The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-02-26


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.rct 1r decline t1 make lrras., Iseu ...
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but thsrc cielr provisions a1d .Hrs.--.
't iIe t.ult.tutluu wore .Hrr.." #r.r ....
lnh aiare ghr1rd, .u iHr .HUH Ell.Hl " ..-aH
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power ta 'ur law-ulak.1r HHHrHr. rra frHHH....
proceeded OBJ .fgtfIHFl IHf a country noe 100 ..nH
jurisdiction, and tH malH. .a .n.al rHaa .HlirHs
o. o'1pasi with Texas, foreign .llrrHrtr-'
STATE, thus usurp,lF flH .r.sfH alH.fr. rHa.n-
and sI the deed uIs done Fl. .aa ever Id.
prarra i1 me as gross violation HII Is CA.
sttuu1u. Bot Do .a done, BuI cannot now HH
lna'Hr. aue . BRING 10 trr-ar. now only lH
SHOW that ihIs laueEltIun policy fu Ia 4-
rcpuou, and Zoo 40 The progress Do .la .4.r.
and is making, .a relllauE ruI H1ssrGHu. .4s
10 .s, however, .a le IrlaIl.ut.4. Ua.E .l .sH
Important particular tho resolutions 30 rra..a.
ton entirely differed tom tlu treaty. .u .HH
respect They did not carry t4l western
boundary OF Texas Oh the Rio Fr7rfa. .r r.
any other certain HuH, bat covered ONLY waaf
was strIH asa ili and ghtiifiy hriargsi f1 Tex
as;tEus leaving the settling that boundary 'H.4.
expressly providing that 30 was Co De- done Hv,
thts Government. not Texas. Now, though
he purpose aud object 90 the treaty OF ammo El-
ton, officially announced, Us I have already
stated, was all fully before Congress when the
resolutions were entertained. yet o. i8 possible
some may have voted Tor them ON come other
motives. Clear 10 is, that SO Imperative was
the force OF party discip linc which was brought
70 bear on the question, that in this House eve
cry Democratic member, with but two indivtd-
ual members, voted finally for annexation, and
those two were immediately expelled from the
party. And, strange as pOstcrity may view a.,
though every Wing member from the free
States voted against Il, vet II received, by
Democratic votes in this House, a larger ma
jority in the free States than ia the slave hold.
ing States Of this Union.
u is true, that on that occasion
SAID in this House, that considered that, by
the laws ofnations, an anne Ration of Texas by
us was taking on state of war with Mcxi-
co, IN which Texas was then inyolyed; and
think so s;ill.-But though treaty offensive
and defensive TO which anne ration is tlnta-
does, in law, involve this consequence,
yet It is competent for two nations mutually TO
consider and treat it otherwise, in a particu-
lar case, if they please This Mexico and this
Government did, after annexation took nh
ne Union Of the t4tR of May, IsI6,) he says:
Il have no right TO declare war, it is for the
Congress of the patton" and Shcn fully sta
ing that no aggression would be made by
Mexico, but 60 repe force with force. On the
other hand, the President of the United States,
n his message Of December, after anne Ration,
,ongratulates the country on that peace
lble bi0odiess acquisition, and declares we
we're still at peace. Thus both nations regar-
led themselves as not IN Il state of war. Now
'Ir, know of but two ways in which nations
IAN settle disputed boundaries: one is by ncg0-
iatt0H, and the other by the SloOrd. If one
lauon has claim on territory claimed and
possessed by another. it may be and should be /
arranged by negotiation; but ifnot so done, IL /
nay be taken possession of by force Of arUlS,
md this IS Irar When, therefore, the PresI- /
lent ordered iorcble possession to be taken OF .
he country west to the Rio Grunde, by the .
-rmy, it a country, not only claimed by
Mexico, but then entirely in her possession,
through the whole length of the valley, on
10Th sides of the river, and occupied with .
owns and military posts on the east side as (
veil as the west, as is distinctly acknowlcdg- /
ID even in the very orders issued to Gen. Tay-
or. This was an open act of war, by the /
President, unauthorized by the Constitution,
Until declaration of war by Congress, which
lad not been made.
II 10 sdlu, LLul llB1 tIlls "dA W tlS ''4iA
nenced by the unconstitutional act Of the
resident, we hold the war itself unconsttu
Ional, and so condemn all who engaged in 1t
That, sir, IS entirely untouuded conclusion
Though the Constitution confines the power
o declare war to Congress, yet the President
nay, by the abuse of his power, involve us in .
var ut any time; yet that would not deprive
he people of this country of the right OF sus-
aiming the country in the war, though thus
rought upou it. Suppose the President should
reat a foreign minister with contempt, and
ismIss with disgrace, and refuse to make any
Reuse apology to the country he represen-
ed, and thereupon that country should de-
lnre war; must not our country be sustained
nd defended, because the war was produced
" the act of the President? Neither is the |
President any more excusable for commencing /
war before it is declared by Congress, because
here may he good and sufficient ground OF |
var, any more than 4 sheriff is justified in
hanging murderer, however guilty, before |
lie has been regularly tried and condemned by .
he court and Jury. If, therefore, had
catalogue of grievances against England, I
vhich'would well Justify war yet the Pres-
lent cannot therefore be justified in setting up |
some pretended claim to land, aGd send our ar
NY to lay seige to Quebec, because that is |
vuging war without its being declared by !
Congress;) and yet that war, though so COM
nenced, should not subject this country to
conquest, and our people be denied the right
of defence, when England thereupon INVADED
us Indeed,a war might be entirely jGstihabie to
another nation, and yet the President he sub
ect to Impeachment Mt for having commenced 1t,
without authority. Hence, all that catalogue
Of grievances committed on the part OF Next
20, put forth by the Presidentin his message,
after he commenced the war, MS excuses ana
causes for the war, even if they were founded
IN truth, as they were not, was butan attemPt
to rouse the angry passions of this people a.
rainst Me xico. and divert attention from his
own unauthorized conduct. What paradox
they involve. A list ofcuuscs TO JUSTIFY our
declaring war against Mexico, when at the
same time IL is insisted that the war was new