Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-07-29

wise the acceptance Of this proposition advise with such
notifications as they may, upon full deberaon, deem
proper, shall conform my action to their advice. Should
the Senate however, decline by such constitutional msjo
rty ha s by vote Of t,co thirds of the Senate give
such advice or to express opinion the subject shall
consider IL my duty REJECT OFFER"
The SENATE took care not to trust the question
to the discretion Of the President. They took il
out of his hands, and by vote of 3s to IL they re-
commended to the President to accept the British
proposition. And when, few days AFTER il came
back to the Senate in the shape of Treaty, they
ratified the Treaty by vote Of Al yeas to IA nays,
Mr.. CAss voting on both questions in the minority.
And thus, happily lorou country, most auspicious-
ly for the interests Of humanity, was Peace, ho-
norable and advantageous to the United States,
ratified, against the persevering opposition of a
War party in our own country, amongst whom
was the Democratic candidate for the Presidency
Peace which he did every thing in his power. by
his speeches, his actions, and his yoes TO prevent
Had his counsels and his vote prevailed, the coun-
try would have been in all probability at this very
time engaged in desperate and most sanguinary
war with England; war wholly unnecessary, as
the event showed, and which could not have been
otherwise than curse to our own country and
pest TO the world.
We have seen that, both in the quasi war for
$40 4O and in all that real and sangunary struggle
which has flowed from the hostile annexation OF
Texas--One and inseparable in the history of the
present Administration-the violence, the blood
provoking measures of the /" Progressive leaders
were purely voluntary. With Texas and the Unit
ed States in firm and quiet consent to Annexation.
the inert opposition Of MEXICO to that arrangement
part, when so much in condition for safe agrees
sion, would no doubt have speedily quieted the
Mexican resentment Of the thing or, if that failed
some conciliatory sacrifices to her pride would have
easily vanquished every difficulty. Such sacrifices
would have needed, on our part, to be but
slight and, offerings to peace and humanity, as
the concessions OF strong nations magnanimty to
an unhappy ones weakness, of rich peoples s.
wealth to poor ones distress, they would have
done us honor. But besides, we had repeatedly de-
clared, by our offers, that compensation would be
due hers and finally, that 1t ,oo,lld be accepted for
such was four readers will remember the assurance
given, in the name Of the Administration, to Con-
gress and the Nation, by Mr.. G. ]. INeERsoLL, on
the eve of Annexation. All policy, all promises
all humanity, all generosity, were, however, reso-
lutely thrust aside; the peaceful, the prudent, the
cheap, the sure, the becoming solution of the diff
Guilty, was Stunned with as much zeal as good men,
patriots, Christians, or even humane nfdels would
have employed in seeking it; and, 10 make all sure,
lest some public and popular compunction should
interpose to save us from strife SO needless and
bad, the country trepanned into an illegal war;
as il had been ricked into an unconstitutional Annex
alton. A peaceable incorporation of what Mexico
claimed was certainly The utmost that our country
could ask but it was far short of what the Con-
quest - portion of the Democracy required;
merely to get Texas, and to get it in peace, would
have been making themselves only the tame finish
ers of what the vili6ed Mr.. TYLER had originated
No; they must be more than dull sequel to SO
sad tale: they must, to draw attention, have their
own startling addition to the plot and bloody ca
tastrophe all their own. In like manner Of the
OREGON difficulty which was none, but for their
studiously making it such. There again-as it.
like new Don Quixote, they deemed
Weapons our comelies array,
And no refreshment like the bloody fray
they spurned at all negotiation, however friendly
and fair, at all claims of others, matter how long
since recognised by ourselves, and at even all out
own offers Of the settlement at the 49th degree, no
matter how many times repeated by our successive
ambassadors. No. nothing pressed England
was taking no new steps, broaching no fresh pre-
tensions we were every day strengthening our
foothold in the territory; but merely to get by
treaty what other Administrations had offered to
take, was quite out Of the question for President
whose actual position made some violent and
strange effort necessary 10 acquire distinction just
as, on the stage, Indifferent actor has no chance
but either TO rant and or to. remain unnoticed
Of sudden, as if with Messrs. Polk and CAss
had dawned new era in reason, a new epoch OF
returning justice and humanity, no nation was any
longer to dare to have any pretensions in conflict
with our own. Their titles were only frauds or
encroachmcnts and, while the recognised rights OF
nobody else were to be regarded, our own merest
claims were, all at once, out Of the single virtue OF
their being ours, to take such sacredness that the
touch of any thing like umprage arbitration, would
absolutely prolane them | Certainly, the most un-
principled claim ever set up for this countryside