Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1847-01-13
The COD0Uered Territories.


by the House on the 18th, concerning in
struc,ions TO our officers in California and
the Pacific. In reference TO the volumi-
nous documents accompanying the mes
sage, the Union says
awe have no room at this moment to
enter into full Investigation OF these IN
tefesting papers. But we may undertake
to say that there is nothing in the Presl-
dents views, or in the Secretary'S lnstruc-
tions, which are not fully in unison with
the constitution of our country and the
laws of nations. The open charges and
secret insinuations which have been made
against the President will be found amply
refuted, and his course and thut of his Sc
cretaries vndicated from all censure.-
There were no instructions 10 Gen. Rear
nev.-none to Commodores Sloat and
Stockton TO annex permanently any ter
ritory to the United States. The President
never dreamed that such measure could
be adopted by military or executive au-
thoritv alone. No instructions have been
given to exercise any other authority than
are, under the laws of war, applicable to
territory conquered by force OF arms"
The following is the
MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT.
To the House of Representatives,:
In compliance with the request contain
ed in the resolution of the House Of Re-
representatives. of the 18th inst, commu'
nicate herewith reports from the Secreta-
ry of War and the Secretary of the Navy,
with the documents which accompany
them. These documents contain all the
/" orders or instructions" to any military,
naval, or other officer of the government,
Sin relation to the establishment or organi-
cation OF civil government in any portion
of the territory of Mexico, which has or
might be taken possession of by the army
or navy of the United States"
These orders and instructions were gil
ven 10 regulate the exercise of the rights
of beIligerent, engaged in actual war,
over such portions of the territory of our
enemy, as, by military conquest, might be
''taken possession Of" and be occupied by
our armed forces rights necessarily re-
sulting from a state OF war, and clearly
recognized by the laws of nations. This
was all the authority which could be de-
legated 10 our military and naval comman.
ders, and its exercise was indispensable 10
the secure occupation and possession of
the territory of the enemy which might
be conquered. The regulations authoriz-
ed were temporary, and depended on the
rights acquired by conquest. They were
authorized as belligerent rights, and were
| h. o1 mt atfaot hxy Ia
val officers. They were but the amelio
ration OF martial law, which modern civil
Iization requires, and were due as well to
the security of the conquest, as TO the in
lrubitants of the conquered territory.
/ The documents communicated also CUR
tain the reports OF several highly merltori-
Gus officers of our army and navy, who
have conquered and taken possession of
portions of the enemy's territory.
Among the documents accompanying
the report of the Secretary of War, will
be found Storm of government establish
ed and organized" by the military com
mander who conquered and occupied with
his forces the territory of New Mexico
This document was received at the War
Department in the latter part of the last
month, and <as will be perceived by the
report of the Secretary of War; was not,
for the reasons stated by that officer,
brought to my notice until after my annual
message of the 9Th was communicated to
Congress.
1t is declared on It's face to be " tenn
porary government Of the said territory"
but there are portions of it which purport
to establish and organize" permanent
territorial government of the United States
over the territory, and to impart 10 its in
habitants political rights which, under the
constitution of the United States, can be
enjoyed permanently only by citizens of
the United States. These have not been
approved and recognized" by me. Such
organized regulations as have been estab-
lished in any of the conquered territories
for the security of our conquest, for the
preservation of order, for the protection
of the rights of the inhabitants, and for
dePrIvIng the enemy of the advantages of
these territories while the military posses.
sion OF them by the forces of the United
States continue, will be recognised and
approved.
1t will be apparent, from the reports OF
the officers who have been required by the
success which has crowned their arms 10
exercise the powers of temporary govern.
ment over the conquered territorities, tina
if any excess of power has been exerci
sed, the departure has been the offspring
, of patriotic desire to give TO the inhabi
! tants the privileges and immunites SO cher
ished by the people of our own country
and which they believed calculated to i'm
. prove their condition and promote thei
prosperity. Any such excess has resulted
IN no practical injury, but eau and will b.