The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1847-12-16

our mind, between this declaration Of the
object Of the war and its existing, and still
further projected results. We take It, there
fore, that Mr., Calhoun meant to assert the
first Of the above propositions. If he does,
we think the Legislature ought to rebuke
the President for his inconsistency in reso-
luton conveying the unmlstakeable scntI-
ments Of Congress.
Conquest OF foreign territory by force Of
arms, we fully agree with Mr.. Calhoun, is
departure from the past settled policy Of the
United States Government, and we have no
doubt that Congress would be ready to as
sent to this sentiment, without single nay,
If an assent to il were necessary to the
achievement Of any object But we sus-
pect that the only reason why conquest Of
foreign territory by force Of arms has not
hitherto constituted part Of our national
policy, has been, that there never was any
occasion Tor resort to it. Ever since the
day Of our independence, the American Peo-
pie have had their hands full in conquering
territory from the Aborigines by force ofmo-
lney-treaties, aided now and then by resort
to arms, in which we have suffered not little.
We do not see, therefore, that the acknowl-
edgement Of this sentiment by Congress
would have any effect in inducing our people
to take their hands of Mexico any more
than the repeated declaration Of " no more
territory" in the Indian treaties had any
effect in preventing us from continuing to
| absorb further Indian lands, We are not
treating Of the justice or injustice of the pro-
ceeding in either case, but only referring to
the facts.
But conquest of foreign territory by force
Of arms and appropriation OF that territory,
by the United States, is, according to Mr.
Calhoun, in conflict with the character and
genius Of our government, and will be, in
the end, subversive Of our free and popular
institutions. The assent Of Congress to this
portion Of his resolutions would not prove the
truth of the opinion or establish the prophe-
icy. The result predicted is sufficient to
alarm the most confirmed believer in the per-
petuity Of our Institutions, coming as it does
| from man like Mr.. Calhoun. But is con-
quest by force of arms any more in conflict
with the character and genius Of our gov
eminent than by force of treaties Of cession
for consideration The character and ge-
MUS of our government are, that all govern
ment proceeds from the consent of the gov
erned, but what is to hinder the United
States government, after it shall have acquir-
ed territory by force of military conquest, to
so legislate for that acquired territory as to
grant its inhabitants all the immunities Of
treemen, When we conquered Louisiana
by force Of Treaty Of Ccssion and by pay
ing therefor fifteen millions Of money, we
granted to the inhabitants, who were trans
terred with the sovereignty of the land, like
SO many quasi villens, all the rights Of free
dom. If the peaceful acquisition of Florida
and Louisiana were not hostile to the cha
racter and genius Of our government, we do
not see how the military acquisition or CON
quest Of Mexico can be. 1t is possible that
the learned Senator and the Senators who
will take his side Of the question, will be
able to show conclusively that they are right.
II so, we shall surrender our Judgment
promptly to their superior Judgment. But
here is the pPphecy Is It true ,, Or false Sc
the eternal necessity Of the American Union,
and are consequently not easily moved by
predictions Of the destruction Of American
Institutions of which the Union is the crown
4 ing glory: Hence we must have demonstra-
ton Of Mr.. Calhoun's position, before we
can yield our assent to its truthfulness--
Every effect must have an adequate cause,
and we hold that there is no cause, can be
no cause in the nature Of things capable Of
overturning our free and popular institutions.
But even admitting the correctness Of eve
ry one of the declarations in Mr. Calhoun's
first resolution, and that Congress will adopt
them UNANIMOUSLY, does Mr.. Calhoun ex-
pect that Congress. will agree to take the
necessary steps to establish the policy which
is inferrible from these declarations? We
take it, that Mr.. Calhoun is very uncertain
upon this point, and that if he were called
on to frame the necessary laws to carry out
the policy foreshadowed in these resolutions,
he would be very much at loss to know
what to do, for while Congress might adopt
these resolutions without having any direct
effect upon public affairs, it would find that
it could not act so readily when it came to
carry out the policy derivable from them. -
i The previous adoption of the resolutions
i would not form basis to stand upon in re-
ducing them to practice. They are abstrac-
tons, and have no existing present and ac-
i tive form.
i We now come to Mr.. Dickinson's Reso-
lutions They mark out line Of policy for
the future. They treat the subject embrac-
ed in general way, and yet they are suffi-
GENTLY particularized to confne and fix the
attention so as to arrive at results. These
results are set forth with great clearness, in
deed, in the resolutions. They are so lucid
ly stated, that if the resolutions were adopt
ed by Congress, they would at once form a
basis Of legislative action Of the greatest va
lue, in assisting to paci6cate a conquered
people. The power of all government is
necessarily controlled by considerations Of
| policy, and Mr. Dickinson has done well to
distinguish between true and false policy. 49,
The objects for which the Government Of
the United States may acquire territory and
! the nature of the territory which it NAV ac-