The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-03-18

an angry gTOuhd,
the President is placed in position impregnabe that
he must stand unscahed in the eyes of all appropriated
men.
| Will gentlemen show me when Texas composed an in
egral part of the empire of Mexico Did not Texas pro-
test against the treaty. and rebel against Spain before the
treaty ratified, which coded her to that power Was
not Texas acknowledged to be independent republic
by Mexico when she was admitted as member OF the
Mexican confederation Was Texas bound to submit to
the usrpaton OF Santa Anna, when he overthrow that
government Did she not resist successfully the attempt
OF Santa Anna to subject herr Did she not achieve her
independence of Mexico and vndcate her power against
Santa Anna the field of battle, by conguexng hum and
making him prisoner at San Jacinto? Did she not COM
pei him to acknowledge her independence and establish
her boundary to the Rio Grande before the indie
pendence of Mexico acknowledged by Spain And
though Santa Anna was prisoner, was not the treaty
which was made BY him afterwards ratified by Fiasoa
the general actually commanding the Mexican armies
And did he NOT, in accordance herewith, withdraw his
troops to the west OF the Rio Grande Gentlemen will
deny that the United States. under every admnisira
ton up to the cesson Spain, in 1872 claimed the Rio
Grande as the western boundary of Texas; that this
claim formally asserted by Mr.. Monroe: when he
sent special messenger in june 1918, to Galveston, to
warn Oft certain foreign adventures who were about to
settle in that vicinity, or at any place north OF the no
Grande; that by the act of the Texan Congress OF the
10th December 1885, the Rio Gande was from its mouth
to its source, declared to be the western boundary OF
Texas, and her jurisdiction, both civil and POLITICAL ex
tended it, that from the establishment OF her indie
pendence to the act admitting her as State OF this
| Union--a period of more than nine years-TeXas
exercised acts OF sovereignty and jurisdiction over
the country between the Nueces and the Rio
and extended her civil and criminal jurisdiction over il
that she had established post Offices and post roads, and
custom house, and collected duties in it that It was rep
resented both the Senate and House OF Representa-
tves of the Texan Congress, by senator and epesen
tative residing in it, that this senator and representative
took part the act OF annexation and gave their assent
to it, that the Congress of the United States formally
recognised the Rio Grande and not the Nueces, as the
western boundary of Texas, by establishing custom
house at Corpus Christi and the establishment OF post
offices and post-routes 1t, and by receiving member
of Congress whose district embraces that country
With these facts existing, what alternative had the
President but TO order the army the Rio Grande when
it was known that the Meyicans were concentrating
large force and great supplies in that quarter Can any
gentleman suppose himself able todeceive the people INTO
belief that Mexico had concentrated new forces and
collected such great munitions of war at Matamoros only
take possession OF the little strip OF country between
the Rio Grande and the Nueces' Does not everybody
know that il was the. avowed purpose OF the Mexican
government reconQuer Texas to the banks OF the Sa
bne Let them not believe that the people can be de-
ceved into any such belief they are far too intelligent
for that
Ii is very clear that the Mexican authorities had no
such idle purpose in view. That their object was to
make war upon the United States, if troops were
found west of the Sabine the letters and orders of Paroles
abundantly show When gentlemen assert that the Pres
dent unnecessarily brought the war by directing Gen
Taylor to take post west of the Nueces, they assume
position for Mexico which Mexico despises The Sabine
was claimed by her her boundary and to it her forces
would have marched if they had not been prevented by
our gallant little army acting under the direction OF the
! President 80
But the gentleman from Massachusetts, mr. WIN
can declare war but the Congress of the United States
Well, who has conended that any other power
could Where is the man who ever commended that the
power rested in any other quarter? Has the President
himself ever so commended conovered that doctrine
Has the democratic party done it, Did the President de-
clare this war; SO far as there has been declaration OF
war; has been made by Congress- and not by the Pres
dent
| The gentleman has referred us TO Madison and Wash
ington to prove that Congress alone declare war,
which nobody denies; but has either Washington or
Madison denied that the President of the United States
has power to defend the country when it is invaded
That is what President may do under the constitution
and that is what the President has done When Texas
was invaded he defended her and repealed the invaders
What imaginable right had he to say that Texas extend
power He knew officially that she claimed to the
Rio rande and if he had not defended her boundaries
fully recreant to his duty This is the question Texas
claimed the Rio Grande her boundary. Congress re-
served to itself the right to settle this question OF boun
dary with Mexico. The President had nothing to do
with this question. 1t was his duty to make defens.re
war to protect the boundary claimed by Texas SO far
he has acted within his ceary-defined constitutional
But after the act of Congress of the 18th of May, 1916
the war taken out OF the hands OF the Presidents 1t
ceased be deensiue and was converted into an often
sire war. By whose act was that-the act OF Congress
or of the Executive! After the passage OF that act the
war was the war of Congress, and not OF the Executive
he ceased to act President in wagng defensive war
by virtue of his clearly defined powers and duties under
the constitution The President so far as this was de-
fensve war, acted strictly within his constitutional pow
l
been an offensive war, he has acted under the authority
of the of Congress declaring the war, and 1t VIII be
his duty to proceed with the war until Congress shall
express some opinion upon the subject The efforts
which have been made by the President TO close the war
BY amicabe negotiation, at the very time when our sol
ders are flushed with victory, and our armies covered
with honor and glory cannot but rebound to his credit
and be considered by the civilized world as becoming the
| head of a wise and magnanlmous nation.
The great mistake with gentlemen in the opposition IN
all this natter and which leads them into inter
minable difficulties, is, that under an erroneous view OF
the constitutions they invest the President with charac-
ter and powers which he does not possess. They cal
this the war of the President and wish to know OF nm
how long it is to last, and in what manner and Tor what
purposes he intends to conduct It The question then s'
whose war is it, The of the PRESIDENT How can
that be- 1t must be obvious TO gentlemen, upon mo-
mens consideration, that it is not the Presidents war;
but that it is our wharf.-the war of Congress- war waged
by the command of Congress, and not by the votion OIL
the President
Congress having declared war, and authorized armies
and naves be raised, the President by force OF the
constitution, becomes the commander in-chle, the
generassmo of those armies and naves he ceases to act
assumes his new position of commander-ln-chet, and
acts under the authority of the laws OF Congress- Just as
any other officer soldier engaged in the war; and IS al
all times under the control of Congress.
Gentlemen make another mistake they confound the
Office with the powers of the officer The office OF com
mander-n chief is created by the constitution and the
officer TO fill that Office is appointed by the constitution
the President appointed by the constitution to that OF
flee but here the constitution stops. When the Presi-
dent acts as President he derives his powers fIom the
constitution but the constitution confers no powers up
on him as commander chief When he acts IN thai
capacity he derives his powers from the laws OF Con
gress Congress, 1t is true, cannot create an ONCE s