Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1848-06-16
CARROLLTOS CARROLL COUNTY, OmOFRIDlY JUNE Is, 1885,

Another cause, however. has kept down the
expression, end IN keeping down the expression
has checked the spreading sense, OF public a.
larm al the IMPERIAL PowERs which lhe Presi-
dent has made this war Of his the means Of &C.
quirng. That cause was his putting in action.
against the opponents Of his unwise and uncon.
siIuuonal measures, a system Of terror, Of op.
pro6hum' OF denuncialion by such charges and
epllhels as are aplest to kindle up popular hate
aud Violence. That system has been openly
acted upon IN the newspaper which the Execu-
i've directly controls here. In concert with
him, this system Of terrorism has been follow.
ed up IN those other presses which he holds 10.
der Ms thumb throughout the land; il has been
carried out in party harangues for which the
olhcal signal had thus been giyen-in partisan
discourses Of Legislators themselves, shamelully
slrkIng al The freedom Of speech Of the very
bodies TO which they belonged--and (far most
lnIolerablc Of ally in Executive messages, where
that very Congressional debate which war
unconstitutional and wickedly begun renders in
ev'able, has been made public crime, and the
not beraying the country and the laws, by sub
miIIlng in silence TO Executive schemes and acts
so darlng so dangerous, and SO perfdious, has
been insolendy slgmalized as amounting, in
effect and in intention, TO nothing short of"uea.
son"
But our purpose is to display, within one sin.
gle view, the new and fragrant Executive usur-
pallOns, utterly unexamped in all the past his.
tory OF Presidential assumption, which have
been the consequence of this war; which are
the "lruits" of the election of 1914, and which
are now proclaimed, by these pretended deyo.
tees 10 the Constitution, 10 have "fulflled the
hopes Of The Democracy Of the Union" Let
US see how far, in his official conduct, this Pre-.
sident Of ours, so idolized by the Baltimore
Convention, has construed strictly the grants
Of power in the Constitution, or has indeed man
infested one sing c trace, one suspicion, of con.
stilulional scrupIe.
! 1t is now wei! known that the Illicit form in
which union with Texas was carried, Two DAYS
before his accession to the Presidency, by a
mere Congressional Resolution, aller having
been rejected in its first proper shape of Trea.
~, had his pre.otfical corporation; that he was
the candidate Of those who re. originated the
measure in that guise; that, as President elect,
on the eve of its passage, he came 10 an under.
standing with the Administration then expiring
as 10 the choice and execution of the aIlerna.
tive plans Of action embraced by the resolution;
and that in his Inaugural Address he gave hi:
entire adhesion TO that violation Of The Consl
T tuition.
An American squadron was for sometim,
stationed Oft the chief seaport Of Mexico, 10 awt
or to cons'rain her into submission 10 the in
r tended annexation OF Texas. Such an exhib
lion Of force was, under The circumstances, a
act of War; for there may be var before blood
shed; and the threatening peoples coast for
known purpose Of consraint justifes in return
positive resort to arms, just as much as a man
levelIing bud geon or pistol at your head
when you are engaged in an alteration, war
rants your striking or shooting him, before We
his blow has lighted or his ball sped 10 you
brain. The step which authorizes an adverse
act of war is itself an act Of war. In addition
, 10 this hostile station off Vera Cruz, Presiden
Polk sent a naval expedition that night, at tht
first pretence, TO fall upon unguarded California
take ii, and then keep il, by The clever surpris
ofa peace on the terms of an uti poSSidetiS; bu
Sin scarcely any possible conjunclure 10 surren
der it again"
The President marched an army TO the Ri
Grande, Congress being in session, without con
sulling or even reporting the fact 10 Congress
e ! his was peremptorily making war ION his ow
S hook" The alleged reason for ihs step-lh
n refusal Of Herrera'S government 10 receive ou
D envoy, Mr.. S!idell, as ambassador, instead {
r commissioner-wer il not even q gross ana
i chronsm, ((or, as we have often shown, Ger
e Taylor was ordered 10 take post on The Ri
h Grande in June, 1845, which order was mad
d positive on the 18Th January following, belor
d yet the Administration knew of the final reeC
i ZION Of Mr.. Sidc,l would not mend his cor
, duct; for The refusal 10 receive our Minister wa
i no cause Of war, nor even Of just complaint; an
d if it had been cause of war would have been
{" thing whieh belonged 10 Congress only, no. ii
e Executive, 10 act on as such.
Resides these acts of usurping the war.maE
e ing power, il has lately appeared, through claim
l. preferred before Congress. that Col. Fremont
n doubtless under Executive orders sent after hi
't TO California, but which. reaching there too lat
e we're forwarded 10 him and recalled him lhiII
u er from Oiegon--look, at his arrival, seer
l. part in lomentng there what is called the "Bet
e Flag Revolution which was gouenup by The
merican seltIer5 in The spring of 1916; with III
e view of annexng that territory 10 The UniIe
e States by The same Procrss-ol revolt first, al
r, then incorporalion-by which Texas was u
Al qured.
i. But all these acts Of daring contempt Of Il
If constitution are greatly aggravated by the ate
i. dant fact that, either
RI At one while, when he chose 10 consider sui
e acts of hostility expedient, The President d
IS not convoke Congress and lay the case befo
d them, that they might decide on the queslio
- or that
g At another while, Congress being in sessio
" he did not condescend to refer the matter to the
ID decision, nor even inform them Of what he pr
:. posed or had done; or, lastly, that
IS He set at nought their instructions embod
lr in the Annexation Resolutions, and when tht
S. had ordered him TO settle By aegOtiation The d
puied boundary of 7eraS, he not only took
Is upon himself TO assume that boundary as IegO
L. L