Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-01-22

roglyphicS written on ING ny =, c,,d n. sneci-
MUMMY. ne, he ,s,I now current on Change 80.
"I p.Je is The InlelligenceIs view oil mar plos.e
,-;n.n which Is embodied in The sudden uue'-
ance Of the great Political Delunc.;
1Need we saw that we rejoice IN tins tes''mony
:. ,aror If iust and peaceful policy, and oil roo-
~ -, .ysrson 10 unnecessary war, especially o. wal
,or cononesr for aggrandzemenl,to r d.De'enee
NJ ,e,,.,ou. of language Of European ortgl"-4
rar founded upon distint on OF raeesi ,., >,
Tn. Mexican war war lot oi ~ ~. l.
religion, of language, ana OF origin ,,.noa,
no Observation-Disclosures 10 The intelligence
f,.r which Mr.. Riyes's friends have resusciialeu
nm ToIell US this, il is that this unlooked-'o1
Ghost has reappeared for moment on lhe olu
and we'll known scenes OF former deisal anu uis
com6,nrel To Tell us lhis-to inform US kinoiy
mai ,re are fighting 10 put down The Spanish IAN
auaoe and The Catholic faith E; for THIS, has NJ
w. c. Rives come up from The shades vi
ruth to us, the GRAND seems hardly worm Tue
tourney and in view OF the supernatural ma
chinery here invoked We cannot onl remember
the good sense OF the Latin poet,
myic Deus inters it mas, dtgnas pindice Nodns
"a war for religion and language" II is the
last and leeblesl fabrication OF desperate ciique
| maddened by The shame OF assallng lis own
country. and by the well.deseved odium OF lis
| reasonable course.
Among all The wretched aspersions which Fed
era rancor belched forth against Mr.. Madison
and The war OF 1919, there was not one more SUI
premely contemplate.
But let Us see lule more OF Mr.. RiVess
"public opinion" in which the Federal organ so
much 'reloices" He says:
ave have seen blind spirit Of party rage,
urged on by Executive nslgation, in single ses-
sion IF Congress, levelling to The ground long
established and well-lred systems OF national pc,
Icy, coeva with The Constitution, and lden'ihed
with the vital interests OF The national prospcIi-
". The Tariff of 1912, though proved by The
hest OF all less its actual operation, to have been
highly salulaIy and benignant measure, was
rulhlessy sacrificed 10 appease The spirit OF party
vengeance, because it was one OF the measures q
Wing Congress; and, on the other hand The
same fell spirit wlllully restored 10 The statute
book the odous Sub .Treasury, which had been
most signalIy condemned and rejected by The de-
iberate sense OF the nation because wing
Congress happened 10 be The instrument Of exc
cutting the national judgment upon ii"
This is admirable! Mr.. Rives, speaking Inc
"public opinion" of Virginia, bewails The untlme-
" late OF the Tariff oil 1912! The very Iarin
asains, which he srenuously protested on us pas
sage. as more abomiuable in many respects IMAM
the "bill of denominations" the Tariff OF ISIS
A connoisseur in antiquities would he glad 10
know the date--the era-of this same 'pu6Ac cpl
Mon" MIR. Rives is now The Rip Van Winkle
of politics. He slares round al tie new world
abou, him. s out The old names, looks Tor the old
signs is quite bewideIed by the new notices ana
the new voices and, poor statesman THINKS 'h'
Bank question is just where II was when ne rated
from his parly, and went to sleep his long poln.
cal sleep among the mountains OF Virginia
| One more extract from his letter, and We have
| done. See The naiue Inconsistencies WIN
watch he brings forward, in relation 10 Inc ore
| son controversy and 10 he Mexican war, me
topics. which, having played their brief part oil
factions opposition, have now been fairly aoan
uned even by the Iemoesi country po'tt"'s oil Inc
FEDERAL press. To Mr.. Rives, however, these
worn out vituperatons seem to be qute lresh
and new. He tells US about "ihe headlons and
shou sighted coursels oithe President, huTrylne us
into war with England" just as il such wretch
| ell slang had not now become obsolete. lie deals
| with the advance Oi our army 10 Inc kio oiahur'
as il he were taking part with The federal Oppose
| ,ion before j: had become ashamed oil mat slaie
pretence, and then in ludicrous ieno'ance OF tof-
gelulness of The act Of The 18th May, ana oi me
events which have followed it, and Of The over
whelming unanmily Of popular opinion upon
that subject, he pirates about the war power o'.
| Ing vested in Congress, and not in The Executive.
| But we will spend no more words about Tins gen.
llemans extraordinary political resuscIla'ion.-
| Having no personal ll.will towards him, we
hope hereafter that he will lake Tor granted that
The public are quite willing TO lei MN ENJOY ms
| retirement, and not write absurd leliers, 10 lei
| the people know how unwilling ne IS maj they
should bring him forward into political lie again.
| But il he must write, we hope thai his retirement
| will inspire him to some better purpose ihan
yillifcation OF his counlrys cause, and iaclious
| abuse of an administration aborng TO uphold
that cause in just and righteous war.
The following paragraph is specimen OF MS
whole letter.
"The same perveI,e spirit, in lis heedlessness
or its blindness, has been as ready 10 sport with
the external peace as with The domestic interests
and prosperity of the nation. We were saved by
the ffmness and wisdom Of the Senate ffom
destructive war with England, into which the head
long and short. sighted counsels OF the President
we're last bnrryins Us, only 10 be plunged by ms
unscrupulous assumption OF power, against the
plainest mandates Of the constitution, INTO
bloody, expensive, unseemly and embarrassing
war with the republic OF Mexico. That the wal
with Mexico was brought on by The single acl OF
the President in ordering The hostile advance Of
the army into territory claimed by Mexico and
Of which she held and had continually helG Inc
actual jurisdiction, is proposition 100 clearly
established by inconrove;libie facts 10 admit OF
discussion. He himself implicitly coniesses ii by
the studous and elaborate display Of alleged eau
ses OF war against Mexico set forth in his laie
message, which parlakes i-r more OF the charac-
Ter of a manifesto 10 justify what ne had done,
Than of an annual communication on The STATE
Of The nation 10 the Two Houses of Congress
Suppose all This long lit Of grievances and com
plants to be well-fonnded, although Congress had
slep, over them, (and MIR. Polk roundly taxes
Them IN TASK for having done So 10 whom did il
belong, under our republican system, 10 adop The
last resort of nations for their Iedress-to The
President or 10 Congress7 The constitution il
self answers Congress shall have power TO de-
clare war. From what source, then, abope the
constitution, did MIR. Polk derive his authority TO
make war upon Mcxico7 There is but one an
swer-his own will"