Democratic banner., 1847-09-13
VOL.3.
For the Banner.


Mr.. MuRRAY:-Though have but little
time, yeti wish to say a few things with re-
gard to the origin of this Mexican war, &C.
cording to the promise contained in my
last. lam actually surrounded, here in my
calm, country retirement by many intelli-
gent and knowing friends, who l must con-
fess harass me a good deal by the unbend-
ing obstinacy, they display in what con-
ceive to be the g~rossest error into which
any considerable party has fallen since the
establishment Of our government.
They strenuously contend, for example,
that the march of Gen. Taylor from Corpus
Christi in March, 1916, is the whole and
sole cause of the war, and that IN causing
this movement the administration assumed
the momentous responsibility Of plunging
the nation into the attitude of an aggressor
and a merciless plunderer of the unoffend-
ing Mexicans.
In the first place will enquire whether
the President transcribed the bounds of
his duty, or rather: whether he did not act
according to the positive requirements of
law in ordering this forward movement. 1t
will be recollected that the resolution for
the annexation of Texas had been passed
by one Congress and transmitted to Texas
for rejection or approval a few days before
Mr.. Polk took his seat. He therefore had
no agency in this affair, and no objection
can be urged against him on this score
The sequel is well known to all. The reso-
LUTON met with the approval of the Texian
Government, and our President had but to
issue his proclamation declaring Texas one
of the States of the Union. A few days af-
ter the passage of this resolution by our
Congress, Gen. Almonte the Mexican Min
lister to our Government "breathing re-
venge" in that celebrated protest, and de-
claring to our government that the consum-
nation of this act would be considered
equivalent to a declaration Of war, demand
ed his passports and fastened to Mexico
with the avowed intention of aiding his
much abused country in the holy work Of
chastising its rapacious nGighbors. No
sooner did the news of the passage of the
resolution reach the City of Mexico than
all diplomatic intercourse with our Minis
ter, Mr.. Shannon, was contemptuously re
fused by the Mexican Government.
Then commenced in Mexico that scene
of preparation of which Mr.. Polk speaks
in his message of Dec. Cd, ls45, where he
says: "Since that time (the passage Of the
joint resolution by our Congress) Mexico
has until recently occupied an attitude of
hostility towards the United States-has
been marshalling and organizing armies,
issuing p~roclamations and avowing the in
I~tention of making war upon the United
States, either by an open declaration or in
vading Texas"
In this state Of affairs there was but one
course left to the Chief Executive, and
that was to prepare for the meditated inva-
sion of Texas, then one of the sovereign
States of our c~onfederacy, and entitled to
the protection of the federal government.
A small force was ordered forward "to
take position between the Nueces and the
Del Norte, and to repel any invasion Of the
Texan Territory which might be attempted
by the Mexican forces"
That this step was necessary to meet the
menaced attack can be further c%orrobora-
ted by the letter of MI. Donelson our
charge d'affairs to Texas, written to the de-
partment on June 4th, lS45:
"From recent information Just received
from Gen. Sherman of the Texas militia,
it appears that Mexico has already about
seven thousand troops on the Rio Grande,
and that Capt. Hays, who has only about
fifty Rangers under his command, was about
to attack a party of about one hundred
Mexicans whom he had discovered near
him on the Nueces. This exhibition OF
force for the purpose of driving the Texans
from the Rio Grande, shows that Capt. Eli
oft is not speaking at random when he de-
clares as he has done to many of the citi-
zens of this country that a rejection Of