Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-04-24

To our view this language is entirely hypoheti-
cal, and very far from {" "a voluntary and urgent
quest" as the Union has been pleased to term it.
In the first place, Gen. TAYLOR, tired, no doubt of
the repeated suggestions of the War Department,
which were not to lie considered "positive drec-
TONS" and determined to act upon the advice OF his
! friends-giyen before he left New Oreans--to take
step not clearly and distinctly defined in his or
ders, came to the conclusion that it was high time
he should be explicitly informed whether he was to
remain at Corpus Christi or advance to the Rio
Grande-so often referred to as his Is ultimate desli-
nation" If the views of the Government, so far
as he had been able to comprehend them from his
| despatches-the extending of protection to the
| Rio Grande, the asserting of sour territorial
claims" and treating as an invasion anu uftempt
TO cross that river" were to be carried out, why
then it became question whether he could accom-
plish what was expected Of him" to occupy,
protect and defend" the country-if he remained
where he was. He therefore very properly re-
marked, our Government, IN settling the cues
ton Of boundary, makes the line of the Rio Graade
AN ULT,MATuM," it ought to be Immediately occu-
Pied because Corpus Christi too far removed
from the line " to impress the Government of Mex-
co with our readiness to vndicac Our title by force
of arms which the Administration had already
proclaimed its determination to do if Mexico should
cross, oraffenpt to cross the river with any con-
siderable force" That Gen. TAYLOR did not march
from Corpus Christi "at his own voluntary and
urgent request" is rendered yet clearer by letter
of Mr.. BUCHANAN to Mr.. SLIDELL, our rejected
Minister, of January goth, 1916. In that letter
Mr.. BUCHANAN said
Gin The time, the President
FINAL REFUSAL OF THE MEXICAN GovERSMESr RECEIVE
rou, has ordered The army Of TEXAS to adcance and take
position The left bank Of tie Rio Gra'.de and has d.
reced at strong fleet shall be Immediately assembled in
the Gufof Mrico. He will thus be prepared to act with
vsor and promptitude THE MOMENT THAT CON-
GRESS shall give him authority"
Why the President did not ask Congress, then in
session, for that authority--the authority Ito act
with vigor and amplitude" in war Of aggres-
sion and conquest-beiore taking these intatory
steps, is very pertinent inquiry, but enc which
will never be answered except with the stupid cry
of g Federalsts" and 8 Mexican Whigs." 1t is
well to observe, however, that this statement of the
Secretary of State was subsequent to the receipt of
Mr.. Slidels despatch OF the 9th Of December,
lS45, wherein he ventures the following uery valu-
able counsel:
"The desire of our Government secure peace will be
taken for timdy the exravagan petensons will be
made and insisted upon, until The Merica people shall be
coirnced by hostile demonstrations that differences
be settled promptly, either by negotiation BY THE
SWORD"
Here we have the whole thing explained. There
is nothing mysterious now about the march OF our
troops to the Rio Grande. Our Minister, discover
ing that he not likely to be received in tnt ca
pdcify by the Government of Mexico wrote TO his
Government, and recommended that Mexico should
be convinced By hostile demonstrations" that
our differences must be promptly settled or the
| sword would be brought TO our assistance. The
President, following the advice of Mr.. SLlDELL-
/ - III ;ndu ;oIy IF
ence"-made this i" hostile demonstration" by or
dering " the army in Texas to advance and take
| position on the left bank Of the Rio Grande," and
by directing "a strong fleet Immediately TO assem-
| bic in the Gulf of Mexico. If this not using
force to accomplish what the Minister had failed in;
if il not embracing the alternative presented,
to settle differences by the sword we are at
loss to con- ecture what other Interpretation is to be
| given it.
But Gen. TAYLOR did not feel at liberty, under
his instructions, particularly those Of July g. TO
i make forward movement to the Rio Grande with
out authority from the War Department." because
Mexico had " as yet made no positive declaration of
war, committed any overt act of hostilltles.
The acknowledgment of the instructions of the 9th
of January is dated February 4th, 1916, and at the
time, in reply to the Secreary's call for nfor
nation as to what means, if any, would be required
"to enforce and maintain our common right to ma
Vlgdle Tie no 1rdnue tO winch ne cOulu not Al
that time give satisfactory answer he said:
81 have to believe that the people residing the
Rio Grande well disposed towards Government"
1.-THE result showed he mistaken they fred their dwell
ings and fed at his approach. "Our advance to the Rio
Grande will itself produce powerful effect and may be
that tho navigation Of the river will not be disputed"
Now this mere opinion Of Gen. TAYLOR touch
ing neither the propriety wisdom Of the advance
of our army, aside from CARVING ont the views and
obeying the Instructions of the Government, that
the measure would produce powerful effect on the
people Of the country, and probably prevent any
dispute about the navigation of the river, is seized
upon by the Union as a full endorsement of the
plans and purposes of the Executive. It's suscep-
tble OF no such construction for il is evident from
the guarded manner in which Gen. TAYLOR wrote,
he intended no more than to draw from the Depart
ment " positive directions as to what position he
should select" for his army, and TO what extent
he was !" expected to defend" the territory between
Corpus Christi and the Rio Grande. lie was not
willing to adopt Mr.. MARcY's counsel, and push
onward, without directions from Washington"
1t was exactly these he wanted and, therefore, he
desired to understand specifically what the Admins
tration proposed /" an uitimdtuni," how far his
agency required in furthering their views, and
take these as the measure of his conduct, instead
of relying upon his judgment or trusting TO cir
cumstances. And, in fact, whatever his suggestions
might have been, even if they had been all the Go
vernment organ" has asserted, the Administration
u. -. n. -