Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1847-10-15

that the war should not be Waned excepting
from necessity, and for its utility to the interest.
of the country.
Now, sir, the law Of nations irs'ructs us thai
thc7c are wars Of prctcNt The history Of the
world proves that there have been, and we arc
not without proof that there are, wars wagct
on pretcXt, that is, on pretcncc5 where the caus,
assigned is not the true cause. That, believe
upon my conscience, is the true character Of the
war now wared against Mexico believe il
to be a war Of preicxt: n war in which the true
motive is not distinctly ayowcd. but in whicl
prc'cnccs, aitcrthoughts. eyasions. ana other
methods are employed to PIT a case before the
community which is not the true case.
! Think sir, there are three pretcXta. all I'M
| founded, upon which this war has been justified
in various modes and on various occ1sions.-
/ The President of the United States in his wal
message of iSl6, puts the war upon the faci
that the Mexican government have invaded the
| territory Of the United States and shed Amcri.
can blood upon the American soil. Now. in my
Judgment this is not the case. Tie Prcsd nj
of the United States had ordered the army of the
United States as early rs January. SIG To
move beyond what Mexico Acknowledged to be
the boundary Of Texas and place itself upon the
Rio Grande. Arrived there. blood WAS shed
upon the left bank Of the Rio Graulc. Was
that American soil That was soil claimed
by the United States, but which Congress had
never recognized 1t was territory claimed by
Mcvico as firmly rs the city of Mexico itself,
and was, at the time. in the actual possession OF
Mexico. The most favorable prcseutmcn',
therefore, is this: that We, having claim to
territory Of which the other party was in pos
session, marched an army into il TO take possess
sion. Is not that war upon oCR side am of
opinion. therefore. that the declaration in the
g Al. I'll IL q
the act of Congress. Of The 18th. WAS ha >cd. the
declaration that war existed by the act Of HnX-
ico" cannot be made ont correctly by any evil
dencc in point of fact. If 50 it was prcteXt.
Then again, although this was the main point
upon which the recognition OF war was placed
by tie President, no sooner was the war dcclar-
cd. than other causes were rcsOrted to. One
was the refusal Of the Mexican government to
receive our minister, but where was that ever
made Il cause Of war, and especially Executive
war because the government chooses not to
have Intercourse with w.. is it for the President
to say that that is 4 Just cause Of war? It is no
just cause Of war; and even were it Just and
proper, it is no sudden emergency authorizing
the Executive to plunge the government into Il
war. and especially when Congress is in session.
ready, at any moment. to receive advices and
to act upon them. look upon it, therefore. that
this ground is pretcXt.
We'll. then comes another. Mexico. Il is said.
had declined to plv the debts, due 10 L. States
citizens from their citizens. | believe that is
true, but that was not pat forth - the cause of
the war in the message of the President on the
llth OF May. Sc: it is not in the act of Con-
grcss Of the 18th May 1t is not therefore, the
cause put upon record for the act of the goycri.-
mont. It's an atcrlhought. And here. again.
this m1itcr Of debts and claims Of citiZpus Cd