| by Mr.. Clay in defence Of Mr.. Madison's
seizure Of the disputed territory between
the Mississippi and Perdido rivers. and in
pursuing the advice contained in General
fay lor's letter Of October 4th, 1915, Mr.
Polk was as much bound 10 see that the
public service received no detriment, as
Mr.. Madison was in his case, and the
danger was the same in both instances.
i MIR. Clay fortifes his position against
the President, somewhat, BY the following
statement:
] ''lf General Taylor he'd been permitted
to remain, where his own good sense
prompted him to believe he ought to re-
main, a. the point Of Corpus Christi; and,
if negotiation had been opened with
Mexico, in true spirit ef amity and con-
citation, war possibly might have been
prevented. But, instead Of this pacific
and moderate course, whilst Mr.. SIidell
was bending his way to Mexico with his
diplomatic CT edentials, General Tay lor was
ordered to transport his cannens, and to
plant them, in warlike attitude, opposite
to Matamoras, on the east bank of the Rio
Bravo, Within the very disput ed territory,
the adjustment o! which was to be the Oh
iect OF Mr.. Slidel's mission. What else
could have transpired but conflict Of
arms?' - 81 =. e ii Js'
| "Now, We think Mr.. Clay has unwit-
tingly placed General Taylor in wrong
attitude in this statement of the case. We
know Of no reason why it should be rep
resented that General Tay lor's good sease
prompted him to believe that he ought to
remain at the point Of Corpus Christi" -
The General was The first one that adviseo
a toruard morement Of the troops to the Rio
Grande, in letter dated Corpus Christi
Oct. the 4th, 1915, to the Adju,ant Gen
eraI Of the army at Washington In allu-
sion to The surprise of the Mexican traders
tina. they were free from pllage and inju-
ry in the neighborhood OF the American
army, he Gen. Taylor says: "For these
reason, our position thus far has, think
been the best possible; but, now that the
entire inrce will soon be concentrated, i,
may well be question whether the views
Of the Government will be carried out by
remaining at this point. L, is with grea,
Difference that make any suggestions on
topics which may become matter of deli
Gaze negotiations; but ii our government
in settling the question of boundary, makes
the line of the Rio Grande an ultimatum
/ cannot doubt that the settlement uW b.
greatly facilitated and fastened BY taking
possession at once of one or two suita
Die points on or quite near that ri,er. Our
strength and state Of prep ration should be
displayed in a manner no; to be mistaken
However saluary may be the effect pro
duced upon the border people by our pres
ence here, We are too far from the from
tier to impress the government. Of Mexi
co with our readiness to vindicate, by force
Of arms, if necessary, our title 10 thu
) country az far as the Ric Grande." Ger
tainly there is nothing lere Of a wish I,
remain at Corpus Christi. The troop,
were not moved for four months after thi!
advice Of General Taylor was written.
sin matters of grave and national mo
ment, dates are of some use. What d.
they say Of the statement respecting Mr.
Slidell? Wasit while he was on his way
to Mexico that General Taylor was or
dered to the Rio Grandc? This is a yer,
importsn! thing to the question discussed
Well, what are the facts? General Tay
lor, on the 4th Of October, lS45, advisrc
that the troops should be moved; The Pres
ident decliaed the advice, and in .Norem.
Der sent MIR. Slidell TO Mexico. In De.
cenber he was perenptoaily refused re.
coenition. On the 18Th January, 1916
the President sent the order for Genera
Taylor to move, which order was re
ceived by General Taylor in February
nearly two months after Mr.. Nidel's rejec
tion by the Nerican authorities. ..
i The Charleston Mercury states that o
, the gallant South Carolina regiment which
left the United States nine months ego
numbering nearly eleven hundred men
between eighty and ninety only were lef
OA n .