Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-12-24
From the National InleIIigencnr.
THE PRESIDENTS MESS AEE.

IlOiu llP Ntt|Oldl lNlelllIeNcNF,
THE PRESIDENTS NESS iGE.
Several days have now elapsed since our rca
ders in this city, and generally elsewhere, were
put in possession of the Annual Message Of the
President of the United States to both Houses
OF Congress. Until to-day we have purposely
lorborne from comment upon it, from an unaf-
lcctcd desire MOTTO interfere with their free di.
gesrion of its contents. That opportunity hav-
ing been fairly afforded, we now proceed 10 state
with pIainness, but we hope without offence to
any well-dsposed reader, our views upon its
leading topic: and first, because it is in the Mes.
sage, and uppermo5t in every mans mind up.
! on so much Of the document as relates TO
THE WAR WITH MEXICO.
! When, on the 18Th day Of May of last year,
! the passage Of the Act Of Congress, recognising
/ the existence Of War with Mexico, was annuuu.
ced to the readers of the National lntclIigonccr,
it was accompanied by the expression OF be-
lief that by The largest portion Of its readers the
information would be received with ularm-a-
Iarm justly excited by rhe wiulncss and reckless
ness with which the Nation had been plunged
into L foreign war, which, as the people were
in 40 particular prepared for. thcv were in no
WY lOlCNAl uGb Ol' L VI OuiotINCSy We NtIC
ottaken wholly by surprise by the news. In
the sateSmanship OF the Executive, whatever
confidence we were disposed to place had been
shaken by the almost daily demonstrations by
It's oIilclol organ during the first year of its GX
lstcnce. We had watched its successive dcvel-
op2menls, gradually disclosing a settled purpose
to make war upon Mexico, in the event Of not
succeeding in inlmidating hariulo Il prompt sub.
mission to the demands which the President in.
tended TO make upon her. That organ Che GOV.
ornmenI papcr) was hardly week old before its
readers were transported, in Imagination, to the
"llaIS Of Montezuma," which crowning act of
"a second conquest Of Mexico" The tocsin
being sounded, volunteers were to flock from the
west 10 the scene of action, and to sarry every
thing before Them The government paper
taught us, also, hOW the war waste be brought on
by which this conquest was to be effected 1t
ioresaw, by many months, the march Of our
Army from Corpus Christi, (whero, as every one
knows, Mexico never intended 10 disturb il) to
the Rio Grande; lorcsaw thar the Mexicans
might cross the Rio Grandc, and that, if they
did, blood would be shed, ," and ''war must en-.
suo." When, therefore, the prediction was re-
allZed-when the catastrophe arrived, however
II shocked, il can scarcely be said to have sur
Pr'Sed US. OF the facility and precipilancy
with which the purposes of the Executive came
10 be sustained by the Legislative authority, we
cannot say The same. We were both surprised
aud alarmed TO find how easily, on the impulse
OF The moment, bImdIold aud gagged, Congress
could be driven to lend its countrnance to those
purposes. BIindloId and gagged, we repeat.
Nor is the expression 100 strong; for, before the
news OF the dangerous position of our army
was communicated by the Executive TO Con.
gross, committees of both Houses had been got
together (on the SabbNthl and measures prepa.
red IN concert with the Executive, which, the
next day, on receiving the Presidents Message
OF form, without waiting to have the papers ac-
companying il read over, for the information of
Members, were forced through the House of
Representatives. Nor, evento body excited as
tho House was by the stirring news lrcm the Rio
Grande, did the ruling party in the House ven.
ture TO propose the false and obnoxious Pream-
bio and Bill until after all deliberation and do.
bate had been precuded ON u question as mo,
menious certainly as ever came before Congress. !
Had there been nothing else alarming in this .
declaration OF War with Mexico, the dcspolism .
thus exercised over the minority of the Repre-
sentative body, repeated on the following day in /
The Senatorial body, (theretolorc exempt from
such sharp practice,) was of itself sufficient to
appal the hearts Of those accustomed, as we !
have been, to regard the rights of minortes as
not less sacred than those Of majorities, and, a.
mong them, the right ofproposng amendments !
TO or demonstrating against any proposition com.
ing before them. The minority in each House |
was subjected by most arbitrary and malignant
exercise Of party power, without being allowed
moment for deliberalion, to the alternative of
voting Tor bill with preamble, the lalsehOod
oil which they saw and detestod or of refusing
to vote for enactmouts Supplies of men and
money! 10 which, all lavish as they were, there,
would, perhaps, but for the Preamble, not have
been dissenting voice.
Whatever aurm we and our readers felt at
this beginning, has certainly been fully justified
by the progress of events. Even that precipi- |
talion in tho action of Congressional preamble, |.
affirming two distinct ialsehoods- that tyranny
by which a vote was extorted from the two Hou. |
ses, have been continually appealed TO by the
Executive organs as evidence of the unanimity
of the national will in appreciation of the war.
In the Message before us, that appeal is repea-
tod, accompanied with statement, in terms,
that the declaration that 'the war exists by the
act OF Mexico was passed with great unanlmi.
ty IN Congress; though il must be known to the |
Executive that but u small majority in either
House OF Congress approved that declaration, |
many members declaring thgir repuuuo1c..l il ,