The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1847-12-28
REVIEW OF THE PRESIDENTS MES
SAGE

/ SAGE
We commence below an admirable and I'M
answerable reply to the false statements and
false logic of James K. Folks last Message; 1t
is from the National Intelligencer. We shall
continue it, from time to time, as we have
room, until completed. We hope no one will
omit to read it.
THE WAR WITH MEXICO.
When, on the 18th day of May of last year,
the passage of the Act of Congress, recognising
the existence of War with Mexico, was an
nounced to the readers ofthe National Intelli-
gencer, it was accompanied by the expression
OF belief that by the largest portion of its
readers the information would be received with
alarm-alarm justly excited by the wilfulness
and recklessness with which the Nation had
been plunged into foreign war, which. as the
People were in no particular prepared forthev
were in no way forewarned OF. For yourselves.
we were not taken wholly by surprise bv the
news. In the craftsmanship of the Executive.
whatever confidence we were disposed to place
had been shaken by the almost daily demon
STATIONS by its official organ during the frs
year of its existence. We had watched its
successive developments, gradually disclosing
settled purpose to make war upon Mexico.
IN the eAent ofnot succeeding in intimidating
her INTO prompt submission to the demands
which the President intended to make upon
her. The organ (the government paper) was
hardly week old before its readers were trans
ported, IN imagination, to the Halls of Mon
tezuma," which were to be occupied by the
United States, as the browning act of "a second
conquest OF Mexico" The tocsin being sound
ed, volunteers were to flock from the West to
the scene OF action, and to carry everything
before them. The government paper taught
us, also, hotc the war was to be brought on by
which this conquest was to be effected Ii
| foresaw, by many months, the march of our
Army from Corpus Christi (where, as every
one knows, Mexico never intended to disturb
lD to the Rio Grande; foresaw that the Mex
leans might cross the Rio Grande, and that, if
they did, "blood would be she'd" and "war
must ensue. When, therefore, the prediction
was reallzed-when the catastrophe arrived.
however 1t shocked, il can scarcely be said to
have surprised US. Of the facility and precip-
ltancy with which the purpose Of the Executive
came to be sustained by the Legislative author
| ity, we cannot say the same. We were both
| surprised and alarmed to find how easily, on
the impulse of the moment, blindfold and gag
ged, Congress could be driven to lend its coun-
tenance to those purposes. Blindfold and
gagged we repeat. Nor is the expression too
| strong; for, before the news of the dangerous
| position OF our army was communicated BY the
| Executive TO Congress, committees of both
Houses got together, (on the Sabbath) and
measures prepared in concert with the Execu-
tive, which, the next day receiving the Presi-
dents Message Of form, without waiting to have
| the papers accompanying it read over for the
| Information of the members, were forced
through the House of Representatives. Nor.
even to body excited as the House was bv
| the stirring news from the Rio Grande, did the
ruling party in the House venture to propose
| the false and obnoxious preamble of the bill.
| until after the deliberation and debate had
| been precluded on a question as momentous
certainly as ever came before Congress. Had
there been nothing else alarming in this Dec
laration of War with Mexico, the despoti m
thus exercised over the minority Of the Repre-
sentative body, repeated on the following dav
IN the Senatorial body, heretofore exempt
from such sharp practice) was ofitself suiliciei-
to appal the hearts of those accustomed, as We
have been, to regard the rights of minori,ies
as not less sacred than those of majorities, and
among them, the right of proposing amend
ments to or demonstrating against any propo-
sitlon coming before them. The minority in
each House was thus subjected, by most ar
bltrary and malignant exercise of party power
without being allowed moment for delibera-
ton, TO the alternative of voting for bill with
| preamble, the falsehood of which they saw
and detested, or Of refusingto vote for enact
ments Supplies Of men and money! to which.
all lavish as they were, there would, perhaps.
but for the preamble not have been. dissen-
tent voice.
whenever alarm we and our readers felt at
this beginning, has certainly been fully justified
by the progress of events. Even that the pre-
clpltatlon In the action of Congress-that pre-
amDle, affirming two distinct falsehoods-that
tyrany by which a vote was extorted from the
two Houses, have been continually appealed
to by the Executive organs as evidence of the
unanimty OF the national will in appreciation
OF the war. In the Message before US, that
appeal is repeated, accompanied with state
ment, IN terms, that the declaration that ''the
War exists by the act of Mexico" was passed
with great unanimity" in Congress; though it
must be known TO the Executive that but a
small majority in either House of Congress ap-
proved that declaration, many members declar-
ing their repugnance to it. Votes taken in
both Houses OF Congress, at the second session
of the same Congress, plainly established this
fact, had there before been any reason to doubt
it. The popular elections, which have inter-
vened, certainly leave no excuse for doub.
upon any mans mind that majority of the
People Of the United States are against this
war, and its authors.
Instead of relinquishing, in Difference to the
popular will, thus clearly expressed, any part
of his original scheme of conque1ing and an
nexing considerable portion of the territory
of Mexico, the President comes to Congress
& demands Its concurrence in plan for colo
nizing and annexing almost one-half of Mexi-
co, with recommendation to continue the
war until he, the Conqueror, conquers all the
residue of that unhappy Republic, in the event
of her not willingly severing from her body her
most valuable provinces Instead of advising
a Peace, which this Government might have
at any day on terms of honor, he informs Con-
gress, in sanguinary strain, and almost in the
dialect of the SHAMELESS, that he is persuaded
''that the best means Of rindicatinq tie national