Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1847-01-07

NOtnnQ
him from full and free expression of his opinion.
Was il come to that, that the executive could in
volve the nation in the war, and then the people |
must sustain him or be branded as traitorsl IL so,
the most corrupt administration must be supported.
Gentlemen who boosted Of thcir democracy might |
present such doctrines, but he had too much the
spiri, of the revolutionary fathers TO submit to such
despotic authority, whether the part Of foreign
monarch or an American President. lie believed |
that the FIRST declaration in the message that war
existed by the act of Mexico, and that the United
States government had taken all honorable means
TO prevent twas not true. As TO the course which
he (Mr H. should pursue in future he would be
governed by circumstances. He would endeavor
10 do his duty faithfully, But If the revolutionary
faihers stood there, and the chairman Of Military
Affairs over the way, and ask for supplies for the
war, they would say as was said 10 Cesar
Bid him disBsnd bis lesOns--
Res'ote the Cowmoh wealth to liberty
Submit his action TO tn public renshre--
A nd stand The judgment Of Roman SENATE
Bid him do this, and Cato IL his friend!
Nav more This Cao's voice was never raised
To clear the guilty, to varnish crimes,
Myself will mount the rosrum and will strive
To gain his pardon from the people,!
He believed the declaration Of the President to
be absolutely untrue and to show that was Mr.
Hs) object. How did the President attempt to
sustain himself1 The first charge was, that Mex
leo had made spoliatons on our commerce. TWAS
hardly uiagnanmous to 90 behind the treaty Of
1889. BY that treaty joint commission APP
pointed to settle the claims Of our citizens That
commission sat and awarded 81 900, 600 TO our cit
izens. Subsequently Mexico said she could not
make those payments in the time specified and
then il was stipulated that she should pay the inter-
est up 10 lS43, and then in FIVE quarterly install.
nents paw the principal. He did not Justify the
course of Mexico. II deserved censure and rebuke.
But there we're mitigating circumstances. Such
was her financial condition, aud such the desire TO
meet the instruments, that Santa Anna levied
forced loan and the two FIRST instalments were paid
promDtly When the others fell due Mexico could
not meet the demand in money. However, she
commended that she had paid the third and fourth in
s,aImen,s, and showed the receipt Of your Amer
lean agent. The agent said the drafts were dis
honored but said further, that at the time treaty
for the annexation of Texas was gotten up clandes-
timely, becoming question before the country, in
reference 10 which the present Executive became
a candidate, aud that occasoned the delay in the
payment Of the instalment He did not deny that
Mexico had been in the wrong, but he denied that
that was Just cause of The war. II was well known
that other nations besides Mexico had committed
spoliaiions on our commerce. BY treaty of
France the United States government, stipulated to
meet the demands Of American citizens on France
for such spoliations. Yet the Executive of the u.
s. had last session refused TO sign the bill was adj
ding tardy justice to the French claimants. Was
not that Just cause on the Presidents own reason
ing, for a war against hint The rejection of Mr..
Slide was assigned a cause Of the Mex
leo appfised this government in advance that an
nexation would be regarded as an act OF war ; and
when that measure adopted diplomatic Tela-
tions between the two countries ceased by The act
Of Mexico, whose minister withdrew. An effort
was then made 10 renew these relations. Mexico
said she would receive an agent from this govern
,ka., Oh al IN qfvlp u ran
soner," who was to treat expressly of the matter
which had occasoned the disruption Of diplomatic
relations But the United States agent went there
as a resident minister The Mexican government
refused TO recognize him in that character, as il
would be inconsistent with their honor and the us
age Of nations still, however, expressing their
readiness TO receive commissioner. 1t might be
said that that was special pleading; but if so, il
was on both sides The United States government
insisted that Mexico must receive resident min
lister or none Now he (Mr II, did not say who
was wrong in that, He contended that there was
no Just cause of war Suppose little island in the
Caribbean sea should declare war because the U.
States would not appoint resident minister, But
the greatest charge brought up BY the President
was that Mexico invaded the United States SOIL
If that were sastainedAthere would be Just oil
war. But the declaration of the President was
wanting in truth. The facts Of the case did not
sustain it. Hosiiiies were commenced on the
part OF The Executive Of the United States exer.
cising the war making power while Congress was
in session. Texas, whatever were her boundaries !
held by the right Of revolution, II matiered not
whether she was originally bounded by the Nueces
or the Rio Grande. She had rebeed and Just
so far as she had extended her Jurisdiction was The
extent of her territory She did include Corpus
Christi and few settlements in that neghborhood. |
The boundary of Texas then, was confined to the
immediate valley of the Nueces She penetrated
the country beyond that line. but uniformly failed
to extend her Jurisdiction beyond it. The Presi'
dent said that Texas was originally included in the
Louisiana grant. That had nothing TO do with
the case The President spoke Of treaty with
Santa Anna. No treaty worthy Of the name was
made with him secondly, he was prisoner; and,
thirdly, had a treaty been made il was violated by
Texas herself But there never was a treaty.
But the President said they had another claim
that the Texas Congress declared the Rio Grande
as the boundary. II the President of the United
States, lawyer in his country, should be cal
led on, and asked whether he could prosecute a
land claim on no other ground than the declaration
ofthe individual himself, he would laugh at him.
The declaration Of Texas proved nothing at all
and was of no more weight than that Of Mexico.-
There was another argument Of the President. He
said that Texas had extended her Jurisdiction be-
yond the Nueces and therefore the United States
had title some hundred and fifty miles farther TO
the Rio Grande, where not one of the declarations
would hold good. Apply the same argument TO
the District of Columbia and they would see the
absurdiiy Such were the arguments Of the Pres
ident Did not the President know that by an act
Of Congress provision was made that Santa Fe
should be regarded as part Of Mexico! All the |
l,ubIic documents went 10 show that the United |