Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1847-11-23

British must first be strick en- Oli
The military court, now trying Col. Frenlon
: in W ashington City, fer "mutny-disobedien nc
of the lawful commands of his superiors, an
conduct to the prejudice of good order and mil
itary discipiine,' particular IN giving OF
fence to the BRUSH as the past and prese u
Iocofoco administrations have been; nay, IN
military court has given an extra rub on its bumI
of cautiousness, and have avoided the shade"
of otfe nding 'sHer Drittanic Majest,s subjects
by striking out the word British where II oc
CURED in question put to a witness Here i
the question asked Gen kearney, and the dspo
sition made OF it by the court:
.Qaestion.-Do you know, or have Won reason
10 believe, that that battalion the raised b,
Col Fremont raised part of the force
under naval officers, by speetaI orders Of the Pres
dent, to be used by them in conquerIng Califor
MIA and holding il against all enemies of the mi
ted States, whether Mexican, British, or Indian
"At the suggestion Of the Judge Advocate
the court room was here cleared. The doors, al
ter some time, were again opened and the Judge
Advocate announced that the Court had decided
that the question might be put to the witness,
but that the word British must hrst be stricken
out. 1t put accordingly, with the omission
of that word
/ In thus altering this question, the court has
especial order" for conqaering California inn
Plies but it is all Of a piece with Mr.. Polk 5
bombastic declaration in regard TO the RICH. OF
the United States to the Oregon territory being
.'clear and unquestionabe'' up 10 ST. 40 min.
and that he would suffer his good right 10
rot from its socket before he would sign u treaty
TO fix the boundary s.ior, Of that line. The Sc
quel shows that he repented-backed out. ana
asked the advice of the Senate; kaoning, at the
time, that its ADVICE would be TO his clear
and unique $50, and that a majority
of that body willing to adjust the difficulty
where ii is now settled--up to the 49th knowing
all this, and that it the only hole for him to
creep out, he was graciousiy pleased TO condo
scend SO far to solicit the Senate's advice, in
order to shift the responsibility Of fixing the
boundary far short of what he had claimed as
being s'clear" from his own shoulders, where it
justly belongs, to the shoulders Of the Senate
His clear and unguestonable say-so, to our
rights in Oregon, was evidently intended for
home consumption. for. read of instructions
to cur Minister in England, Louis M'Lane,)
from President Polk. to settle the Oregon boun-
dairy to the 49th, and this done previous to
the Senate's advice being asked for by him.
but concilliate them by all and every means in
your power,-even give up the ''clear and I'M
questionable" RIGHT for the sake ofpeace with
that pow c rful nation. Let them burn and send
our steamers over the Falls of Nagara-let the m
murder our citizens and commit aggression upon
acgression; but let quietly submit for the sake
Of peace; for are not these British able to do
US much hurt "Ra,her take wrong''--"r"tl'er
suffer Yourselves to be defrauded" than e,.race
in deadly conflict with such strong and powe rful
foes. But as to these Nrxlcans and Indians, we
VIII s':ntc them mp and tg-sci2e on their trea-
sures carry destruction and loss of life to every
freside, and make them feel rod Of iron, in or
der 0 make them respect US providence has
given us the conquest of the country, cast IT, as
it were, upon our care. By the law OF nations
and jnstics we have right 10 what we have con-
Tucred; and in this case. 1t will Re oeneft to
the conGuerng, the corquerr,i. and to civiliza-
ton and hnr.lty that we take what we have
rigM to- for are not these Mexicans and lndI-
ais weak and mpletely at our mer-
cy; and from whose hands should the blessed
comforts of civilization be dispensed to these
cha rbarians," if not from ours-from the blood-
washed hands of the chris'ianlzed, enlightened
and free Republic of the United States. Is IT
not right in the sight of Democracy, to Cypress
the weak and let the strong do they please
With one, every thing offensive ''must first be
strick en- out" but with the others, are they not
in our hands the clay in the hand. of the
potter,
Such is the language Of the Polk adrninistra
ton, in It's conduct towards the strong British .
and the freak Mexcans and Indians. We be-
lieve with jefferson that "God is Just and that
His justice will not sleep forever" and we also
administration will yet be punished according to
its deserts. at has sown the wind-it shall reap
W -hirl- wi nd.''