Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1847-05-20
Contributions through IIexican Ports
From he i TTDion


When the report first went forth that the Secretary
of the Treasury preparing tariff for the Next
ports in possession, the first impulse of the
opposition press was TO claim the merit of the meas
ure for their own party. :" 1t General Waddy
Thompson" (exclams the National Intelligencer)
I" who first proposed it in our columns" s' Ii was
Thompson, and Parrot and Baldwin, and other wings
(exclams the correspondent of the Baltimore ParioO
'' who recommended the measure" Now they are
backing water They hope that more capital may be
made by attacking it as an administration measure
than by claiming it a wing invention The cue is
given out by the fugelman, Mr.. Joseph Surface, and
he is compelled to swallow his own words frst and
now we may expect almost the " whole sty' to be
with him in an uproar. When they saw the Secre-
tary of the Navys instructions to Captain Stockton
in December last, not word of censure escaped
them. We heard nothing then of the " Orders OF
Council" When Gen. Thompson spoke of it in the
National lntelligencer, 1t was all right. So also
when Mr.. Calhoun recommended it in his speech
But now, since the Secretarys report has been pub
lished it is suddenly discovered be the act of an
autocrat-contrary to the Constitution, contrary to
law-and a violent usurpatlon OF power by the Presi-
dent. In vain do they this authority conferred BY
the laws of nations In the case of war. In vain d.
they find the doctrine thus expounded by Martins
Vael, and all the most celebrated urists on the law
of nations. In vain have they an equivalent
rule laid down by the Supreme Court of the United
States. All these considerations of no account
provided the lntelligencer can plant thorn in the
side of the administration, raise clamor against the
war, and relieve the Mexican allies from lis burdens
You may tell the opposition, in vain, that we viii
make the enemy contribute to the support of the wal
which he has provoked You may tell them in vain
that it will assist in relieving people from
some Of its burdens. You may we'll address all thi.
to the winds. The federal party viii still insist upor
it, that shall tax the American people exclusively
and tax them more, and the Mexicans not at ALL al
the result Of the war; If this be not giving " ale
and comfort to the enemy" we know not what the
course of the opposition amounts to.
We are indebted to gentleman in this city for tn,
following extract Of letter from his correspondent
in New York. Notwithstanding his politics are OF
the wing side of the House, he does not hesat,
to speak avorably of receiving duties in the por
of Mexico. Indeed, the National intelligence
claimed the honor of the invention for MIR. Wadd,
Thompson, in its article of Thursday last, when i
says:
This system Of imposts is partly specific and il
part ad yaorem, the latter ranging from low rate 4
as high forty per cent; the whole averaging abou
onefourth Of the rates Of the existing Mexican tariff
This is the general scheme recommended by the Hon
Waddy Thompson last winter, through the columns
of the National Intelligsncer. and if carried int
effect will doubtless afford help in the ways am
1 means to carry on the war"
The Washington correspondent Of the " Baltimor
Patriot, puts IN claim to the patent " right wbe
he says