Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1847-12-17
VERMONT PHOENIX.
BrattIebere, Friday, Dec. u, IS47.
The Presidents Message.

l
excited by anticipation has now passed away, we
cannot dismiss 80 important document without
inviting our readers again to take Il up and re-
view Il, and to read in connection with Il the
plain and sensible essay Of Albert Gallatin, al
part Of which VIC publish to-day.
The Message sets out, and Is chiefly occupied
with Mexican affairs and our notice will be con-
fined principally to that part Of It.
Mr. Polk refers frst TO our claims upon Mex
leo, and alledges that they would justify us in
declaring war against her, and then asserts that
Mexico invaded Texas and struck De first
blor."
THE ALLEDGED CAUSES OF Tur WAR
For part of them he refers to the Message
of 1916, but he gives a summary which embra-
ces them all, to wit: Injuries to persons and
property through a long course Of gears" We
will lot Albert Gnllatin speak ON this subject in
another column, under the head Of " Indemnity
to citizens of the United States" Il will be
seen that NIL those claims were in course Of adj
justment and liquidation, and part had been
paid. Besides, these causes" hal several times
in the long course of years" been laid before
Congress, and that body had never seen ft to
make them cause Of war They were in fact
before Congress at the very time the war com
mcnced. In his Message to Congress, in De-
cembcr, Is45, he stated fully the relations be-
tween ~ and Mexico. Our causes Of complaint
were enumerated, and Congress was called upon
TO apply the remedy. The threats Of Mexico,
her refusal to pay the stipulated indemnity, and
her wrongs and insults to American citizens, he
says, had been repeatedly brought to the no.
tee Of Congress" and he again presents them,
and adds, that without the authority Of Congress
he possessed no power to redress injuries or do
more than be prepared to rcpel threatened ag-
erosion" but he did not, in that message, re-
commend Iedr.
Thus in December, 1915, the President sub
mittcd to Congress all the difficulties with Mex
leo, and on The sth january, is4C-one month
afterwards President, without consulting or
informing Congress, ordered the army TO move
from Corpus Christi to the Rio Grande.
We need not remind our readers that the
power to declare war is exclusively with Con-
grcss. The President, as he himself says, could
do no more than yeoorpaeHd it, and though he
now says the wanton aggressions of Mexico for
long series Of years constituted ample cause
Of war on our part" yet il will be noted that in
submitting these very aegressions to Congress,
in his Message Of December, IsA5, he does not
recommend war. Why are they thrust forward
in his present McssageY What have they to do
with the existing war? They have been repeat
edly before Congress, and Congress has acted
upon them without declaring war, and President
Polk though he enumerated all these grievances
in his Message OF 1916. and though il is his duty
to recommend war who're the honor or rights Of
the country require Il, did not see ft to do go
What right has he now to pronounce them justi-
fable cause Of warp Has the Constitution made
him judge? What Il they were or were not :
Do they justify any act Of his in bringing on this
war? If not, why are they thrus. forward in
his Message as afiording justification of it
Congress did not declare war and il war exists
from those causes, il must be by the act of the
President, in violation of the Constitution and of
his oath Of office. But he prctends that Mexico
commenced the war Then why this enumera-
ton Of grievances, which have nothing TO do with
it, except for the unworthy purpose Of diverting
public attention from the tirc cause and author
of tie war? 1t is not in express terms put for.
hmard, 10 justify the order to Gen. Taylor to adj
vance to the Rio Grande; yet Il is easy to see
that such is its real object In seeking, then, for
the true cause and author Of the war, We shall
strike out this part of the Message.
sour Minister 10 Mexico ,ras insHifingly re-
ljec,ed."--This is the next mHtter Of complaint
by the President, put forward, like the former,
as jus,ifying cause Of war For a full exam
nation Of this pretext, we refer the reader to
Mr. Gallaiin's admirable essay, under the head
of" Negotiations and War" in our next number.
We shall bestow brief remark upon il.
As Justification for the order sending the
army from Corpus Christi 60 the Rio Grande, it
utterly fails. First, because at the time of the
ORDER the rejection of our Minister was not k,o,cn
to the President lie himself, in his Message Of
May II, 1886, says he chad lat the time Of this
ordcr) only such information as rendered Il prob
able, il mol certain, that the Mexican Government
would refuse to receive him. and Mr. slidell, in
his letter furnishing the information alluded to,
says-"A refusal TO receive me at all is posi-
Bile q ought perhsps to say probable) event.
But the President, in the same Message, settles
the point by stating expressly, that the Mexican
Minister, in his reply, under date OF March ?,
denied the application of Mr. SHdell." We're
not these proofs sufficient, we might refer to the
despatch of Mr. Buchanan, Secretary of State
under date Of JAM 20, ls46-seven days after