The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1847-01-07

OF THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES.
In ansrcr to the resolution of the House of
Representatives. of the 18Th inst, concern
ing instructions to officers in CALIFORNIA;
and the Pacific, &c.
TO the House of Representatives.
of the United Suites:
In compliance with the request contained
in the resolution Of the 18th inst, commu-
nicate herewith reports from the Secreta ny
of War and Secretary of The Navy with the
documents which accompany them. These
documents contain all the orders or insiruc-
tons s'to any officer of the Government in
relation to the establishment or organization
of civil government in any portion of the of
Mexico, which has or might be taken pos
session of by the army or navy OF the United
States"
These orders and Instructions were given
to regulate the exercise Of the rights of
biligerent, engaged in actual war, over such
portions of the territory Of our enemy as by
military conquest, might be ''laken possession
Of" and be occupied by our armed forces
rights necessarily resulting from a stale of
war, and clearly recognized By the laws of
t--.---.E his as-aIl the authority which
could be delegated TO our military and naval
commanders, and its exercise was indispen.
TO secure occupiiion and possession of Terri
tory of the enemy which might be conquer
ed. The regulations authorized were lem
porary, and dependent on The rights acquired
by conquest. They were authorized as bel
ligerenl rights, and were To be carried into
effect by military or naval officers They
were but the amelioralion OF MARTA law,
which modern civilization requires. aud were
due as well 10 the security OF the conquest,
as to the inhabitants of the conquered Terri
Tory. s-.u~
The documents communicated also con-
tain The reports of several highly mertuous
officers OF onr army and navy, who have con-
quered and taken possession of portions of
The enemy's territory. sil
Among the documents accompanying the
report Of the Secretary of War, will be found
''form of government established and or
gaDized' by The military commander who con-
qnered and occupied with his forces the ter
ril0ry of New Mexico. This document was
received at The War Department in the latter
part OF the last month, and las will be per-
ceived by the report Of The Secretary of War
was not, for the reasons stated by that officer.
brought TO my notice until after my annual
message of the 6ih instant was communica
ted - Congress. .tlhnias86
Ii is declared on its face 10 be "tempo-
rary government OF the said ierlitory;'' but
there are portions of il which purport to
establish and organize permanent terrific
rial government of the United States over
the territory, and to impart TO its Inhabitants
political rights which, under The constitution
of the United States can be enjoyed perma-
nenily only by citizens of the United States.
These have not been "approved and re-
cognized," by me. Such organised regula-
tons as have heen established in any of the
conquered territories for the security of our
conquest, fer The preservation oforder, for the
protection of the rights of the inhabitants.
and for deprlying the enemy of The advan-
tages OF these territories while the military
possession of them by forces of the United
States continue, will be recognised and ap-
proved. M
1t will be apparent, from the reports of the
officers who have been required by the sue
cess which has crowned their arms TO exer.
else The powers Of temporary government
over the conquered territories, that if any
excess OF power has been exercised, the de-
parture has been the offspring of patriotic
desire 10 give TO The inhabitants The prisileg-
es and the immunities so cherished by The
people OF our own country, and which
they believed calculated TO improve their
condition and promote their prosperity. ANY
such excess has resulted in no practical iniu-
ry, but can and will be early corrected in a
manner 10 ALLEVIATE as little as possible the
good feelings ofihe inhabitants of the con.
quered territory.
JAMES K. POLK.
WASHINGTON, Dec. %, lS46.