The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1848-02-24

!. what is meant by the aggression which 20
!. are instructed to avoid. will add, th'
!. ~hile the annexation Of Texas extends on
D boundary To the Del Nor,c. tho Pfesider
I reserves the vindicstion OF our boundary
r il possible. to methods Of peace. 70
, will. therefore, not employ force TO dIslodg
Mexican troops from any pos, east nj III
: Del Nortc which was in the actual posse,
. sion Of the Mexicans a, the time Of agnex
, alton"
"Should Mexico declare war, you wi
at once disodee her troops from any pos
she may have east NJ the mouth OF the DE
Norte: take possession Of Tampico; an
II your force is sufficient, will take the cas-
tie of San juan d u lloa, Il being the deter
minalion ofthe Pfes,den, to preserve peace
If possible. snd. Il war comes, to teco,e
peace BY adopting the most prompt and en-
efgetlc measures"
Again. cir. the Secretary Of War write, Il
General Ia, lof under date Of July ;, ISIS
"Sir. This department i, informed thai
Mexico has some military establishments
on the east side OF the RIO Graude, which
are. and for some umc have been, IN the
aciuSl occupancy OF her troops. Ia car
ryiug gu, The instructions heretofore recei
we'd, you vii be cnrelul to avoid any acts Of
aggression unless an se,ual state Of war
should exist The Mexican forces at the
posts IN their possession, and ~hIch have
been 90, ~ not DO dslutbed az long as
the relations Of peace belssen the United
States aud Mexico continues"
Nov, sir, here we have from tho repre-.
sen,aiisss Of the President in the two De.
parlnsnis, War and NAVY, u clear aud dis.
iinct recognition OF thus proposition, that,
although The Piesdcn, held that our true
boundary was the Del None, yet tbs, j,
would be az oct Of aggression, hostile
act, an act which would not be jdihhsble
excep, IN state Of war. TO dispose. Mex
leo from any portion Of that Ietrl,ory--as
sho held the possession ., the time VI the
annexation. When, therefore, orders were
issued TO General Tay Tor. on tho l3.h Of
January, 40. Which directed HIN TO sd
vance and occupy position on the leit
bank Of tho Ro Grauje, the Ptesldeni or.
dsted what he then, undoubtedly, under.
stood TO be an act of war. lie ordered
shat he intended. ard q hattie supposed
would be regarded on the part Of MEXICO,
as sn act OF hostility. For, SIR, you will
observe, that ~hen General Taylor, 10 the
exscGaon OF tbs order, advanced 10 the
Rio Gtande, aud drove the Msxicsus from
their possessious ~ hen he occupied ~hal
had before bsea occupied By Inc Mcxicsns
aud tho Iuh solisn,s ~ers fly,ns osfots
him, aud these facts ~e;e reported TO the
President, there VAS not ihs slightest lutl
nation thu, General fay Tor had exceeded
orders which bad been gwen to bin, aud
had thus been the means VI prscipIiaitng
the country into a waf. winch, By ptu.
d.u, regard TO those orders, nigh, haze
been avoided. Ga the contrary, up TO this
very moment, ell lha. was done N pursu
ance ot thu, order, has been recogn z-d by
the President as hssn. been riahifully
done, as having been done IN accordance
with the purposes which the Executive had
10 view shen tho orders we're given.
But, sur, ii the &C, vas not az &C, " war,
IT was plainly aad maniies'ly an act ~hleh
vas likely 10 produce state Of var. u
was an act The tendency Of which was to
change The relation. OF Mesico and thu,
country from a state Of reace 10 safe Of
~sr. Can there be ans doub, OF this sir I
|. is impossible 10 doubt u, when 40 recol.
lee, The unhappy and angry state OF feeling
which existed between The two countries.
/ When We recolleci the postum which our
army held a, Corpus Christi for so many
months. aud The disputes existing between
the tao countfies--,he mutual charges Of
+ insincefi,y, and breaches OF fa,th--when
40 tecollccl oil this, II must be NANTES,
that such an act az moving an armed force
to the RIO Gfands was, ~ itself, II not az
&C, Of var. a, leas, one which wore the sr'
pearsnce Of aggression, and one which wal
calculated 10 rouse the feeling, Of the Mex
lcan., aud 10 provoke retaliation. Thu
much mus, be conceded; and, Il so ar
whence did the President OF the L. State
derive his power to do this without the con
, scui Of Congress.
According to Mr.. Jefferson, an &C, whc
. in lis execution may change tho relation
. of country from ponce 10 war, is an &C
!, beyond the competence Of the Executive
& and to be passed upon only by Congress
!, Tho Constitution has undergone no chang
i the people have made no amendment to i
;, II stands now as IL stood 10 the time Of N
:. Jefferson. Whence, then. has Mr.. Poi
q derived his authority 10 prccipiis,e inca
ures which must lead directly TO ~ar-Co
gross being in session. and without ev'
" deipnlng to inform them Of what he prop
10 sed TO do But. cir, at all events there
- :, moi the slightest reason TO doubt, rs ]
y, prehcnd, that the movement Of tho iroo
u to the Rio Grande vas the &C, which Pr
duced war. There had been, previous'
10 ,hrealeniogs on the par, Of Mexico. The
Gu had been exactly that state OF feeling VIII
w was likely to result, in war. But there b
'e' been no war, and my convection IS, SIR. u
ms il our troops had remained quiet at Corr
re Christi, where they had a right to REM
as on the ground so strongly put by the SCI