Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1848-01-14

ing sentence, for example though it attracted little
ice nj the time ,cnnor noc be mistaken ITO eHldrg
us limits THE limits Of Unionl is TO extend lh
uoininlons OF peace OYER ADDITIONAL TERRITORIES Al
INCREASING MILLIONS" This remark cou.d have ie'er
ence only to those territories OF Mexico, the nnnexa
non OF which a. conquered territory, the Prcsden
proposes N the Message now before us.
In the n ST month OF his Official term il may be tina
the President calculated upon accomplishing his pur
poses without war with Mexico. though from tho
iIoment OF the installation Of his confidential editor
The idea OF War aud Conquest, in some shape or other
seemed continually to haunt his imagination. With
III the his SIX weeks OF the exis o the official pa
per was made quite evident that there existed no dis
position TO pay any respect TO the law OF our own
congress winch eolncd the settlement Of the question
OF boundary by negotiation with Mexico Even be-
fore the cosuunation OF the act OF annexation--bc
lore Its acceptance by the Government and People %
'Texas--the line of the Rio Grnntr WINS repeated,
claimed, aud, in the event OF Mexico proving ol.t
nate and iinprhcticable on the point. additional an
! nexalions a" threatened and the acquisition OF Cnor
ma prophesied. Ih 'se demonstrations in fact ptrce
ded the order to Gen. Taylor Ui the 18Th Of June
1879 advising him Of the design eventually To press
forward his amy to the east bank oi the Rio Gade
and. So bewitced was the Official Editor with the en-
chanting prospect which with Mexico en-
pcced to unfold to country, in opening to it the
road To Cainruia and enahng it 10 spread lar and
wide the great principle of segovernnent," that there
seemed atleast Willingness Oh his part 10 permit, il
which such goiou results were anticipated In Sep
teniber it plainly indicated that more beiger-
ent attitude than then exhibited on the pait Of
Mexico would be quite agreeable to HIM Tn the 10Th
OF that month the purpose Of moving our army 10 the
Rio Grnnde disclosed, and day or two after tins
il was stated that our boundary had been rrevocaby
planted at the Rio Grnnde, in regard to which ''nch
er the bullets Of the Mexicans the paper shot oi
their friends in this county would" be able 10 shake
the Determination Of the Executive" This deterli-
milton was rendered the moe remarkable from the
TACT ut the repetition OF the same identical statement
in three several numbers Of the official journal, which
was equivalent to telling Mexico that any negotiation
for it was entirely out ut the question. In the mean
time. Gen. Taylor. in command OF the force Stationed
ut Corpus Christi. had more than once been remind
e by the War Department tina, nh advance upon the
Rio Grandc, at any time would be acceptable to the
Administration. But the General knew better than
To incur the responsibility Of such movement and
respectfully but positively declined doing so III letter
to the War Department. under date ot October a,
1915:
Mexico having as yet made positive declaration
OF war committed any Orcr act ~ Institutes,
isad the General do not feel nj Liberty. under my
to make forward movement to the RIO
Grande without authority from the War Department.
About the time this letter reached Washington, the
President engaged in preparing his iir- Message
to Congress and had already determined To recon-
mend measure o hostility against McXIc" Oh the
ostensibr ground Of the unpaid insialmeni- :" lntrnI
nity, Nc-when information was II ccvcd here at the
Willingness ct Mexico TO receive II Commissioner to
treat concerning the boundary question. We here
re- state this point, because 1t appears to n
terla one in til. history Of the War in which the Pre-
sdent contrivcd nith0ut consulting Congress- alter
wards to involve the county This induced change
in the Message and IN the intended recommendation
to Congress to resort to war upon Mexico OF winch
change, and the OF it, Congress was Applied,
in the Annual Message OF December, lol5, in terms
which Mexico perhaps understood though we doubt
whether Congress did
=" forbear" said the President, " to recommend
TO Congress such interior of redress or the
wrongs and injuries we have 50 long borne, as 1t
irould hare been proper to make had no such negota
tons been instituted"
Instead OF Commissioner as proposed by Mexico,
the President sent Minister Pcnipotentary, whose
instructions have never been published. II they ever
are it will be found that he ordered ncgu-
tiae a settlement of the Boundary OF Texas uhOugh
before said such negotiation Ind been directed by
Congress- unless IN complication with the TO
the United States OF California, by way ol indemnify
for the old claims of which suc exaggerated aud
distorted account has been given IN the several Mes
sngrs OF the President As Tar the ria.H.s
know from the President himself that Mr.. SLIDELI
thus instructed. The Presden, could not, he has
informed Congress, for "A moment entertain the idea
that the claims Of our citizens should be postponed
separated from the boundary qnesti0n. Nor, We pre-
sumo, lin the absence OF documentary proc ) our
Commissioner to be allowed to establish satisfactory
boundary between the United States tTexas lncuded)
and Mexico, without securing AT the same time ccs
sion OF California
Had the President met the overture OF the Mexican
Government i'll proper spirit, by sending Commits
sioner 10 treat OF the only immincn, questlon-the
question oi boundary had he not peinaclousy INSIST
ed on cloIging that question with things having no
necessary conneXon with it, the boundary might
have been nmicably settled tie claims oi our cZ-s
examined and nduilcatrd NJ rlsurc and III" desired
territory on the Northwest Coast acquired by purchase
ind there W0ud har" been no tcar; Tor there wuull
have been no pretence tor II.
