Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-02-13

As commandn-chief of the army and the navy he carried
into execution the declaring against foreign Power
precisely in the relation and with the extent Of
power In each it the public will declared by
Congress not his will, not his purposes, which he
was called on to execute +.
Mr. b. went on to illustrate the degree Of power possessed
by the President Of the United States in controlling the ope
ratons of war and the degree of responsibility consequent
thereon, by referring the power He supposed erase
In which the Of Congress declaring sbond fail to
ceve Executive appreciation, and that should nevertheless
be passed by the requisite constitutional majority The Pre-
sden in such case he said in carrying out that act would
unquestonaby be acting not according to his will not
for the accomplishment Of his purposesnay, he would
be acting in opposition TO his wbut in obedience to the
mandates of the Legislative, rather, Of that power which,
under the special delegation of the constitution vested
Congress He propounded Senators this question Would,
under these circumstances the responsibility Of the President
be less than il Would it be any the less his duty
carry into execution the purposes Of Congress not then
the proposition with which he set out true II the de-
claraon of war; by act of making il, did not military
dictator il it left in their undisturbed operation those pnci
pies of free Government which the trainers Of the consu
ton intended to establish then the proposition with which he
set out true that the power not only to declare bu,
prosecute belonged Congress; and belonging Con-
gress, of consequence they had the right from time to time,
to specify according their judgment they might deem
quise, the Objects and the motives and the principles upon
which should be conducted Therefore that he pre-
suned to say, when application made to them for
appropriation, either of men Of money! carry this
which they waging with foreign Power that they
atue, not only their right but their duty to inquire
into the proprey of the applications that made them,
before they yielded to such applications =. ..~
Mr. b. adverted to the past history of the Government and
to the construction by eminent statesmen to the cons
tuition support Of the position which he had assumed that
the OF directing the operations of the Government in
relation to the conduct of belonged Congress He
called the attention of the Senate the fact that during the
three years which they had had with Great Britain Con-
gress far from being willing leave the conduct Of
that exclusively with the President; far from being
willing TO cast him exclusively the responsibility Of con-
Quoting that far from being willing shift from them
selves the responsibility which the constitution had imposed
upon them that from the to the conclusion Of
that war; by reference the statute book would be found
Congress dourned without providing by law for its
assembling and that at shorter periods than those contemplated
the constitution for the ordinary discharge of business Mr.
b. here reced the various provisions for the reasscmblng
Congress which had been adopted during the continuance
of that He proceeded to remark, that two things
obvious from this brief reference the statute book The first
was that from the period of the of the
Congress adjourned without themselves first providing
for their Resembling and at earlier period than that
provided by the constitutions and the second that during
the three years of the continuance of the Congress
session. and that by their special provision nearly
years. Now of the doctrines which advocated
this day. if the responsibility for conducting the
had been supposed to upon the President of the United
States that time if the power of Congress ceased upon
being declared the authority rested exclusively upon the
President and Congress only to furnish the and
to furnish those without deemng it necessary to ask
President required them-why, he asked, did Congress
think it necessary in lSl2-I3-l4 to take upon them
selves the responsibility of supervising the operations of the
war Why it that Congress thus, by their own
special provision, from time in session Why did
they not leave to the Presdenwho, according to the argu
advanced, had the sole right control the opera
ofthe wawhy did they leave him the uncontrolled
power OF directing the operations OF the and to
Congress when he deemed necessary call them for sup
plies But that not the doctrine upon which the prac
ical operations of the Government conducted.
The President OF the United States seemed feel il
said he authorized TO feel that he quite compe
tent conduct this unasssted by Congress There
therefore provision offered for assembling Congress
earlier than the usual session nay, the idea that the Pre
dent might find it necessary them before the
mnaon Of the long had been at put down by
the official organ Of the Government He repeated that to
him subject startling that such doc should
be maintained and should be the basis Of the practical ad
mnistraton Of this Government, than any in which
could be engaged Mr. b. commended much length that
only the constitutional power, but the constitutional
duty OF Congress suenend the conduct OF the which
they had recognised and that they could not absove them
selves from the responsibility attending the exercise of that
power He held himself free to inquire, when any applca
tons made from the Executive of this Government for
supplies of Of moncy-he held himself free to inquire
to what purposes they to be applied and he addressed
that inquiry to the proposition contained in this bill The bill
proposed to give to the President three millions Of moneyf
what To bring the existing with Mexico to speedy
and honorable conclusion This the sole purpose which
avowed in the bill. Why, sir (sad Mr.. b how is
this We have already placed at the disposal of the Pres
dent thirty millions Of dollars in addition the ordinary
of the country. We have placed his disposal such
portions of the public forces he has required And
have done this for what purpose Why sir, for the den-
teal purpose specified in this bill to bring this a
speedy and honorable conclusion. How BY the Of the
public money and public force which has been placed his
disposal But he three millions of money for the
accomplishment Of this sefsame object in other way
We havefunshed him the he has required but this
does not suffice. What other be resoed :
To what other purpose is this b" "rru an 'hat
which consistent with analogous those 10 whch nave
referred What other Why, SIR, we have hitherto
been told that object conquer peace with Mexico
The expression has been often used that has passed into
byword Hitherto, holding Mexico in comparative contempt
military Power have been told that our army was
competent to conquer peace Mexico and the ardent
spirits among have been animated higher degree with
the expectation Of revealing the halls Of the Monezumas
But how pretensions fallen Do we doubt our
ability to conquer peace now, with thirty millions Of money
anJ 6ffy thousand armed mon , Have so humhied our
pretensons that about resort TO other means than
those of conquest negotiation for the attainment OF peace
Do abandon the idea Of ability to conquer
peace Are endeavor to buy peace with Mexi-
co And Senators willing, in whatever quarter Of this
chamber unite in act Of public legislation by which they
will the world that after many months of conflict
with the public enemy, despang of power conquer
the peace which DESIRE have appropriated three mil
lions of money be given the Mexican rulers either
individuals rulers in order to induce them make peace
with us
They had passed. he before sad hrouga three years
with the most powerful nation Of the earth but the
cutcheon Of this young Republic had yet been stained
to buy peace with Great Britain The patriots Of that time,
oft al Tho;