Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-12-03
WHOLE NUMBER CsL

Britain. That message, iher fore. and without i
the well known obscJs oi the war, which was
war purely Of defence, rendered II unnecessary
that Congress should parlcu'arz,. in The act. the
specific objects for whichii asprocla.msd. The
whole world knew thaI it was a war wagCd Tor
Free Trade and Sailors Rights.
Il may be urge that the President and Senate
possess the treaty mskiHgpowrr, without any ex-
press limitation as 10 is exercise: thar tie natural
aud ordinary termination OF war Is by treaty
oil peace; AMI therefore that the Pr-sdeutand SEN
ate must possess the power 10 decide wha, si.7ula-
lions and conditions shall enter mo such treaty.
Ban II i5not more rue thllIhs President aud Sen.
ate possssst theTeaty- making power. without lin
ualIon, than that Congress possess ihs war making
power; without restricrIon. These two powers
then ought 10 be 50 interpreted a. 70 reconcile the
one with the ohsr and ia ezpou1d.ng the const.-
tuition, We ought 10 keep constantly 10 view lhe
nature and structure OF oIt free government, aEd
especially the great object Of the convention 10
taking the war making power out Of the hands Of
single man and placing Il 10 the saer custody
oil The representatives. OF the whole nation. The
desirable reconciliation bsIyesa Iaa tao powers
IS effected By auribJung 70 Congress lhs right 70
declare what shall be tbs objects OF a war, aad 70
the President ths duIy Of endrayorng 70 obtain
these OBJ cts by the direction OF The nsuona. force
aud by diplomacy.
I am broachiug M new AMI speculative theory.
( The Statute Book Of the Uniied States 10 iul OF
examples OF prior declarations 5y COHErga1 Of the
obacIs 10 be attained byneg0llauoas with Foreign
Powers and the archives oflhe Executive depart
/ imsnt furnish hab1nlanlevileuce OF the accomplish
mant OF those objects, or the attempt TO 5ccom-
p,Ish them, by subsequent negotiation. Prior 10
'he declaration Of the last war against Gras Brit
aln, in all the restrictive measures which Con-
gress adopted, against the two great be.lignr2n!s,
he abolition Of those restrictions If they would
repeal their hostile Berlin and Milan DEGREES Hnd
/ OrIerSln Council oPeraIlngagclnsI our commerce
and navigation. And these acts Of Compress
were invariably communicated, through the EI-
ecutve, by diplomatic notes, 10 France and Great
Britain, as the basis upon which II was proposed
to restore friendly intercourse with them. So, az
ter the termination of the war, various acts Of
| Congress were passed from Time to tIme olrr,ng
10 Foreign Powers the principle OF reciprocity in
The commerce and navigation 1.-THE United States
with them. OlG of these acls havesPvYng class,
and large class of treaties tfouror five OF which
were negotiated whilst was in the department Of
N''u'S' NotlCl lNNlflS-l'I ''-"'4'' S.ii
cluded under all the Presidents, from Mr.. Madl-
son TO Mr.. Van Burcn, inclusive. And, with re-
gard to commercial treaties, negotiated without
the sanction ofprior acts OF Congress, whero'hey
contained either appropriations or were IN conflict
with unrepealed statutes, II has been ever held as
Ihe republican doctrine from MIR. jays treaty
down TO the present rime; that the passage Of acts
! 'Jr Congress was Necessary 20 secure tie e1ocu-
lion Of those treaties. If in the matter Of For
eign Commerce in rnsPect 70 Which hePow"ryost-
ed in Congress TO regulate it and the treaty ma
| king power may be regarded as concurrent, Con-
gress can previously decide the Object9 10 which
negotiation shall be applied, how much stronger
is the case Of war, the power TO declare which IS
contided exclusively 10 Congress.
conclude, therefore, MIR. President and Eel
low citizens, with entire confidence, that Congress
has the right, either at the beginning or during
the prosecution of any war, 10 decide the o0IeclS
and purposes for which it was proclaimed, or for
which it ought to be continued. And think, il is
the duty Of Congress, by some deliberate and au.
hentc act to declare for what objects the present
war shall be longer prosecuted. | suppose the
President would not hesitate 10 regulate his con-
duct by the pronounced will of Congress, and 10
employ the force and the diplomatic power of the
nation TO execute that will. BuI if The President
should declineOr refuse 10 do so, and in contempt
of the supreme authority Of Congress, ,shoudper-
severe in wagng the war, for other objects Than
those proclaimed by Congress, then ii would be
the imperative duty Of that body 10 vIndlcate lis
authority by lhemoStstrng ngentand elfectlal meas
ures. And if, on the contrary, the enemy should
refuse TO conclude atreaty containing stipuaaons
securing the subjects, designated by Congress, it
would become the duty of the whole government
10 prosecute the wal, with all the national ener.
gv, until those objects were obtained by a treaty
OF peace. There can be no insuPerab.c difiicu.
ty in Congress making such an au'horailve dec. ,
laratiOn. Let it resolve, simply, that the war
shall, or shall not, be war oil conquest, and, ii
aware conquest, whatistobe conquered. Should .
a resolution pass, dscIaming the design of con- I
quest, peace would follow in less than sixty days, .
if the President would conform to his consIiIu-
tional duty.
Here, Fellow Citizens, might pause, having
indicated mode by which the nation, through It's I
accredited and legitimate representatives in Con-
grcss, canannounce for what purposes and objects .
This war shall be longer prosecuted, and can thus
Iet the whole people Of the United States know
for what end their blood is TO be further shed and
their treasure further expended instead Of the II
knowledge of it being locked up and concealed
in the bosom of one man. We should no Ion {
ger perceive the obocts Of the war varying, from
lime to time, according to the changing opinions
ofthe Chief Magistrate, charged with lis Prosecu-
ton. But do not thinkt right 10 stop here. 1t /
is The privilege of the people, in thor Primatiya {
assemblies, aud of every private man, however 5
humble, 10 express an opinion in regard TO the
purposes forwhich the war should be continued; Il
and such an expression will receive just so much
consideration and consequence as tits entitled to,
and no more. S
Shall this war be prosecuted for the purpose Of G
and annexing Mexico, in all its bound. i
ess extent, to the United States! IL
will not attribute TO the President ofthe Uni "