Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-01-02
THE "MoNARCHY IN DISGUISE"
We entreat our readers to give their whole atten-
ton to the following striking article;
FROM THE NEW York EXPRESS.


The Slow BUT SURE STEPS OF MONARCHY -
Mankind seems naturally to run after monarchy
and hence monarchy has become the prevan.
government among mankind. Perhaps there is NJ
help tor it; but great effort made against it BY
Washington and other Fathers of our Republic
and will yet be made by all who have imbibed thei
spirit
The phrase one-ma,l pOcer, which, we believe
IS OF our own coming, more expressively defines
what is understood by monarchy than any othe
definition we know Of and hence we shall continue
to use il, while we call attention to its "progress
the only sort of progress we have made these late
years. IN the United States. Our one-man pore,
is named President, which is now synonymous with
Emperor or King, although never intended to be SO
in our constitutional Republic.
Thus the power to declare war, existing in Kings
and Emperors, now, it is commended, by what calls
itself Democracy, exists in our President. IL is
not, to be sure so contended in express words; but
the principle is laid down that, in the armed occu-
patton OF the territory west of the Nueces without
an act of Congress- disputed territory-Mr. Polk
was right, although that occupation necessarily IN
volved us in the war with Mexico. So, when our
Government has dispute with another Govern
ment, it is now settled as democratic principle,
that an Executive can go to war about II, without
consulting Congress, even though Congress be in
clare war, therefore, now exists in our President,
just il does in a King or Emperor, or an Auto
crat. 1t is folly, then, hereafter to speak Of our
country as Republic; it is a monarchy, but the
head of it is sofiened down by the name of Presi-
dent because King is unpopular yet.
War thus existing in spite of Congress, but ne
cessarily waged by Congress, when the nation is
thus forced into it by its monarch, is again laid
down as democratic principle, that what is con-
quered is ANNEXED, and thus becomes part and par
eel of our Union. Hear Mr.. Douglass, of Illinois,
noted Democratic leader, when speaking in Con-
gress on that point. We quote from the Union:
''Now he (Mr d. maintained that that territory (New
Mexco) part of the territory of the United States be-
fore the General Kearney) issued the proclamation at ALL
part Of The United STATES by rirtue of The act OF
Congress Wch annexed it, 1t required proclamation it
required no other act than that of conquest itself And he
maintained furthermore that if treaty of peace were made
with Mexico without establishing her limits all these conquer
ed provinces part and parcel of the United States by
right Of conquest and must forever unless ceded
back to Mexico, unless reconquered. cdS therefore,
the act Of conquest hich dnered hetrory, and did
require the proclamation of General Keany or Commodore
Stockton They merely declared the existence fact which
had previously occurred"
Conquest is annexation and thus Tamaulipas,
New Leon, Coahuila, Chihuahua, part of Vera
Cruz, New Mexico, and the vast territory of Upper
and Lower California, not only become part and
parcel " of the United States, but are annexed to
the United States. Here we sec, first, the mon
arch starting war on his own authority, and then
under that war, annexing to the Union territories
vast as the Union itself, and all without an act OF
Congress.
Reasoning in this spirit it is that Mr.. Polk, in
his message, says:
1t may be proper to provide for the security Of these
porant conquests by making adequate appropriation for
the purpose Of erecting Notifications and defrayng the
PenSes necessarily incident 10 the maintenance IF pos
session and authority them
Here the monarch speaks all monarchs would
speak of conquered territory they intended to keep
lin the vein of Frederick the Great or Napoleon
and expresses his desire TO have permanent fort
flcatons erected at our expense, for the permanent
" maintenance of our possessions and authority ove
them"
The violence done to free government in such as
sumptions by the one-man power as these, Mr.
Polk himself has become so aware of, that it il
painful to him to hear discussion of them. Hence
in his message, he says:
The has been represented unjust and unnecessary
and one Of aggression part upon weak and in
jued enemy Such views though entertained by
but few have been widely and extensively circulated only
at home but have been spread throughout Mexico and thu
whole world more efiectual could have beer
devised to encourage the enemy and poract the war; than
advocate and adhere to then cause and thus give them
| and comfort"
| This imputes treason to any man who has dared
to question the propriety and justice of the manner
in which the Executive had originated and carried
on the war. Mr. Polk has quoted the words " aic
and comfort from the constitutional definition Of
treason, with the evident intention of intimatina
that no man could question, in the remotest man
ner express doubt Of, the propriety Of the war
or the manner in which il has been waged, without
proving himself traitor to his country, and dis.
| posed to /" aid and comlort" its enemies
Let us pause here, and see the strides of monar.
chy in the Republic First the Executive creates
war, then under it annereS his conquests, and at.
ter all is completed he tells us it is treason to dis
cuss his dolngs, because, we presume, the American
monarch has the presumpdve prerogative Of other
monarchs that of doing no ,crong.
! Monarchy is thus complete in its alleged prero-
gatives in these United States. The King can do
no wrong and it is treason, therefore, to impute
wrong to him. War exists in consequence of his
orders, and there must be no discussion Of it. The
old thirteen States of the Union, that formed con.
sutuuon for their own government, are SUdmped
by the annexation Of vast territories they had never
heard of. When their constitution is violated and
when they are sinking they told it is treason to
complain of the causes that have overwhelmed them
very able discussion is going on in the House
of Representatives respecting the proclamation Of
| General kearny and Commodore Stockton. Mr.
Polk has undoubtedly stimulated, and probably
sanctioned them. The mondrchiSts there are sus.
tanning all that has been done in tho anr;t oc The