Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1847-01-01

upon that determination. The question of tho |
sufliciency of cause for war was one for Con- |
rress. and not for the President to decide Con
gress was in session when the order was eXpe-
dited for the march of the Army to the Rio
Grande, and upon that decisive and conclusive /
step the President failed in his duty to ask the
sanction of the Constitutional authority.
TO the Government of Mexico, and as between
that Government and the United States it is of
little consequence hOU the war was brought on.
The war now exists, and must be fought out,
unless the Almighty shall breathe into the coun-
ellis of both countries at once the spirit of peace.
But, as between the President and the People of
the United States, it is of infinite consequence
to know for what ulteror objects, this war is to
be farther prosecuted.
"The war has not been waged in the spirit of
conquest" So says the Message; and. if the
declaration of the Message were not contradict
ed by notorious facts, we should most sincerely
rejoice in it. But, have we not before us the
rescripts of our military and naval commanders.
openly and officially procamng the contrary
Did not General Kearney, on taking possession
of Santa Fe, publicly announce his " intention
to hold the Department of New Mexico as a
part Of the United States and under the name
ofttc Territory of Neo Merico - Did he not
also issue another ukase, in which. by au-
90" "y VI tiie ieeucit Va ''io y i''tu '."'O', "'
announcer the estaDlishinent OF civil govern
ment for q the Territory" thus annexed by proc
lamation, including an entire judicial system. us
we'll as Governor, Secretary. &c. dating the
same at Santa Fc, the capital Of the Terrific.
ry of New Mexico. in the seventy-tirst year of
the Independence of the United States p If
this be notacquisition, political and territorial an
nexation, as well as conquest, what can con-
stitute it And so. in the case of California
and Commodore Stockton, from whose first proc
lamatcn. signed by him as Cammander-in-
chief and Governor of the Territory of Caiior-
MIA. and dated City of the Angels. California
Aurust H. 1SiG." we extract the following en-
tire pararraDhs
The tIag of the United States is now nying
from, every COMMANDING position in the Terri
torv and California is entirely free from Mex
lean dominion.
:. The Territorv of California NOW BELONGS
IN rur I-yrrrn SrAyrs. and will be governed.
,s soon as circumstances NAV permif. bv off.
cers and laws similar 70 those Inv which NE 9th.
y,ry;iorjos of The T-u;,ed STATES are regulated
and nrotocted'
7, NAV not he amiss in the same connection.
70 ro,nin1 tho reader If that letter If authority
nJins,rrc,io,s qr;,o, h., tho Socrot,rv Of Var
n Col r ID S,ercusou. of the civ Of New
Wi, u,hon ,r,hor,;,r lin 70 ra;sn :! reoimon,
If yniuo,aors to he o,nnlovod in Inner Calitor.
nj. shnu,;,,, tbot ,bny u,era in+epded IN ho of
,Lo char,ctar nj colonists and settlers of n con.
,,,oraJ tarr,or,, r,tho- ,h,n soldiers to tako
nnrt in the strife IF war. Bv this letter, the
,L,,,,oor- ,,.,ro rocuir.I 90 far ,s nr,ctic,hle
~ ho mon :. of various nursuits and such as
,YonlJ hs r,,oIv n remain AT the end of the war
o;,horin Ore,son or ann territory that NAV be
then n parl OF The Tu1eI Stg,es - exhibiting a
remarkable coincidence of views between the
distinguished Naval Commander and the Chief
ofthe War Department. Though the pallau,
Commodore sailed for the Northwest Coas,
about the lst of November. lSl5. it is evident
enough that he knew before he embarked, wha,
was in the wind. Indeed, in his address to his
crew, on the deck of his ship, before leaving
the port of Norfolk, he seems to have limited al
his ultimate destination when he said "We
now sail for California and Oregon and, then
what heaven pieases."
These are acts of sovereignty, such as no one
would suspect either Gcn. kearney or Capt
Stockton of undertaking to exercise withou
other authority than their own, though they haC
not expressly declared that in what they hay,
. done they have acted by the authority of TIM
President otthe United States. DO not thes'
acts oftheirs, so sanctioned, constitute suificlen
, proof that the spirit OF conquest has ha,
something to do with this war When we loo
. rs is supplied by the columns OF the Government
n.nor ,bo NOS, Mira and most odious doctrin
PrPt; \, -, Iii lit. ,bo pros;dont h.,
OF wh'ch against puo.c liberty '"e Ir's'ue''' ia
lust endorsed IN his MeSsage-We cannot douu
hut " the shirt of conquest" entered into the mo
,;,os Of Nh; war p-We find in that paper of tn
w, e, " oI t,, of,a. ,ha rooo;,
= lSth VI May "s'' 'i,''heu,,.'.iy "i.o' '"o M
at the iirst news OF the coiict OF arms on tle III
. Granle, eXhortationS to throw volunteers 9
: once across the Rio Grande, march into MeXic,
and ,orm;p,ta tho War; with Nexico. if necce,
: anu N' III ,T,,n NJ -.
= sary, IN Me naIS -nomeI"m" WI wa
: this hankcring after the halls OF Montezuma
, new idea with the Administration, throwa OF
!. IN rho hon, If nursnit or a retreatinr army. Th
II !" '''1 w h., ,ho orr,sr or Tho rro
n same '1ci as o.o'oilcu ~ '''1 o '
5 ent Administrator IN cola oioou within '''e
months after its first establishment in Office, an
within one week after the editer of the new Go'
c 49,. nonor tool b;s nos. In the :. Union
IS er",''n. p',e, Wv" n' 20 ~ como s,o,
s. OF the oth OF May 1919, referring W SUM- ere
If ulations OF a London newspaper upon the SUI
- nosed designs of the United States upon MeXic
oo,r Covernmen, editor took occa sion TO say TN
J. o"i N''N ~ 49,, 80 I,l ra,'.,, :.