Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1848-01-13

From the National Intelligencer.
Review of the Presidents Mes
sage.
THE WAR WITH MEXICO.

THE WAR WITH MEXICO.
When, on the 18th day of May Of
last year, the passage of the act Of Con-
gress, recognizing the existance Of the
War with Mexico, was announced to
the readers of the National Inteligencer,
it was accompanied by the expression of
belief that by the largest portion of its
readers the information would be receiv-
ed with alarn'--alarm Justly excited by
the witness and cklcssness with
which the nation has been plunged into
foreign war, which, as the People were
in no particular prepared for, they were
in no way forewarned of. For ourselves,
we we're not taken wholly by surprise by
the news. In the craftsmanship of the
Executive, whatever confidence we were
disposed to place had been shaken by
the almost daily demonstrations by its
official organ during the first year of its
existence. We had watched its SUCCESS
sive developments, gradually disclosing
Il settled purpose TO make war upon
Mexico, in the event of not succeeding
in in,imida,ing her into prompt submits
sion to the demands which the President
intended to make upon her. The organ
(the government paper) was hardly a
week old before its le ,ders were trans
ported in imagination, To the " Halls of
Montezuna," which were to be occupi-
ed by the United States ss the GROWING
act of ga second conquest of Mexico"
The tocsin being sounded, volunteers
were to flock from the west TO the scene
OF action, and to carry every thing be-
fore them. The government paper taught
us, also HOW the war was to be brought
OH by which this conquest was to be ef-
tected. 1t foresaw, by many months,
the march of our army from Corpus
Christi (where, as every body knows,
Mexico never meant to disturb l) to the
Rio Grandc foresaw that the Mexicans
might cross the Rio Grande, and that if
they did "blood would be she'd" and
war must ensue." When, therefore.
the prediction was realized-when the
catastrophe arrived, however it shocked
1t can scarcely be said to have surprised
us. OF the facility and precipitancy
with which the purposes of the Execu.
live came to be sustained by the Legs
lniive authority of the United States
we cannot say the same. We were both
surprised and alarmed TO find how east
ly, on the impulse Of the moment, blind.
fold and gagged, Congress could be
driven to lend lis countenance to these
purposes. BliudfoId and gagged, we
repeat. Nor is the expression too strong
Tor, 6Jore the news of the dangerou,
position OF our army was communicated
10y the Executive to Congress, commit
tees OF both Houses had been together
ION the Sabba,h) and measures prepar
, ed in concert with the Executive, which
the next day, on receiving the Pres
dents Message in form, without waiting
to have the papers accompanying it raat
over, for the information of the mem
bcrs. were forced through the House O
Representatives. Nor, even TO bod
excited as the House was by the stirrin,
news from the Rio Grande, did the rul
ing party in the House venture to pro
pose the false and obnoxious Preamble
of the Bill until after all deliberalion an,
debate had been precuded on ques
ton as momentous certainly as eve
came before Congress. Had there beel
, nothing else alarming in this dec aratiol
Of War with Mexico, the despo,sm thu
, exercised over the minority Of the Rep
resentative body, repeated on the fol
lowing day in the Senatorial body
(thcrelofore exempt from such shar
practice, } was Of itself sufficient to appa
the hearts of those accustomed, as w
have been, TO regard the rights of mi
norities as not less sacred than those a
majorties, and among them, the right o
proposing amendments to or remonstrat
ing against any proposition coming be
fore them. The majority in each Hous
was thus subjected by most arbitrar,
and malignant exercise of party power
without being allowed a moment for de
liberation, 10 the alternative of votin.
for bill with preamble, the ialsehoot
of which they saw and deiesled or O
refusing 10 Nole Tor eOactnents (sup
plies OF men and money! 10 which, al
lavish as they were, there would, per
haps, but for the Preamble, not hav,
been dissentient voice.
Whatever alarm we and our readers
felt at this beginning, has certainly beer
fully justified by the progress of events
Even that precipitation in the action o
Congress-that preamble, affirming I'VE
distinct falsehoods-lhat tyranny b,
which a vote was exlorted from the lw,
Houses, have been continually appealed
to by the Executive organs as evidence
of the unanimty of the national viii
IN appreciation of the war. In the Mes
sage before us, that appeal is repeated
accompanied with statement, in terms
that the declaration that 81 the War ex.
isis 10y the act of Mexico" was passed
"with great unanimiiy" in Congress
though it must be known TO the Execu
tive that but small majority in either
House OF Congress approved that decIa
ration, many members declaring thci
repugnance TO it--some their utter alb