The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-08-15

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Luther haze proposed 10 y to act the part of
one The task am engaged in has been forced upon
me by the power of circu mstances Ii will be
end and with it viii for all incidents arising
from connexon with public affairs Except in dischar
gng my duty TO my country private citizen, they
heneeorward TO be beyond my sphere"
We are glad TO learn from these serious declarations,
that, though in comparison with HIMSELF Mr. Trist
CARDS laleyand as OF only small account, yet he does
not imagine himself be Luther So far at least this is
! lucid interval
Yet IN the very next paragraph, the fit thus comes on
again
"But, although inapplicable me- the very of
Luther presented IN such eoasrion his, fraught
with significance which but be felt though
the day gone by chen believed This incl
dent though no prophetic virtue be in it, may prove
the fo'er~nner OF storm that shall purify political
atmosphere and dsspate the seeds Of death with which
already has become loaded 1t cM if the rep
resentatves OF the people do their duty"
So much for Mr.. Trists preface. From it readers
may Judge of the gst and burden of his performance,
which is in the words following:
SIN of the accompanying pa pers etter the 'Rep-
esentaves of the American people, under date Mexico,
February H. 1851 my belief is expressed that Congress
and the country had been deceived by the individual hold
ing the trust of President of the United Staes and that
the object for which that deception had been pracsed
the indefinite proracon of the warhis proacon of the
having for its end the conquest of Mexico and her alb
sorpton into Union. This my belief then il is
belief In that letter. and particularly in the
recently appended it, my belief expressed that
corrupt has been made of the power and the influence
attached the of President of the United States
even to The extent of subor,lation Of perjury.
Upon both these points my belief is positive and firm,
distinct and clear Equally firm and clear in my mind is
the further belief that make the former the belief of Con-
gress and OF the country nothing is but that the
of the people should exercise the powers Of
inquiry inherent in them the grand inquest of the
the body
ton with the power and consequently with the duty of
impea chment.'"
Certainly we have not the very slightest idea of an
swering all this farrago, which, all things considered
cannot possibly be regarded by any of sense as rising
into the dignity of noticeable accusation The loud and
general laugh of dersion with which, as we understand
it received when read in the House of Representa-
tves is the only necessary fitting upon it.
And yet, in particular this publication is renarka
BILE enough 1t has, without doubt sunk its author still
lower in the public estimation than he stood on his re-
turn from Mexico; and that is achievement in the
cart of Sinking altogether noteworthy. Few men
could have performed it in so short time, without the
aid of judge and jury sitting court of criminal urs
diction.
We have not seen the papers accompanying" Mr..
Trsts leterthe House of Representatives not having
thought them worthy of being printed. But if they do
contain exact and truthful narrative Of Mr.. Trsts
since he went to Mexico the sum and substance
of their statement, when done out of its long -wnded
Iristese into English must be to the following effect:
Sent to Mexico because the uncertainty of her willing
ness to enter upon any negotiations rendered the appoint
ment OF any eminent person then plainly nexpedient,
Mr. Trist carried out with other precise instructions,
which left nothing to his discretion, treaty Of peace,
which he was to sign when (ts two blanks being
lle should be agreed to by Mexico. Should Mexico
refuse to conclude that treaty. Mr.. Trst furnished
with another definite proposition, which he to pre-
sent as the ulmalm OF his government Of this sign.
ing of the treaty either of these previously ascerained
bases when it was done he to give General Scott
notice, and then he to come home.
This appears from published documents, was the
substance of his duy-a duty plain and simple that
no wel-informed and wel-intentioned child need 60
wrong in its performance On his arrival in Mexico, his
first step quarrel violently with General Scott, and
to write long and disgraceul letters in pursuance of that
quarrel in the of which, without one shadow of
authority justification, in his instructions anywhere
ese he undertook to issue to that distinguished officer,
in the of the President of the United States null
tary order respecting detachment of troops then in
the field. This quarrel Immediately succeeded by
reconciliation between the parties it, as sudden, spas
modic, and inexplicabe the quarrel ITSELF Mr. Trist
then met the Mexican commissioners and sgnazed his
interviews with them by offering Also without the least
color OF authority, to refer to has government the
srous proposition that should cede to Mexico nearly
half of one of the States of this Union!
When the news of all this shameful conduct on his
part reached Washngton-though, as our columns will
show in the absence of direct and full official informa-
ton about tit could not at first be, its ,Ohoe ertent
credited; yet Mr.. Trst at recalled. Having
made up his mind to betray the administration which had
conferred upon him trust of which he proved Who'll
ly unworthy, and to join its foes in fierce crusade
against it, he set all his duties public functonary at
Defiance positively refused TO obey the Presidents order
of recall and went in his negotiations with Mexico,
without authority, and in fragrant violation of law which
made him ndispuaby liable to criminal prosecution at
the discretion of the President.
These negotiations resulted in treaty drawn up partly
upon the basis of his Instructions and partly dsfgured
by ignorant and utterly inadmssibe interpretations of his
own inserted in plain violation of those instructions
Some of these Objectionable articles the Executive in
submitting the treaty. at and strongly advised the
Senate to reject Others struck out by the Senate
after the instrument because Of those provisions in it
which duly authorzed,) had been submitted to that
body in spirit of peace and through the Presidents de-
sire to disregard all merely formal and technical difficult
ties, and obtain peace possible, upon any
lust and honorable terms of indemnity and security