The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1847-12-01
WEDNESDAY AFTERNooN, deer i, Is4
For President
GENERAL ZACHARY TAYLOR.
The apolopists Of the Executive ar,
Subject The decaon Of the Whig National Convention

Subject to the decision Of the WING National Convention
The apologists Of the Executive are al
ready raising the voice Of opposition to the
sound republican doctrine proclaimed by Mr..
Clay--that Congress has the power to mo-
dify the Act Of May 18th, 1916, and de-
clare anew for what objects the war with
Mexico shall be further prosecuted. The
Teve Haute Courier, Democratic Jour-
nal, asserts, that any attempt by Congress
"to control the conduct Of war, after It is
"once declared or recognized, or to change
6 the objects for which it shall be waged,
"would be usurpation Of the rights of the
C President, and that Congress has Just as
/" little right to do any act by which the terms
Of peace may be fixed, because the con-
"clusion Of a peace belongs to the President
and Senate"
We were confident that this position would
be taken by the men in power, the moment
they could ascertain that their opponents
would assume the Constitutional ground
which Mr.. Clay occupies, but we were not
pate so soon the course Of the Democratic
members Of Congress, who are the supporters
of the President The proclamation by the
Terre Haute Courier Of this strange doctrine
is simultaneous with its avowal by other De-
mocratic papers, thus proving incontestably
that instructions had gone out to them before
hand, so as to prevent the public mind from
becoming mbued with the right positions as
sumed by Mr.. Clay.
The denial of Mr.. Clay's doctrines on the
score Of their unconstitutionality, is almost too
monstrous to treat seriously, yet the denial is
plausible, and it is the duty Of the lovers Of
truth and the friends of the Constitution to
4 strip the Democratic argument Of its fallacy,
and to stand by the instrument that is sought
to be abused.
Congress shall have power--to declare
war-to raise and support armies-to make
all laws which shall be necessary and pro-
"pertor carrying into execution the foregoing
"powers." Can language be plainer' Sure
n ly, if it has the power to declare war, It has
the power to declare for what the war shall
be waged. If it has the power to raise and
support armies, surely it has the power tc
assert when and how and for what purpose
they shall be employed. But these addition
al powers are not left to be inferred from the
previously expressed powers. They are abb
solutely granted to Congress, for the Consti.
tuition AYERS that Congress shall have power
to make all the necessary and proper law
. for carrying into execution the previous pow
: ers granted. Under this express provision
i Congress may declare its viii and intention
/, in relation to the war, every hour in the day
may alter that win and intention every min
: ute in the day. All denial, therefore, Of til,
,, power Of Congress to further declare the OBJ
iects for which the Mexican war shall b.
] prosecuted is utterly idle. Congress has tn,
,, power to do it, implicitly or expressly, by tn,
. Constitution and the laws. Whether it will
use its another question.
"He the President, shall have power
"by and with the consent Of the Senate, t
: !" make treaties, &c." There is not ont
word in the Constitution about the making
E Of treaties ofpeace between the United States
and their enemies. The generic word nigh
be said to include treaties Of peace by thu
force Of its meaning; but there is nothing il
the grant of the power to the President anc
the Senate to prevent Congress from taking
such steps as may lead directly or indirectly
to peace. And thus falls to the ground thu
!, other pretension that Congress has no powe
, to do any act which may enure to the re-
storation Of peace between the United State.
and their belligerent.
4 1t is obvious, that the ground taken by the
Terre Haute Courier and its followers, is on.
!. ly to prepare the way for an excuse for the
veto Of the President, who has made up hi!
mind, long since, that Congress shall do no.
: thing to take the war out of his hands.
Congress shall take any step that shall ever
look to this issue, we are convinced that he
will interpose his power--because he wants
continued war upon his festina ienie policy
SO that it shall be a powerful element in the
next Presidential election. The President
perceives than an Executive veto upon any
anti-war measure, could not be justified by
! any known process Of correct reasoning, and
hence this attempt to prepare the public mind
by the dissemination Of doctrines utterly false
in all their premises.
i But if Congress should act in the premises,
so as to call forth the exercise of the Presi-
dental Veto, we have the assurance from the
very fact Of their action, that they will be
disposed, and be powerful enough, to put in
to execution another Of Mr.. Clay's sound re-
publican doctrines, and that is--to impeach
the Executive. The conflict between the
Executive and Congress, we fear, will be
very severe, and our hope is that the Execu-
tive will find it to his interest and the inter-
est of the country to submit to tie action of
i Congress in relation 10 the Mexican war Lot
that action be what it may--for the Congress
about to sit is a body quite equal, in every
respect, to Mr.. Polk, for all the attributes Of
patriotism and jealousy Of the national honor.
Il GEN. QrrrMAs's PLAN OF PAcIrIcATIse Mexico.
II has 10 our ears that Gen. Qutman has writ