Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-08-05

l. take the redress of the injuries to oar Govern
nae't, and the insults TO our citizens, into ou
oicn hands"
And so repeats following this instruction, Mr.
SLIDELL, in his letter Of the 18th Of March follow
ing, to the Mexican Minister of Foreign Affairs
"The question has now reached point where
words must give place to acts. While he TMr. s.
deeply regrets result SO little contemplated wher
he commenced the duties of his mission Of peace, ht
is sc0nsofedby the reflection thatno honorable efforts
TO avert THE cALAMITIEs OF WAR have been spared
by his Government, and that those efforts canno
fail to be properly appreciated not only by the
People of the United States but by the seorid."
Here, certainly, is formal denunciation of WAR
against Mexico, and, according to usage in such
cases. an appeal 10 the world, TO bear witness tina,
Mexico, the opposite party, has left to the United
States no other alternative. War, therefore, was
intended by the Executive. Nay, it had already
been begun. The Army of the United States was,
at the date of this letter. already SO far on its march
to Matamoros, that on the seventh day thereafter
March 24) it arrived at Point Isabel, the Mexi-
authorities setting fire to their house and
flying before it, and on the II lth day thereafter
the Army actually sat down before Matamoros
making any demonstrations of war, that the Presi-
dent of the Republic of Mexico, (PAREDEs,) on
the departure of Mr.. SLIDELL, issued Proclama-
ton declaring that, until the National Congress
should have considered the question, no act of ag-
gresson would be committed against the United
States by Mexico. Neither, after our armies had
invaded her territory, did Mexico declare war, as
appears by the following from subsequent Pro-
clamation
soennly announce that do not declare war against
the Government of the United States of A,aerica because
belongs the august Congress of the Nation and not
the Executive to resolve definitely what eparaon should
be exaced for such offences. But The defence of the Ari
can territory ,cch the forces Of the United States hare
invaded is urgent necessity, and my responsibility to
the nation would be immense should fail to order the
troops which thus act enemies to be repeed and Ihave
therefore giUen ot order. From this day begins our de-
fensipe war"
Whether the United States had or had not Just
claim to the territory between the Nueces and the
Rio Grande, the march of our Army into that ter
ritory was act of war.
whenever" says Mr.. GALLAr1N, . territory
claimed by two Powers is and has been for length
OF time in the possession of one of them if the |
other invade and take possession Of it by mill
tary force, such an act is an act of open hostility
according to the acknowledged practical law of
nations.'*
This war, then, was begun, not by the authority |
Of the United States, nor by the war-making power
in that Government but by the President of the
United States, wihou. any sort of authority-out of
his own mere will, and to accomplish designs not
only not sanctioned by the Government proper, but
n defiance of positive act Of Congress forbidding
hese his hostile proceedings.
notwithstanding all this, the President as re-
;ently as in his last annual Message to Congress,
when he asked for the means of penetrating fur.
her into the vtals of Mexico, reiterated, nearly
wenty times, in one form or other, that the war
vas begun by the act of Mexico. He said in that
Message, for example, that " she struck the first
,low;" that she invaded the Territory of Texas :"
hat " she shed the blood of American citizens on
,ur own soil;' that she committed "unustifable
md unprovoked hostilites; = that their 1.-THE Mexi-
ans faithless Government has commenced hostili-
ies," &C. The falsity of all this is abundanlly es-
ablished by the foregoing brief narrative Of the
acts and law of the case.
The war was indeed war of false pretences
rom beginning to end, as we have heretofore abun-
anty proved, and shall not 60 through the unne-
essary task Of proving again. We should not
lave touched even the single point of who was the
ggressor in this war, but for the fact that instead
4 showing any contrition for the injuries which he
las been the prime cause of inficting on his own
country, the President, in his Message announcing
he ratification Of the Treaty Of Peace, renewing
he strain of his former Messages to Congress, has
poken of the war just closed as war in which
'ur country was reluctantly involved in the neces-
'ary uiadication Of the National rights and
ionor -
There is yet later Message Of the President to
Congress which provokes and demands few re-
marks. We refer to that in which he seeks pro-
lection, for his repeated usurpations Of Legislative
power during the war, behind the post which the |
Constitution gives him Of Commander-in-chief Of
he Army and Navy Of the United States. We
have heretofore demonstrated the utter incompati-
oiity Of that claim with the intention and even the
positive prescriptions Of the Constitution, which
expressly assigns to the Legislative branch of the
Government the whole class Of powers which he
to derive prerogatively from his function