The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-03-21

$1,000 .'F AA-at4AANNA DLN -N"H
attempted to pore. vIai has hitherto bccE very
prudeniiy grounded in assertion. And what ev-
idence does this argus look up Why, his
keenness of vision has enabled him to discover
that Mr.. Dallas-DALLAs, that dear friend Of
Gen. Taylor and of all good Whigs-that bitter
opponent of slavery and the Slave Power-that
polite ian whom every man respects for his in
tesrity and consistency, and whose v~eracity no.
body would presume TO question, even when the
strongest motives of interest might tempt him to
prevaricate-'Argss, we say, has discovered that
this same Dallas dill. in the month of September
last, in the city of Pittsburgh, affirm and declare
that Mr.. Polk, after all, was not so much to
blame for involving this nation in WARRIOR he
acted under the SUGGESTION and REcoMuES-
DATIoS' of General Taylor
But with all his shrewdness and acutcncss,
Argus seems to have never on &C surmised ;hat
there are some very quiet and simple-hearted
people who will put quite rs much confidence in
the officially published correspondence between
General Taylor and the War Department, as in
the oracles of a pettifogging Vice President, de-
lvered from the Stump.
The following communications, copied entire
from the Report of Mr.. I~ngersoll on the Mexican
War, are respectfully commended to the notice
ofall Locofocos-secoadary as well as primary
and especially the Saatind and Freeman. We
publish these letters simply as an act of justice to
General Taylor-and not from a conviction that
We shall ever be called upon to defend him--as
I n copIiIo4a e. Tho Dro-;1a1nv c,r. H. II.
mics of his enemies. 1t amuses us to see into
what CONSERVATION our opponents are thrown and
to what extremities they have, for this reason,
suffered themselves to resort, when as yet there is
only a remote possibility that General Taylor
will receive the Wing nomination.
The reader will bear in mind that, at the date
of these letters, General Taylor was At Corpus
Christi, on the west bank of the Nucces, and
that he had already been informed that, in the
event of Annexation, he was to maintain the
claims of the Texans quite to the Rio Grande.
On the 4th of July, previous to these dates, the
tcrms of annexation offered by the United States
had been unanimously accepted by the Texan
Convention.
Under date Of August % ,the Secretary of War
addressed General 1aylor as follows
The information hitherto received as to the in
tentionS of Mexico, and the measures she may
adopt. docs not enable the administration here 10
give you more explicit instructions in regard TO
your movements than those which have been al
ready forwarded TO you. There is reason TO be-
licve that Mexico is making efforts to assemble
a large army on the frontiers OF Texas, for the
purpose OF entering is territory, and holding for
chile possession oft. OF their movements you
ar' doubtless advised, and We trust have taken,
or early will take, prompt and efficient steps 10
meet and repel NV such hostile incUr>ion.
Should Mexico assemble 4 large body OF troops
on the Rio Grandc. and cross it with a considera-
be force, such q movement must be regarded
rs an invasion of the United States, ard the COM
Increment Of hostili:ics. You Will O~fcOurse use
all the authority which has been, or may be Civ
en- to you, 10 meet such q state Of things. Texas
must be projected from hostile invasion and foi
that purpose you viii Of course employ, TO the
utmost extent, all tae means You possess or can
command
On tie 4th Of October, is45, General TAYLOR
writes 10 the War Department as follows;
1T uiH be recogectod that tie instructions Of June
l.. isSE0d By .Nr. B.mcrofi, then acting 5 cycqry Of
Var, directed me 10 :, iect and occupy, OF or near
The Rio Grande, such a ste as rsH coasist uih tie
heath ofais troops, nd uiH BE Jed ad1Eted 10 npeI
iRrGsioa,' SC. Brasos Santiago is the nearest en-
trance to the mouth Of the Rio Grande; and Point
Isabel, within that entrance, and iweuiy-one miles
from MataInoras, would have fulfilled more com
ple;elv than any other position the conditions i'm
posed by the Secretary. But We had 10 artillery,
no engineer force or appliances, and but Il mod
crate amount of infantry and the occupation Of
Point Isabel, under these circumstances, and
with at least the possibility Of resistance from the
Mexicans, might have compromised the safety
of the command. ! therefore determined to take
up the next accessible position in the rear, which
is the mouth Of the Nucces river.
Our position thus far has, | think, been the
best possible but, now that the entire force will
soon be concentrated, 1t may rel be a question
rhtheT TIE rieuS of goreTnmeEt rtE be lest carried
ont by our remaining at this point. 1t is with
great Difference that / make any suggestions on
topics which may become mater Of delicate ne
e~Otiation. BIT -four Government, in settling the
question Of boundary. makes tie line Of Tie hio
GTGHde an gltinatuR, / cannot doubt that the set
Element will be greatly facilitated and FASTENED
by orr taking possession al once Of ono or two
suitable POINTS on or quite near that river. Our
strength and state Of preparation should he dis
played in n manner not to be mistaken. Howey-
err s%alutary may be the effect produced upon the
border people by our presence here, we are too
far from the frontier TO impress the government
of Mexico with our readiness to vindicate, by
force Of arms, if necessary, our title to the coun-
try as far as the Rio Grsnde. The army of &C.
cupation' will, in a few days. be concentrated at
this point, in condition for vigorous and efficient
service. Mexico as yet having made no positive
declaration Of war, or committed any overt act of
hosiiliiies, LIDO not feel at Hbery, undcr my i%nsTuc-
tons, particularly those Of July S, TO make a Jorrard
increment 10 the Rio GrGnde uithoat authority from
tie Var Department."
What were these instructions Under date
of July 9Th, the Secretary of Wan had directed
Gen. Taylor as follows "In carrying out the in
s~tructions heretofore received, you riH Be careful
70 aroid any acts Of aggression, unless an actual
state of war should exist" The concluding lam
guagc of this letter, therefore, indicates that Gen.
regarded the movement, which the "rieors
fMe government" seemed to render necessary, as
IN acto ogyress'oa-for which he refused TO be
wen remotely responsible. And before making
he movement In question. he writes AGAIN. dis