The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1848-03-18
Again, in the same letter, he says;

bNN PiNRNtHNAOtS " NNibhlh w ~ WIS
frontier of Texas (Which he said in the
extract just read, was on or near the Rio
are 10 be made without any delay -
but he was directed, at the sam time, not to
land on that frontier (the Rio Grande) till he
ascertained the acceptance by Texas Of the
terms of annexation. As soon as he heard Of
that event, he was at liberty, under this order,
to take position on or near the Rio Grande.
July Both, 1916, Mr.. Marcy, Secretary
Of War, writes:
"The Rio Grande is claimed to be the boun-
dairy between the two countries, and up to this
boundary you are to extend your protection,
only excepting any posts in the actual occupa-
ton of Mexican forces, &c, It is expected
that, in selecting the establishment for your
troops, you will approach as near the bounda-
ry line-the Rio Grande-as prudence will die
tate.'
Now, sir, these were the orders under which
General Taylor was acting when he wrote the
letter Of October 9TH, 1916, in which il is said
he advised the march of our army to the Rio
Grande. He had been already told that he
was to approach " as near The Rio Grande ns
prudence would dictate''-that his ultimate
destination was the Rio Grande, &c. What,
then, does Gen, Taylor write on the 4th Oc-
tober. He begins his letter by reminding the
Department that "the instructions Of June 10,
U845,0 issued by MIR. Bancroft, directed him
to select and occupy, on or near the Rio
Grande, such a site as will consist with the
health of the troops, and will be best adapted
to repel invosion," &C.; and he adds, that
"Point Isabel (tw, nty-one miles from Mata
moras) would have fulfilled, more completely
than any other position, the conditions imposed
by the Secretary" He then gives his reasons
for not occupying that point. He says: "We
had no artillery, no engineer force or aP'
planes, and but a moderate amount OF inian-
try; and the occupation of Point Isabel, under
these circumstances, and with at least the pos
sibility Of resistance from the Mexicans, might
have compromised the safety Of the command, }"
&c. He then, after some further remarks, goes
on to give what is relied on as the advice Of
Gen. Taylor, 0s follows:
"For these reasons, our position thus la
has, l think, been the best possible; but now
that the entire force will soon be concentrated
it may we'll be q question whether the views o
lGovernment will be best carried out by our re
naming at this point. 1t is with great defer
ence that | make any suggestion on topics tina
/ NAV become matters of delicate negotiation
Q but If our Government, in settling the ques
ton of boundary, makes the line Of the Ri
. Grande an ultimatum, | cannot doubt that tn
| settlement will be greatly facilitated and has
/, tened by our taking possession at once OF on
, or two suitable points on or quite near tina
river" &c.
, What does Gen. Taylor here say? He fenl
r that, by remaining at Corpus Christi, he ma
NOT carry out " the views Of The Government.
He had been told that the Administrative
e meant to insist on the Rio Grande as our we
tern boundary. If that was still their dete
Il mination-if the line Of the Rio Grande WI
a to be the ultimatum-then, in that hypothet
o cal case, he advised the march of the arm.
But. sir, was the Rio Grande to be the ultimt
tum? That was a question to be settled
negotiation, in which the treaty-muking pow
d er waste be heard; and so it was declared
the annexation resolutions. Mr.. Polk, hov
n aver. saw fit to decide the question witho'
IS consulting the Senate.
i This, sir, is the advice given by Gen. Ia
Of lor, on which the friends Of the President re
his defence. They say that, when he gave Il
fatal order of January l3, l846, he acted upc
N the advice of General Taylor. Now, sir,
70 ne expose to you the abominable fraud, Il
gross deception of this defence Would "
% believe it possible, sir, if you did not know Il
fact, that this advice Of General Tnylor'
=, which il is said the President acted, was,
ar the 9TH day Of November, l845, more than t'
a months before the order Of January 18th, liz
ID fully, entirely, and explicitly retracted by &c
TayIor-ahd retracted expressly on the grou
% Of Mr.. slidell's mission, by which negotiatio
10 were resumed? Yet so is the fact DO
n champions Of the President publish to t
re- void this fact? No, sir, they conceal
at their constituents will never learn it throu
". them. The gentlemen who have spoken
ia this subject on the other side have studioui
bo concealed this important fact, They say !
no President acted on tie advice Of Gen. Tayl
Id That advice, hypothetical and conditional IS
was, was retraeted on the 9TH OF Novemp
III l845 and was, on the 18th Of January IL
n. as il il had never been. It was not, at u
Of time, Cen. Taylor's advice. On sober seco
ST. thoughts, he modified his opinion; and thu
ar who say that Mr.. Polk's course was justlt
II. by Gen. Taylor's judgment, do rank Unjust
mi to that distinguished officer. Here is his
lin ter, dated Corpus Christi, November 7lh, Il
| ask your attention to the following extr'
are in which he retracts the opinion expressed
A., the letter Of October A: