Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1847-07-30
INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFICERS

we gave in our last paper an exposition of
the general principles on which the admins
tratlon has proceeded in the regulation of the
territory which we have conquered. We de-
MED the charge which the {" National Intelli-
gencer" had made, of want of sincerity in the
Executive; and scarcely had our contradiction
gone forth, before an article comes to us from
St. Louis which confirms our position. We
copy the following from the ''St. Louis Re-
publican" which states the arrival of a mail
from Santa Fe at ST Louis on the 10TH The
latest dates from Santa Fe are to the 9th of
May-the time at which Mr.. Murphy, Col.
Russell, and others, left that place.
AOne OF the letters which the Republican has
seen, states that on the 22d May Col. Price
discovered that there were instructions from
the War Department, which had been receiv-
ed by the last mail brought by Mr. Boggs, d.
rected 10 the colonel commanding in Santa Fe,
in which it was announced that the President
refused to sanction any of the acts of Gen'l
Kearny, SO far as they confer any rights up
on the citizens of the territory of New Mexi-
co as citizens of the United States and Gen.
kearny, or the officer commanding, was direc-
ted not to permit to be carried into effect such
part of the organic and statute laws of the
strength of these instructions, Col Price off
sentence of Antonio Maria Trajillo, convicted
OF treason against the government of the U. S.
The accused was thereupon set at liberty.
The next step to be taken, says. the letter,
will necessarily be to announce to the natives
that. not being citizens of the u S., they can
not elect delegate 10 Congress.
Nha > ~ Al
laws for the internal government of New Mex.
leo received the full sanction of the President,
and OF course we shall proceed to elect mem
bers of legislative council, and do all other
acts and things that people not quite slaves
may do" This Is the writer's deduction, says
the Republican, from the instructions; but i
they, as citizens, can elect members of le
glslatlve body, the distinction must be very
nice which will prevent them from electing {
delegate to Congress.
Except In the particulars which we have
stated, the letter says all goes on as before =
Some fugitives from the valley of Taos
combined with guerrlllas and Cumanches, art
committing depredations beyond the Moro:
day or two ago, they run off from Santa Clara
or the Wagon Mounds, with $50 horses, kill
ing one, and wounding two of the party il
charge"
1t Is not surprising, therefore, in view O
the principles which we set forth in Saturday
Unlon,' that the provisions of the law
which were established by Gen. Kearny TO
the government of the territory of New Mex
leo should be supposed to 60, in some few
respects, beyond the line designated by tn
President. These laws propose to confer up
on the people of the territory political ri ght
under the constitution of the u States; bu
such rights can only be acquired by the acto
of Congress. So far as the cole of laws es
tablished in New Mexico by the authority 0
Gen. kearny attempts 10 confer such rights
they cannot be approved by the President
and no wonder that instructions were give
by the Secretary Of War that they should no
be carried into effect
We must repeat, that, under the law of ma
tons, the power conquerlng 2 territory has
right to establish civil government within
the same, as means of securing the conquest
and with view OF protecting the persons an
property of the people. 1t is certainly not ip
tended, by the instructions which have gon
out, to restrict the commanding officer at San
Ia Fe In the lull exercise of this authority. -
Indeed, it became desirable object to excl
else 1t IN such manner as to inspire conf
dence In the people that our power is to
fairly sustained in that country, and to ca
upon the people themselves to participate i
the civil administration. But the territory
our military occupation, acquired from the er
envy by our arms, cannot be regarded as pei
manently annexed to the u S. Yet our at
thorty to exercise civil government over it
not by that circumstance the least restricted
1t is, however, useless for us to go over III
ground which we took on Saturday night.
We must be permitted to add, that it
rather strange the "St Louis Republican
should have fallen into the error of confoun(
ing the power of electing members OF a legl
lative council to assist in forming laws ft
themselves, with the right of electing DELE
gate to Congress. The two bodies are esseI
, TALLY different, and rest upon very differel
principles Washington Union.