Without waiting tor the sanction OF Congress to n
measure which was itself an act OF war-so obviously
So, that the Commander ot the Army would not take
the responsibility OF ii, though invited to do So
percmptury orders were given, while Nr. SLIDELL was
yet IN communication with the Government al Mex
leo, for the march To the Rio GnndP. What followed
is known every render The wal WAS an inevitable
consequence OF the march OF our Amy into the Mex
ican territory at the time and IN the manner Ia which
IL took place.
Mexico Ind indeed regarded and resented the an
nexaton Of Texas by the United States, without hr
mt, hostile act, aud had threatened rctna
ton But threats are not hu>lltes She never woult
have made any approach To our army, much less have
attacked IT, whlis, il coniird II 10 the known i'm
Its OF TEXTS Aitcr she knsw OF tn. alvancr OF ou
army INTO the Mexican territory she did no more thar
Diet nj that territory from aggression which she ha,
b 10 e entrusted every at oI peace IL hNci lneit
would clearly have been no war " IN Mexico, had Tie
event depended upon her st king the hist blow
Ii can hnrdly be Necessary 10 rrcur 10 write on Tic
Law OF Nations TO show that, independently ol tlt
constitutional obligation upon of President Ia ats,a
from war, this was wholly UNJUST, because who'll.
unnecessary and that, even II were not UNJUST,
ought To have been prosecuted further than fc
CURED by the supposed necessity which gave rise 10 It
Il all that the President AYERS as 10 the origin OF n
war were en gable truth, II yet could not affect the
position that the has been pushed 10 an extern
not required by justice by national honor, or even By
national resentment. 1t would have ceased long ago
il TO conquer peace only had been lis object,
it real object had not beento wnsl from Mexico, on tn
poorest OF prciences, territories which she will pro
badly never surrender, to the extent required but wi
her national existence.
| That this is the object for which the war is To b
further prosecuted Is no longer disguised by the EN
| he irll i
will, under any CIRCUMSTANCES consent To peace uit
as stated IN the Mess the establishment al west
ern boundary tor the United States 10 tile RIO GHnIt
| (Which includes parts OF four Mexican p ovmccs) nm
the cesson to the Uditrd SItes ui the states Pro
vinces oi New Mexico AMI Upper California. Tines
STATES now occupied by military forces the PIE
81 lent is satisfied should never be surrendered {
! Mexico but held forever, with or without her con
sent He invites Congress now to do, what he la
heretofore undertaken to do OF his own uuino ny,
establish territorial governments over them, Tie eve
goes 50 lar advise Cuugrcss 10 hold these PR
vinces permanently, ana that they Shall hereafter b
considered as constituent paris ui country - ia
last recommendation being directly in contempt OF on
oi the plainesl principles oI the law OF nations
"Immovables, lands, towns, provinces, &c fsa,
| Vattei pass under the power OF the enemy whl mih,
himself master ol them but II Is only by Tie treaty
peace or tie entire Su1n! ssi0n ana eEt.nct,On Of T.
State 10 phich ticss tirns Gad prJr!aces tc.Oasc,
that the acquisition completed, and the pupCity be
comes stable aud perfect
To the same effect are repeated decisions Of OF
own Supreme Court, Witness the following
by conquest. the conqueror acquires nothing /,
a temporary night OF possession and government ny,
the territory conquered, until paccatIon aud cul
not IN the mean time, impair, by any tIansicr, I'll
rights OF the former sovereign"
/ Clark rs, The u. STATES, Wash c. {. Il. l0l.
"A territory, conquered by an enemy, is not to
considered as incorporated into the domlnlons OF tn