The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1847-02-13
,ron. William C. Rives' Letter.

ao,,e years since the Hon William &.
DIVES of Virginia, was prominent among the
aren't men ofthe locofoco party that were
,.Itcd ofas candidates of that party for the
pcsidency. Some weeks since no was in
,i,od TO he a candidate for Congress, he has
0cen Senator in Congress twelve years, we
diuk, but he declined the invitation, for prl-
,,c reasons, and from his letter of decllna-
ian we extract the following, including all
. that relates to public affairs:
Iaarce with you gentlemen, entirely IN the
ycws YOU so forcibly express of the present
nave and disastrous position ofpublic affairs.
( Tover has there been period in the progress
orour institutions appealing more solemnly TO
Io reflective patriotism of the country. l
4 Sd aII the obligations itimposes upon every
4 ,,oS citizen; and my voice, though in pri-
i a,s station. shall not he wanting arousing the
,,mmon safety. We have seen II blind spir-
s Sorpartv rage, urged on by the Executive
n ;,,6g,tinu, in n single session of Congress,
oycinrt to the ground long established and
,oItred systems of national policy, co-eval
.ih,he Contitution and identified with the
,,j ntercsts oftha national prosperity. The
Erd Of 1919, though proved by the best of
M Itests. its actual operation, to have been
#OIahly salutury and beEignant measure, was
wthcssly sacrificed to aHpeuse the spirit of
K nnvty Vengeance, because 1t was one OF the
measures ofaWhig Congress; and on the
+, other hand the same fell spirit willfully re-
stored TO the Statute Book the odlous Sub
/ Treasury, which had been most signally con-
Icmned and rejected by the deliberate sense
ofthe natcn, because Wing Congress hap
nen6d to be the Instrument of executing the
national Judgment upon it,
The same perycrse spirit in its Needless
ness, or its blindness, has been ready to sport
with the external peace, as with the domestic
interests and prosperity Of the nation. we
we're saved by the tirmness and wisdom of
the Senate from II destructive war with Eng
md into which the heaG-long and short
sighted counsels ofthe President were fast
mryng us, only to he plunged by his I'M
+ Nrupulous assumption of power, against the
\ ruinest mandates ofthe Constitution, into n
y bloody expensive, unseendly and embarrass-
\ ngwa with the Republic OfMeHico. That
ne war with Mexico was hrOughten by the
4 Vrglc act ofthe President nm ordering the
3 hostile advance of the army into aoterrt0ry
Y claimed by Mexico, and eff which she held The
& mndlnrisdiction, is proposition too clearly
# r,lbshed'by incontrovertible facts 20 admit
81 DISCUSSION. lie himselfimpliedly confess
Nrhhy the studious and eaboratet display Of
LEGGED causes ofwar against Mexico set forth
0hls late Message, which partalles far more
N the character of a'manifesto to justifywhat
e had done, than of an annual commuuica-
ion on the state of the nation to the two Hou-
SEES ofCongress. Suppose all this long list
@grievances and complaints to be well-fouud
ed, although Congress had slept over them,
aud Mr. Polk roundly takes them to task for
aving done so,) to whom did it belong under
mr Republican System, to adopt the last re-
sort OF nations for their redrcSs-to the Pres
dent or to Congress? The Constitution an
,wers itself-CongreSS shall have power to
declare war. From what source, then, GboUe
4 Me Constitution, did Mr. Polk derive his uu-
Wnrity 10 make war upon Mexico? There is
81 mone answer-hiS own Will.
In the presence ofso fragrant and danger
Gus an uSurpatlOH Of nionarchial prerogative
under our limited Constitution. the free peo-
pie of America must have degenerated sadly,
indeed, from their sires, if they should per-
init themselves to he gagged by any EXecu-
tive proclamation ola new code reconstruct
we treason trom openly aud boldly express
Il ngmer opinions upon the origin, conduct
and cnlencies of this war ofthe Presidents
II own making, ia which the best blood ofthe
country has been already poured out like wa
n tEand which threatens to "grnd the faces"
@ihepeople by accumulated debt aud taxes,
q Without any definite national object in its pros
ouIon While we rally to the flag of our
country, under all circumstances, with filial
4 'NOlIon, let us not he unHindful ofwhat we
owe to its liberties and its free constitution.
Foreign wars have often been made a cloak
or the introduction and establishment of ar
binary power Mt home. With this design
'IarIes II. of England made the memorable
n ETnpon the Republic of Holland in 1872,
Ieiwecn which and the war we are now wag-
"! by tile act Of the President, upon the
" NNobllc of Mexico, there is this, among 9th
n circumstances of remarkable parallel
nN Charles II. opened the Dutch war, with
q Proclanatlon denouncing severe vengeance
'3RInst dA who should speak undutilIlIy of
4 S hajesty's measures, as Mr. Polk now ac-
n oHPanies the Mexican war, with denun-
patton ms traitors ofthose who shall presume
n l" oller with him in regard to the rightful-
hess offs origiu.
need notlremind you, gentlemen, how
IT, same language of official denunciaton
a % menace was employed, and with what
l%ct, to silence the noble advocates ofthe
sl''s OF &merica i'll the British Parliament,
%"le period whenwe took our equal and in
@pGnoent station among the nations of the
oI W., Lord Chatham stood up and decar-
I,,, mMh the majesty ola free born Rriton, that
=, ",o" W. ule liberty Of speech was imputed
~. ~ It o'. II was liberty he should eOntin-
Lo o ~ eAcrc'sc and by which the Minister, if
' "i were q. wise would profit" Edmund Burke
with the irresistible bower of reason and ell
Tquence combined riissipated the same inso-
ent SoPhlSm by which Mr. Polk now seeks to
%reen himsoIfirom responsibility and to sti-
. ae 1he freedom of opinion, by triumphantly
rpy'ng that, son the principle of this argi-
uIeul, the more mischiafa we suffer from nm