Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-10-07
A FALSE CHARGE DIsPRovED.

tive. but false and absurd lmputatlon on Gene
raj TAYLOR, renewed at this moment, after being
more than year ago fully examined and refuted
in this paper, we have it in our power, upon the
testimony of the Administration itself, by whose
friends it is now revived utterly to demolish. We
find the charge preferred in the Albany Argus Of
last Saturday, in the following terms
No candid man, Of either party, who will look
at the facts presented the official records of the
country, can fail to see that, if there be any fault
resting any where on the Of the march Of our
army to the Rio Grande, General TAYLOR comes
in for a full share Of it. He it was who first ad-
vised and urged that movement, and it moi
sanctioned By the National Administration until
after Mr.. Sidell, and the prcffers Of negotiation
with which he had been charged, had been spurned
with contumey by the Mexican Government, and
war had been actually declared on its part, not
merely for the purpose of recovering the territory
said to be in dispute but the entire State Of Texas
Then il was that the movement suggested and urged
by General Taylor was assented to at Washing
ton-and that not as act of aggression, but as
purely defensive measure-defensiye against hostile
incursions. not upon territory in dispute between
the two nations but upon the territory of one Of the
States Of this Union
OF the history of the movement Of the army upon
the Rio Grande proving it to have been peremp-
torily ordered by the President after Gen. TAYLOR
had refused to assume the responsibility of such
movement when merely advised to it, conclusive
proof will be found in article in the preceding
page of this paper copied from the National nelli-
gencer Of June 81, l847. We repubsh that article
not so much to convince our adversaries who have
no desire to be convinced, to fortify those who
are disposed to resist the odious mputation which
is now attempted to be fixed upon Gen. TAYLOR
OF having aduised the Administration to make war
upon Mexico.
Now, for the remainder Of the statement of the
.4rgus, by which it would shift from The shoulders
of the Administration the responsibility of the war;
brought on by the march to the Rio Grande. That
movement, says the Argus, was not sanctioned
by the National Administration until after Mr..
SLIDELL, and the proffers of negotiation with
which he had been charged, had been spurned
cih confumey By the Mericaa Gopernnaent,
: and WAR HAD BEEN ACTUALLY DECLARED ON ITS
PART" We glad that this assertion is SO dis
tnct and specific as to make it alike impossible to
misunderstood it or to explain it away. The issue,
moreover IS one CT fact and all that we have got
to do to demosh the charge, is to confront it with
"a competent witness to its fasity. Stand forth,
then, Mr.. Secretary Of State!
The Executive Document No. 60 of the last ses.
sion of Congress contains the correspondence be-
tween Mr.. Secretary BUCHANAN and Mr.. sLIDELI,
Minister in Mexico, and, as part of it, the in
strucGons, by order Of the President of the United
Staes forwarded by the Secretary to that Minister
The order for the march to the Rio Grands the
reader must recoect, was issued on the 18th of
January, 1876. On the 2Oih day of January, one
week precisely after the date of that order, Mr..
BUCHANAN, transmitting to Mr.. SLIDELL his CON-
mission, just then ratified by the Senate, insnucts
him as follows:
/" Should the Mexican Government, by finally
refusing 10 receive you consummate the act Of folly
and bad faith OF which they have afforded such
strong indications, nothing wW then remain for
this Government 6ut 10 take the redress of the
Urongs Of its citizens into It's o,on hands,
I" In the mean time, the President IN ASTIcrpA-
TON Of the final refusal offhe Mc1ican Govern
menf to receive you, has ordered the army of
Ieras TO Advance and take position on the left
bank Of the Rio Grande and has directed that
strong fleet shall be Immediately assembled in the
gulf of Mexico"
II is thus proved, beyond the possibility Of de-
nal, that the march Of the army to the Rio Grande
was ordered by the President in anticipation OF
the refusal of the Mexican Government to receive
Mr.. SLIDELL, and without any pretence of its being
provoked by hostile demonstrations on the part Of
Mexico.
Ii cannot therefore, be true but must be admitted
to be false, that that movement was not sanctioned
by the Administration until after Mr.. SLIDELL had
been spurned by the Mexican Government, and
war lad been actually declared on its part.
II It were necessary TO cumulate evidence on
TINS point, more of it is to be found in the Docu-
ment referred to. Mr.. BUCHANAN, for example, in
letter of the 2sh Of January, to Mr. SLIDELL, uses
the following language, with other expressions
showing doubt, at least, on the part Of the Exccu-
tive, at that date, whether the Mexican Govern
ment woald really refuse TO receive him:
Should The Mexican Government however
finally refuse to receive you, the cup Of torbear-
'dace will then have been exhausted Nothing
can remain but 10 take the redress of the injuries
TO our citizens, and the insults to our Government
into our o,cn hayads.'
HoN. JOIN 8. PESDLEToN.-This gentleman addressed
the people Of Fairar, (va) Mondy week, in speech
Of marked ability, which occupied nearly four hours in It's de-
laxAW1