Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-01-01

who voted in favor of the act recognising the war
and granting the required levies of men and money
they thought only Of the peril of that brave army
under General TAYLOR, which afterwards SO gal.
antly extricated itself from danger before reinforce
ments or supplies could reach it. They endorsed
none Of the pretexts of the war. Their sympa-
thy was for the safety of the Army and the honor
of the National Flag, Their hearts full of that pa
riot sentiment, they snapped asunder the meshes Of
the net spread for them in the shape Of Preamble
to the Bill and, considering il part OF the enact
ment, but the mere brut,m fulmen of party, they
voted for the Bill, the Preamble notwithstanding.
But in doing so, most certainly neither they nor the
Members of opposite politics conceived that they
were pledging the lives and fortunes of their fellow
citizens, much less compromising the national des-
tiny, as the President would now persuade them
that they have done, to career of indefinite War
and boundless Conquest, such as that in which
the President exhorts them to accompany Him,
the Conqueror. Nor, as we have before said, has
Congress, by its subsequent legislation, granting
supplies of men and money to prosecute this war,
everintended to countenance war for the purpose
of stripping Mexico of her territories, in order to
appropriate them to our own use.
Yes, in the Message before US, the President APP
peals to Congress to legitimate the conquests which
he has already made, and, by the act of doing So,
to authorize and encourage him to go on. conquerng
and to conquer Intoxicated, apparently, with the
fumes and the glory Of conquests achieved he
ntmates to the Representatives of the People, in
almost Imperial phrase, his high and firm resolves
"No Treaty Of Peace says he, switch does not
provide so and so I" can receive my sanction"
He sent Commissioner, some months ago, to the
Headquarters of our Army in Mexico to treat Of
peace, with an " ultimatum" which, he informs
Congress, was under no Circumstances to be yield
ed. al cannot doubt" says he, :" that we should
secure and render available the conquests which
have already made" 81 am satisfied" says he1
that the Provinces of New Mexico and the Calis
fornias should never be surrendered to Mexico"
And, should Mexico continue to refuse to cede these
territories and the line Of the Rio Grande boun-
dairy, he says we /" must continue to occupy her
country with our troops, taking the full measure of
indemnity into our own hands, and must enforce
the terms which our honor demands" l, MY,
MUST. Is this the language or the tone in which
Congress should be addressed by person who is,
like them, but the servant of the People and the
Laws Behold He, the Conqueror, comes to Con-
gress, far more than he the organ of the sovereign
wl-to the immediate Representatives of the Peo-
pie, who sometimes make Presidents, and have at
all times power to unmake them; who alone have
the power to make war-which the President took
out of their hands when he began this war, though
they were then in session at no greater distance
60, a., tla
and promuges as a rule of action for this Govern
ment Code Of National Honor, the leading prin-
ciple of which is the absolute right and perfect duty
of approprating to ourselves by means Of our mere
physical superiority, not only large and valuable
Provinces Of Mexico, but the whole territory of
the Republic, if she still refuses his demand for
those Provinces! We trust that there are few of
our readers who do not regard with unmitigated
disgust this proposition, Ito hold these provinces
permanently and hereafter to consider them as
constituent part Of our country, in connexion with
the Recommendation to prosecute further conquests
with increased energy and power in the vital parts
of the enemy's country" To our minds this sup
posed requirement of National Honor is utterly
revolving. And, as to the morality of it, we re-
member nothing to equal its unblushing contempt
of common honesty, unless it be in a passage Of
the history of Jonathan Hid, by the inmitable
Fielding, who makes his Hero argue as follows the
point of honor, in reference to exercise of manual
dexterity by one of his associates
" Do not some by Honor mean good-nature
and humanity, which freak minds call virtues
How, then! Must we deny ii to the great, the
brave, the noble; to the sackers of towns, the
punderers of provinces, and the conquerors of
: kingdoms Again, some few Tor am mistakenly
include the idea Of honesty in. their honor. And
shall we then say that no man who withholds
: from another what law, or justice perhaps, calls
his own, or who greatly and boldly deprives him
of such property, is a man of honor Heaven
forbid should say so in this, or, indeed, in any
good company"
To return, however, TO the imperial tone Of this
Message. 1t can hardly have escaped the observa-
ton Of the intelligent reader that the President dis
courses to Congress as though, in regard to the
conduct of this war, the objects for which it is pro-
secuted and the terms upon which shall be brought
to close, the Executive branch of the Government
(he himself had the sole right to judge what
is right and proper to- be done. We have heard,
indeed, in the Halls Of Congress, powers claimed
Co. ,ba unite pyceptionahla no