Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-01-01

moment protesting and deprecating the resort 10 Sc
dire an alternative. The latest of these protests by
that Government was in the form of Manifesto BY
the President, (PAREDEs,) which declared (says Mr.
SLIDELL in letter to Mr.. BUCHANAN, dated Apri
2, 1896 that "until the National Congress of Mexi
+ co shall have considered the question, no act o
aggression will be committed against the United
i States by the Mexican Government, but that i
will repel any [aggressionl that may be offered
| by them."* The protests by the Mexican mill
tary authorities against the invasion of the Terrific
ry of Tamaulpas THE territory between the Nueces
and the Rio Grande) as an act of war, were con.
tinuedup to the moment of the establishment of the
blockade of the Rio Grande.
We shall-not fatigue the readers attention by re-
tracing, in brief, the process Of reasoning, by
which, in two preceding numbers on this part of the
Presidents Message, we arrived at the conclusion
that the ambition OF popularity, to be attained by
the President through the acquisition, in one way
if not in another, of Mexican territory, not on the
Rio Grande merely but also on the Northwest coast,
was at the bottom Of this war; that the President
had made up his mind to accomplish this purpose
by means Of war; in the event Of his failing to ac-
compsh it by diplomacy or by intimidation; and
that the march Of the Army to the Rio Grande, and
the advance of the Navy in the same direction,
which the President himself claims to have been
predicated on the failure of success in his diplo-
matte enterprises, brought on the war. Whether
intimidation only was intended by that particular
movement, is in the breast of the President, and
known perhaps only to him and his Maker. But
that oar was expected by the Administration, is
known beyond doubt from the instructions given to
our Naval Commanders twelve months before the
conflict actually began. That Merico was really
expected to make war upon the United States is
a supposition not reconceable with the degree of
intelligence which we certainly do not deny to the
President and the Ministers who stand around him.
Their declarations to that effect must be consider
ed as merely mask to their own polite designs.
MEXICO, without ship of war ahoat, and utterly
destitute of the means of supporting Army of In
vasion-MExIco make ,oar upon the United States!
Would it not indeed be gross contempt of the
common sense of the Administration to mpute to it
any such apprehension 1t follows, irresstibly,
that the instructions to our Naval Officers in the
Pacific to keep sharp lookout for war, and
seize upon the ports of California at the first bruit
of it, had reference to which might be brought
on accidentatiy-to put the most favorable possible
construction on the immediate cause of this war
or be made by law, according to the recommended
ton to Congress which the President has informed
US that he at one time designed to make-or be.
made, as il came to be made, sponte sui, (of his
own mere will,) by the President.
Having thus briefly skeched the insrumentaty
of the President in bringing on this war, let for
moment consider what has been the
ACTION OF CONGRESS ON THE WAR.
When the Twenty-ninth Congress assembled in
December, ls45, its attention became at once en-
crossed by the Oregon question, then depending,
and threatening war, and continued TO be so much
occupied with it, that its suspicious of the purposes
of the President in regard to Mexico seem not to
have been awakened until the news of the danger
Gus position of our army on the Rio Grande in
duced the passage, without moments delibera-
ton, of the act authorizing a levy of men and an
appropriation of money TO succor and sustain it.
Relying, without examination, on the Presidents
statement that American blood had been shed on
own soil, his political friends being the ma
ority of each House, were too easily prevailed
upon by one of their party, who wanted to set
trap for the Wings" to insert in the bill declara-
lion that "war existed (which was not a fact
until Congress made it fact" by the act of Mex-
co." which could not be made fact as the war
itself was, even by act of Congress. But this act Of
legislation was extorted from Congress by sur
prise, and cannot be taken as any expression of
desire on the part of Congress to make war upon
Mexico for the purpose of Wrestling from her any ter
riory of hers. Nor have any of the measures since
adopted by Congress for the purpose of sustaining
this war; had any other end, far as the intention
concerned, than the bringing about an honor
able peace. This war, with whatever object begun,
has not been waged By Congress with view to
the conquest of any part Of Mexico, notwthstand
ing what the President says on this head in his
Message. So far from Congress, in appropriating
money to carry on the war, having any design to
despoil Mexico of her territories on the plea Of
having acquired by conquest right of property in
them, it is notorious that Congress utterly refused
the only time that proposition looking to per-
manent conquest has been presented for its consd-
eration TO give its sanction to It. That proposition
was conveyed in the following passage of the Pre-
sident's last years Annual Message In Congress.