Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-07-01

siona organ of the Administration, its Chairman
of the Committee of Foreign Relations, had, in
in his Report on the Presidents Message, ovoW-
ed for the Executive that the purpose OF the war
is one which this Government has pursued ever
since Mexico became Independent (lo2l) -tnat
is, the acquisition Of California. For That docu-
ment says: Complaints of the resort to terrific
rial conquest from Mexico are dsarmed OF re-
proacll by the facts that Mexico, by war, con-
strains the United States 10 take BY conquest,
what, ever since Mexican independence, erery
american Administration has been striving 10 gee
By purchase and that The Erecuttue orders amt
military and naval 6Iecttion 81 them, FOR THE
| ACHIEVEMENT OF CONQUEST, have co informed
not merely to long established policy of our otCt
Gouernment but ,Oise principles Of seI-preSSTra-
lion, indispensable 10 all prouident gover nmeats.'
We showed, then, from this partlcuaI ly conf
dental source (which Immediately represents in
Congress the views of the President and Secre-
tary OF State rs to questions Of our Fore ign Pol
icy) that the Administration has, throug its le-
glsatve organ. declared that we are fig htlng 10
get what we have long wanted, but ats owner
would not sell-hat is California that its pos
session Is to us matter ot seitprest 'rvatlOn;
and That, therefore, every prudent Cover nmeDlln
our situation would take it by force, since we
have been unable to get it otherwise. Now,
Mr. lngerso cannot intend to charge Mr.. Polk
with noglecting for us what mere self-p ;cserya-
ton renders Indispensable, he must be held, n
effect, to declare that this Administration, did not
crlmlnally wait for Mexico to consirdin il to save
us from destruction, by laying the strong hand
on California, but prudently, "provldently," pHr-
ro;cally, took the initiative, and picked quar-
rel lthe Executive is at loss to say aJotT achstl
with Mexico.
Thus far we have reced afresh and in mose
summary shape, the causes aud objects of war
which had, before the goth March, been avow el
by or for the President. Since that time ne has
been good enough to supply us, through further
declarations, with additional variations OF plr-
text. Some Of these we shall now proc eed to
chronicle including with them certain 9th ers
which, though older, we had overlooked ar c''a-
tlnulng our original numerical arrangomeI 1t.
.Ninhiy. On the 9th of July last, (lcss thuB
two months after the battles of Rosaca de la Pal
ma and Palo Alto, known here on the ODD Ol
May only, and before, therefore he could have
received any orders from here, or any thing IN
addition 10 his original Instructions, except the
direct news, from the Rio Bravo, of host l!iies
begun therc,) Commodore Sloa as Command
erin-Chef Of the United States Naval forces in
the Pacific Ocean," issued proclamation TO
the Inhabitants of California" declaring that he
was about to take possession Of that entire de-
partment: that hencefoIth it will be portion
OF the United States: that " its peaceable inhab
ltans will enjoy the same rights and privileges as
the cdizens OF any portion OF That Union :" that
they shut choose their oicn magistrates and other
officers from among hemselreS:" that the same
protection will be extended to them as to any
other Stale of the Union :" that "Mey ,cW enjoy
A PERMANENT GOVERNMENT" that they shalt
WORSHIP THE CREAToR IN A WAY MOST CON-
GENIAL TO EACH ONES SENSE OF DUTY:" that
" of course, The reuenue ldtCS ,OI be the same in
California as Ia all other parts of The UHiied
Siates: :" that, under our Government, ga great
increase of the value of real estate and the pro-
ducts of California may be reasonably exp ect-
eds" that the country cannot but improve nore
rapidly than any other on the continent OF Amer
Ica:" that those natives or Foreigners, who do
not llise to live under our Government and with
the privileges OF its citizenship, shall be alo wed
to sell ont their property and quit, or to rem ain,
# they VIII "observe strict neutrality:" tin;ly,
he invites all Judges, alcaldes, and other civil
officers to retain their offices and execute their
functions as heretofore" " until the government
of the territory can be more definitely arranged"
Now, it is certain that the forces under Com.
, Sloats command were stationed upon the coast
of California to await the hostilities which our
Cabinet were working up on the other edge of
Mexico, by marching armies blockading tle cts,
I the Slidoll quarrel, &c. The Commodore was
expected to be able at the first sound of wa r, to
5 take possession ofthe Territory. He had tn ere
fore, has instructions to all the civil co nse-
.
. Is, how and upon what principles the cou ntry
, was to be governed and its people treated Tc
, suppose The contrary Is impossible; and it is
G equally impossible TO suppose that having the
Y necessary instructions, he would deviate from
$ them before he got ashore met any diffic ulty
This Proclamation is clearly, therefore, to e Ia
:, ken as cmbodying Just what his instructions, di
S rected him to do land neither more nor les - a
G soon as he learned with certainty that war ha
n broken out. Further: these Instructions rein
i. in adUdnce of the pretended cause immedia to
the Wharf.-The "lnvasion of our soil" and shet
s ding on it the blood of our citizens -coul nt
It know iohat Mexican injury ,pe should have TO
uenge nor of course, i0hat degree or sort Off edre
e zoe might justly take. Yet here we see this Pr e:
ident of ours ordering whole country tob be seil
g ed and permanently kept at the firing of the fir
r gun At home he has, in his own person, lone
l. ly denied all purposes Of conquest and TIL
O. long after he had commanded it IN Californ ia.
le Here, he says, we fight ITO conquer peace ~
le ly; there, he has usurped whole broadsie,e
A. the continent and constituted its people, wi the
f. their consent or ours, equal and perpetual me D
e. bers of this Union; tor it is indissoluble, all
IS, once in it, who are to put them out? In a wo.'
or hauing first made them citizens and their III!
is Stote j0reuer flor that word ony not terri tor
10 figures in the context of the proclamation ~
or next makes himself their supreme legislator 81
c. source of all their laws and rights, the fou nj a
in of all magisteria and other municipal or LEI gisl
nv tive authority and the head OF their reE 10
ei of which, at his fiat, all the conditions are alte
for ed! This last point offers a remarkable cor
all mentary OH the sincerity of the Unions la tie di
ll- avowal, for the President and Cabinet, sot al
participation in the project which lately atpea
m ed in that organ, for pulling down the Ca thol
sly priesthood in Mexico, as enemies to the ltei1
3D. property, and enlightenment of that count ry.
m The very same measure had already, in unld
- form only been applied to California, and is no
ect LEGALLY in force there, if the Executive is at
,lr bound by his own engagements TO any body b
in the Baltimore Convention.
Isl (REMAINDER NEXT WEEK.
I'VE