The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-12-19
THE GALAXY.
MIDDLEBURY.VT.
Tuesday, December l9, l848.
THE PREsIpENT,s MESSAGE.

HE 0lEOCAGE.
We designed to says few words on the remark
able document which occupied the larger portion
of our paper last week-but, as no room was left
US to do So on the OCCASION and its sophistries
insults, and selfglorifcations are already in
great measure forgotten, we now feel but little
inclination to recall it, for any length Of time, to
the attention of our readers. We simply subjoin
two or three extracts, showing how it was receiv-
ed, generally, throughout the country. These
comments are mild in comparison with many
that we have read-for the Indignation felt at such
efrontery as characterizes the greater portion of
that document-most unlike what a message
should be, andwhat we believe Gen. Taylor's will
be-is universal, except: of course, among the de-
voted partizans of the Administration.
OF that part of the Message relating to the
Mexican War, the New York Tribune says:
To affect an aversion to War, yet to eulogize
and glorify War, is exactly in character with the
essential insincerity and hypocrisy of the author
of the Kane letter,
BLOOD on his hands, and Scripture on his lips
Nobody ever confessed to a love Of War for its
own sake-it is always commenced and justified
eOluC pIClCuCC vi luucInult(; UT sCCuIly, Ut
wounded honor. Any fair mind must realize
that if these pretexts sufficient to justify our
invasion and conquest of nearly all Mexico, with
our ultimate retention of one-third of its area rs
the legitimate 'spoils of victory, then there can
never be lack of pretext for any War whatever;
and rulers will go on preaching peace and cut
ting Understanding about 'beneficent Proyi-
dence' and scattering broadcast the limbs and
brains Of women and children-until the coming
Of fba a..
der such auspices TO be very long delayed. No
Cesar, no Bonaparte ever put forth manifesto
more completely calculated TO difiuse and infiame
the War SPIRIT than this very Polk Message of
1913.
The Buffalo Commercial Advertiser speaks
of the latter portion of the Message on this wise
Without particle of proof to sustain his ac-
cusation he boldly and unqualiiedly charges that
the friends OF a National Bank of a Protective
Tariff and of internal Improvements, and those
who advocated distribution among the States
twelve years ago, of the surplus in the National
Treasury, deliberately conspired 20 Cypress the
people and build up grasping, rapacious aristoc-
racy OF wealth, sufficiently strong to usurp and
keep control of all the departments of govern
ment. The people so charged constitute full
moiety if not deciied majority of the American
people, and the charge thus brought against them
IS foul, false and Infamous, the more infamous be-
cause unprovoked and gratuitous. 1t will be re-
PEELED with scorn and Indignation by all dispas-
sionate, right-thinking men, and by even a ma.
jority OF the Presidents own political friends, who
are honestly opposed, on principle, to the meas
ures reprobated.
The New York Courier & Enquirer, among
other good things on the subject, has the follow
ing:
The whole is explained by the result of the
Presidential election. Instead of acquiescing
promptly and gracefully, in one of the most strik
ing, most honorable and most encouraging ope-
rations witnessed Of the free institutions for
which Mr.. Polk pr9ftsSes such respcct-instcad of
affordng, as we family hoped he would, to over
hooking Europe-the example of a Chief Magis-
tratc rejected with his party and policy, by the
popular vote, at once and without show of passion
or resentment, retiring from the scene, and bid
dinghis successors welcome, VIC find President
Polk collecting into one huge drdianche of words
and bitterness the editorials of the Union during
the campaign, and availing himself of the last OPP
portunity TO pour forth upon the people the crude, /
malignant, libellous farrago of sophistry, asser-
ton and ipsinuation, answered in advance, and /
refutcd by the people in the vote, which proclaims
Zachary Taylor President and Willard Fillmore |
Vice President-and which will serve more sig
nally to mark the modification of defeat and /
pOSslpty, InOuHn We nave flltn IN the equaniml- /
ty and moderation of the President elect, greatly /
to exaspcrate HIM and his friends.
The following anecdote is TO good to be lostin
this connection Mr.. A. II. STEPHENS of Ca, in
n speech before the Rough and Ready Club of
Washington, on Thursday evening, made the fol-
lowing good hit at the Presidents Message:
He was struck with tho rer,orL Of n friend -,
the House, while the elaborate ard ill-tmed as
well as ill-tempcred document was being read by
The Clerk. Some one said Mr.. Polk is like law
yer arguing case after it is decided This friend,
whom you all know, Mr.. Collamcr.) said he was
rather like lawyer he heard Of in Vermont who.
upon being reprimandcd by the Judge for speak,
ing after the judgment of the Court was pro-
nounced, replied that he was not by any means
arguing his cause again, but only damning The de-
,ision.
NON nVHNT r-DUurn