Democratic banner., 1847-02-01
from the Washington Union.
The Freedom of the P:ess against 1

OIL aSihSte PoHi N'S '>StN"it -fAcSSdSc
as follows:
"One passage, however, drIace8 its yer,
outset, which merits, for its rxtranrdinar,
character, no delay of rerrchcnsion."
We give the passage in the Message
which is here referred to-:
81 deem it my duty to present to you. Oh
the present occasion, a condensed review
Of the injuries we had sustained, Of the
causes which led TO the war, and of ths
progress since It's commencement. This is
rendered the more necessary because of
the misapprelensions which have to some
extent prevailed as to its origin and true
character. Tie war has been represented
as unjust and unnecessary, and as ole of
aggression Oh our part upon 4 weak i !rcG
enemy. Such erroneous views, though en-
tcrtained by but few, have been widely ait.
extensively circulated not only 1T home.
but have been spread t%hroughout Mexico
and the whole world. \ more cifcctual
means could not have been devised to en-
courage the enemy and prn:ract the wax
than to advocate and adhere 10 their cause,
and thus give them aid and COMFORT"
Upon this the ~Intelligenccr remarks:
"Thc public cannot have forgotten how
constantly, since we were plunged in thc
existing needless and unhappy war will,
Mexico, the administration immediate or
gan here, the Union, has S~trivcn TO trillc all
inquiry into the justify ing causes, to hector
the press into silence, and to awe the rep
rcsentativeS Of the people into appreciation,
by dcnouncing as no better than 'morLl
treason all examination into Tie coa!uct of
the Executive, and by s,igmatizins all
questions about the Inception Of he war
withou: consulting Congress, or the lru-
dcncc Of il; management, or the legality
of many high-handcd ac:S und. il, rs IL
mounting to nothing less than 'g;ving aid
and comfort 10 tie enemy
"In spite of the perseverance AL a.rro-
eance with which this claim to public 81
lcnce was urged by the Umion. AM t.tolgl.
the failure 70 rebuke su'h doctrines strong
" implied their o%;li.i: i sanction, ncit.crt..r
public, nor Congress. nor We ovrSrf,cs,
who have enjoyed the honor az Being Il
very special mark Of these administrations,
could hitherto believe such doctriars am =
thing hut tic mere offspring Of a blind dc
vn!ion 20 power. Ii seems, however, t":.t
we were all ovcr-inlHlgnn'; Tia, Executive
has. il this message, scth:s y royal stamp
on these claims OF m~oa-inluiry. Nay, be-
fire entering upon his ~cxpos:;i,n # lis ran-
duct, arI Of the causes If the w"r, he tlkc'
care T. lay down the very p incip!'s insist
ed on by the Union. It wa, possibly,
deemed necessary prccauiinn thus To i'll
form the country in advance, lest his rca-
sons should fail to convince i, that - d"aht
them was not permitted, and that To- cues
ton them would be held siding with McAi-
CO and giving her aid and comfort"
Now, III 50 far a. these comments toucl
the passage in Tie Presidents Message re-
ferrcd to, it is enough to say once for all, il
reply, that the passage states a plain Proro'
s~;tion, the exact truth Of which cannot be
disputed, and which, in its Iiost severe ;mt
searching point, is expressed in words CT
ted from the Constitution itself. Reduce,
to 4 single Sentence, tie Presidents propn'
sition is precisely this: To circulate "idr!,
and extensively, not only 1T EUnnc, bu
through Mexico and the whole world, a:
has been done, the erroneous views, enter
tanned by but few, that our war is unjns
and unnecessary, and an actof aggression
on our part upona weak and injured enemy
is to adopt a most effectual means Of en-
couraging the enemy and pro 'racting tn
war, by advocating and adhering to thei
cause, and thus giving them "aid and CON
fort"
Now, whomsocver this proposition ma
reach. and whomsoever or however deepl
it NAV wound, we defy the lntelllge"cef l
deny or gainsay one single word OF It,
is wholly and severlytr" just as II STAND
The censure which it implies, being 81
pressed in the very words Of the Constt'
ton, attaches 10 those, and to those alon
whose conduct has violated the moral o
legations of that sacred instrument, al
thus made them amenablc TO its moral pc
alties. 1t is not to be wondered at, Il
the Intclligenccr "winces;' but it so WI