Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1847-01-04

complete Government, 10 enact execute and administer
the awsl Yet, the President declares that he did no,
Intend to clohe these officers with the power To annex
territory To the United States by proclamation. and To
establish civil governments iheeinh power which they
have undenaby exercsedhe relieves himself from the
force OF the objections which justly applicable 10 the
act itself and those officers deserve. migaied degree
the condemnation. which, had the President assumed
the responsibility would have been justly visited upon his
Administration We say, "in mltigated degree
because it is obvious, that their conduct grew out OF an
erroneous construction of their instructions, and mscon
cepton OF the discretionary powers with which they had
been really clothed
Nor can il fail 10 be remarked that the Presidents
friends III Congress ignorant "t his true relation to the
subject, and presumng, from the iace OF the pro
camatlons of kearny and Stockton. we Ind done,
that they had acted under positive instructions
trum head quarters, were ready 10 defend, and did
defend. those unconstitutional acts, which the Prsl-
dent himself by dsrlaiming all responsibility therefor.
emphaticaly condemns while he seeks 10 eNcnuatc
their ononuy bv referring in terms of COMMUNICATION to
the patriotic and philanihropic motives by which our
commanders in New Mexico and California We're inlu
cnced Those learned cNpoundcrS Of tho Laws of Ma
TONS well as thosc aeu,eeammenta,os upon the con
sution-who justified, out and out, the acts NJ kearny
aud Stockonthe ono class finding ample authority iot
them IN Nael and the other taxing their wits 10 enlarge
the powers OF the Executive by forced construction -
obscure clause OF the organic law-inus' most keen
" feel the awkwaraness OF die position IN which the
President has placed them by himself admitting the
improperly III those acts. all the responsibility iof which
he eagerly throws from his shoulders Some Of them
may live wish. with Cardinal Woscy, that they
had served their country with halt the zeal they have
exhibited in defending the Chief Magistrate
One more remark The President, aware that there
discrepancy between his last Message and that
portion Of his Annual Message having reference To the
subject, explains II 10y stating that Gen. kcanys
proclamation, although received at the Department of
War '.in the latter part of November. had no, been
brought his notice until after the Annual Message had
been communicated Congress. the Slh inst. II is
certainly very strange that official documents from The
Seat Of Uar should be permtedt lie unexanned IN the
Department for the space of two three week.and espe
cially when we often assured by the Washington
Union that the ''hard working members OF the present
Cabinet excel all their predecessors IN dgcnt and prompt
attention to the duties that deyolve upon them But of
the true character oiha proclamation, which had been
published IN almost every newspaper IN the country IN
Guiding the Union winch presume is read by MI
Polk as regularly he takes his coffee IN the morning,
he could not have been 1910 ant And nlcod the fail
of the Secretary of War Ia examine or the space OF
two three weeks. documents received from military
commander occupying important position, in the midst
OF a campaign, only be aceountedior, on the snpps
ton that he was otherwise fully apprzed OF their
tents 1t was probably deemed Convenient to refer To
Gen kcarny's conduct only in general tcrmsand
hence the failure Of tho Secretary at the time 10 call the
Presidents attention officially to the contents Of docu
ments which would have rendered ii necessary that he
should have been explicit upon that branch of the sub
,ect in his Annual Message the resolution of enquiry
has compelled him to be in his Special Communication.