Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1847-01-07
From The National Inteligencer.
The WaR. with Mexico.

Nearly three -fourthS OF the message Is
devoted to q Justification Of this war ana Oh
the part which the President has acted in
relation 20 it. OF this elaborate defence,
applying the old Gdage, Qui s'eHcuse Sac
cuse, we might perhaps content ourselves
with saying that such defence is OF itself
a confession of error. But, when this vim
dication is put upon the ground of correct
ing intentional misrepT esentations of the
conduct of the Executive, charged to have
been made with intent to give "aid and COM
fort" to the enemy, we are obliged to enter
into a more particular examination OF the
points of this defence, and to show wherein
they are erroneous, illusory, or deceptive.
No one can have perused this long defence
of the conduct Of the Executive, partaking
more of the character Of one-sided argu-
ment by professional advocate, than the
calm, fair, and frank exposition Of an i'm
portant subject by the Chief Magistrate Of
a great People to their Representatives,
without remarking that there is in ii sys-
tematic attempts to bring up new issues, in
order to withdraw the public mind from the
first and main one.
On the 18th Of May last, the President,
by his Message 10 Congress, proclaimed that
war existed between Mexico and the United
States. Congress is the only power which
can righlfully and constitutionally put the
United States at war /: that body had made
no move establishing that relation between
the United States and Mexico and yet be-
fore this Message was penned, the thunders
Of the cannon of Palo Alto and Resaca de
Ia Palma had announced it to the world.
AS Congress certainly did not bring this
war, the question is, was it by Mexico or by
the President of the United States that it
was brought on? This is the important
question which the President would elude
in his elaborate enumeration Of wrongs in
hicted by Mexico upon the United States,
which he concludes were sufficient to have
authorized the United States TO declare war
against Mexico. Grant his conclusion, and
whose business and right was it to make
this war? 1t belonged 10 Congress only,
not to the President or any other authority
on earth. Grant that there existed Snfli-
cient cause - require the United States to
make war upon Mexico, the President HIM
self has, in referring to the example and
message of President Van Buren,, informed
US what was his own duty in such conjec
ture. He says:
"President Van buren,, in his Annual
Message to Congress Of 9Th Dec. 1887 states
that although the large numbers Of our de.
mands for redress, and many OF them ag-
gravated cases of personal wrongs, have
been now for years before the Mexican Gov
eminent, and some Of the causes of nation
al complaint and those of the most offensive
clara tier admitted ofimmedi.t sir p >, a d
satisfactory replies, it is only within few
days past that any specific communication
in answer to our last demand, made five
months ago, has been received from the
Mexican Minister 8 and that for not one OF
our public complaints has satisfaction been
given or offered that but one of the cases
of personal wrong has been favorably con-
sidered; and that but four cases Of both de-
scriptions, out of all those formerly presen.
ted and earnestly pressed, have as yet been
decided upon by the Mexican Governments
President Van Buren, believing that il
would be in vain to make any farther at
tempt to obtain redress by the ordinary
means within the power Of the Executive,
communicated this opinion 10 Congress in
the Message referred to, in which he said:
"On a careful and deliberate examination
Of the contents (of the Correspondence of
the Mexican Government.) and considering |
the spirit manifested by the Mexican Gov
ernment it has become my painful duty to
return the subject as it now stands to Con-
grass, to whons it belongs to decide upon the
Il me, the mode, and the measures Of retet>s.'
Such was the course of President. Polk
himself. How pointedly does is not rebuke
his own course under circumstances not
materially different! Mr.. Van Buren, did
not deem himself authorized by these con-
Siderations in the existing state of things in
Mexico, to : recommend" to Congress 10 de-
clare war against her; nor did Mr.. Polk
think, a, the beginning of the last session,
that the injuries which he now enumerates
that extreme measure, or he,
would have sent in such a recommended
tion" himself
Being convinced that war was nee
essary and expedient measure" il was
his constitutional duty to recomend it
to Congress-" aud failing 10 do so he
would have been culpabIy derilict. II
in tho course of the session. any thing &C.
Cured to bring him TO different conclu
sion, Mr., Van Buren, had instructed him
that it was his duty 10 lay the whole
subject before Congress, "b whom it
to decide upon the time, the
mode, and the measure OF redress TO De
had from Mexico. Nay, Mr.. Polk HIM
SSiI was VI lNe OpCHiNe, VI s'S .""e
Of Congress, fully sensible of what his
duty was, when he informed the two hou-
ses, in his annual Message. that he for
bore nj that time "to recommend Ito Cong
resi- such Interior measures of redress
&c, in consequence Of the tendency OF
10 mission of Mr.. Slidell.
Let it be admitted that the U. s. have
ed much wrong from Mexico--en-
0 Ugh without swelling il by the elaborate
exaggerat,n in which tho President in
dulges himself in his message. But who
have been the immediate cause and i'll
strument of these wrongs! Usurpers.
men who have disregarded and trampIcd
upon her Constitution and forms of law
who have put down all order and legal
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT in their stead have
introduced universal confusion and mill
tary anarchy. So far from having any
regular and account ables Government, 7
the social system ofthe Mcxicans has for |
wears exhibited IL continued series Of al. |
mos, entire disorguniz 'tion. The sad
ham heruvht nOON them u v