The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1847-09-02

nroyed to lie untenah,e, rs he must have
known Il would. have nothing whatever 70
ulege IN its or has own Justification. lie
should have been lawyer enough 10 have
known that he could not plead anew, alter
having failed on his first issue. IL IS often
hazardous 10 our pleadlngs 10 plead What
is not true, and ~ doing So 40 Tie ffeseat
case, the President has not only Offended
morality, which he may regard as sinai
matter, but has even committed hlundef
"The course tho President should have
pursued is plain and obvious. Tn learn
ing the state Of things on the frontier, the
critical condi,ion Of our army OF oceupa.
ton. he should have demanded ot Con
gress the reiniofcemeuts and supplies ne.
cessary TO relieve II and secure the pu''
pose for which II was ayowedly sent TO the
Rio Grande and, II he believed II proper
or necessary, TO have IN addition lad be-
/ fore Congress a full and truthful statement
! of our relations with Mexico, including oil
/ the unsdjusied complaints, past and pres
ent, NO had Agains, her, accompanied by
! the recommendation OF declaraiion oi
war. lie would then have KEEP, within the
limits Of his duiy, proved himself plain,
constitutional President, and lett the re
spunsib!lity OF war or no war, TO Congress
The only war.mnking power known TO the
laws. Congress, after mature delbera.
ton, might or might not have declared
war-mosI likely would not; but whether
so or MOI, the responsibility would have re.
suited with II, ard no b'a,ne would have
attached to the Presldcn'.
"uuhappiy, this course d,d not occur
10 the President, or VAS too pam and SIN.
ole to meet his appreciation. Is II fearful
rf Congress dehberared, II might refuse TO
deciate war, AID Il determined to have
war a, any rate, be presented % Congress,
not the true ISSUE whether whf should Of
shon'd no, be dcclared-hut the false lsslc,
whether Congress would grant han The
means Of prosecuting sar, "ased against
rs by q foreign power. In tie true issue
Congress might have hesHaled- % the enc
actually presented there va % room e
hesitate i. the official announcement q &c
President Vas 10 be credited 40 hes,ta.
ton ould have been criminal.
b declaring rha. VAR atreads existed
and Is tho act 81 heNico herself, tie Pre-
,,dent relieved Congress oi The RESPONSE,
btiy Of the var, BY throwing 4 % hrV'
CO. But since be car4o, faster o. He1
ico-fur war did not already exist, a q :"
by our act. and not hefs-rt Eecess4f.ls
iccn,ls upon himself and no must bear {. .
responsibility 81 doing ahat he Canslitu
lion far5ds h;m 10 do-of masking Nal
aithoul The Intervention Of Congress. l.
effect, therefore, 4, has 'rampisi ~ Ca
rull51 lnstr hs fes', SCI alasre4
precedent, ard By Tie eGc'ai pablieahua {.
p7lpa5le feis,hood, ,u.!ica iAe 1s'.3s-
} honor
Il is with no pleasure that We spea
thus u he chief ma gs,iate u no bai9n
Ter whose s!erltias 10 k.i hiet and rsspan
ub'e Office re oprieirts poisd. Bot what
? ever may DO our attachment to patty, q
tho respect We h'id o be due from al
, good citizens 10 the ciyd magistrate, ~
canpot sec Tho Constitution violated, al.
q the national honor saci need, ahclAer b
. friend Or Toe, from good motives or bad
w,,hou, entering, feeble though il b %
stern ard at gnaal protest.