Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1850-02-19
TUESDAY. FEBRUARY 10, 1850.
The Onset upon the President.

more eageI!leSS " RI
-. i.r,e,i,ish Champion, the Son OF
w,nooh than do jaundiced and bitter par
,;r.ns in and out of Congress seek the Po-
Utica, oupihilation of that brave, honc''ano
.imple-hearted patriot, whO--'hank' TO q,
.;cI prov;dence--now occupies the
Presidential Chair. :,
From Paladin to page, from Senatorial
,bunders down to penny-a-lIne-Ing' Inc
crv is one of holy horror at the "ncons''
,u,;onal the incendiary, the revolutionary
oroccedings of Gen'l Taylor in respect TO
California! It's astonishing, but by some
b.nnv influence it has happened that since
Gen'l Taylor's election, the love for the
constitution has taken wonderful start
with some people 10 what it was IN MI
Folks time, for then these same parties
could see nothing wrong in Presidents
waging war upon foreign nation' anu
HAVING two or three battles fought before
the constitutional war-declaring power
wa. permitted to suppose that such a
thing was even dreamed Of. But nous
auon, change tout celia. However lei US
look into matters, and see what are the
facts of the case, for really, excepting ihe
Predetermined foes of the President and
Ibis administration under any and all CIR
cums,anoes, few can be found to believe
GenI Zachary Taylor to be the man TO
inAict the slightest wound upon the Con-
s,ituion of his country.
The facts we believe are these. Owing
to the jealousy between the Southern and
Northern sections during the thlrueth
Congress, the territories acquired from
Mexico were left unprovided with any
proper civil government, Immediately IN
s,i,uted by the United States. They have
been left in part to martial law, in part 10
the Mexican laws in force prior to the
conquest, in part to the paramount law OF
necessity. 1t was an omission for which
the thirtieIh Congress was alone properly
responsible, and which operated SO much
the worse by reason of the unexampled
rush of cmigrants to one of the territories,
! california; from all the countries Of Eu-
rope and America, nor even excluding
/, some from Asia. When on the fourth OF
March last, Congress broke up without
providing the requisite territorial govern
ments. every thoughtful man felt that
crievous omission had been made.
With the fourth Of last March commenc.
ed new administration, and the difficulty
which was so great as TO block the neces-
. sary and proper Legislation of Congress
seemed likely to become legacy of trOu-
bic TO the new incumbent.
If the President should propose ter
ty that in the House Of Representatives a
provision would be engrafied on it prohi-
biting Slavery, which would also probably
pass the Senate, thus virtually throwing
upon the President himself the decision
OF the great question pending between the
SlavehOlding and Non-Slaveholding sec
tons of the Union. Situated as the Pres
ident is, an officer knowing no partialty
for any part, party, section or interest in
the whole nation, such decision as this
state Of things presents is not one which
any man, having proper sense of the
responsibility Of the position and an hon
orable distrust Of his own judgment in re-
spect TO it, would desire 10 meet ifit could
be avoided or evaded without a compro-
mise Of duty. Now had California con-
tinued to be occupied by a sparse popula-
ton, i, would have become the Presidents
duty to recommend a territorial govern
ment, and abide by the consequences Of
that recommendation, be they what they
may. But such was not the case. Cali
fornia, Minerva like, leaped at bound
into a condition fitting her for sovereign
Stale, and thus suggested or better sup
piled the President with an opportunity
of getting rid of the perpiexing subject al
together. The intermediate turmoil and
expense Of setting up Territorial govern,
ment that must expire almost Immediately
upon its establishment could be avoided,