The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-08-08

than would result from their admission now
We submit, therefore, that the argument of the
President utterly fails And yet the Executive,
with no better showing than this, coolly and
courteousy tells Congress and the country that
he will employ the public force of the United
States in support of these his opinions against
the decision of sovereign State, against the
decision of Congress, and against the decision
of Mr. Polk, his predecessor.
/ The Executive relies on a few rather vague
words in the Constitution, that g he shall see
that the laws are executed" to Justify him in
assuming the construction or Interpretation OF
law, in giving an extravagant and understandable
meaning to treaty, in ordering out the public
force of the Union 10 make icar on a sovereign
State. The Constitution will not permit war
on foreign State without an act of Congress
But State of this Union, or even fifteen States,
are so insignificant and so low in our affection
and respect, that a President--nay, q man not
even elected to that ofiice--but to preside over
motions to postpone and motions to lay on the
table, He can declare war against sovereign
States at pleasure, and overrule decisions of
Congress! The President shall g see the laws
faithfully executed" But what is the law ?
When State decides, as nobody questions she
has the right, in the first instance for herself is
it for one man to presume that his mere opinion
in opposition to her is infallible, and is to be
enforced by the sword and devastation! Do
the States of this Confederacy hold their rights
or their powers subject to the Judgment or the
will of single man! Has he the right to force
and they not? Well well, well this as pro-
gressive.
The President has communicated his views
of the state of things to Congress, but tells
them what he is ready and bound to do in his
opinion. Suppose the two houses of the pre-
sent Congress should disagree Suppose the
House should propose one thing--the Senate
another? Suppose one branch of Congress
should support the Presidents views, the other
oppose The President has already decided
lie will put his notions in force with the army,
navy, and militia of the United States. Does
the President forget the declaration of the Hon
ALEXANDER III. STEPHENS, in his letter to the
| National Iltelligencer, that the g first federal
gun that shall be fired against the people of
Texas aeithoaa The authority Of laao, will be the
signal for the freemen from the Delaware to
the Rio Grande to rally to the rescue"
1t is now due to the country to state some
circumstances that explain the real motives of
the Presidents course.
When General TAYLOR came into power his
mind was probably not perverted, at least on
this question Accordingly, Secretary CRAw-
FORD reiterated the orders Of Mr.. MARCY, to re-
cognize Texan jurisdiction everywhere east of
the Rio Grande. This was before Congress
assembled When that body met, when the
representatives of the States and Districts
assembled together, Mr. SEWARD, like Satan,
appeared also among them--a demagogue,
an intriguant, and aspirant. He found in Mr..
Bliss, the Presidents Private Secretary and
son-in-law, and a Northerner-a man of Opt
Mons congenial with his own. With him he
met frequently late at night; through him
he communicated with President TAYLOR, and
obtained his confidence and became his adviser
| The President had already been persuaded to
modify the order of Mr. CRAWFORD, so as to
require the officers of the army in New Mexico
not to aid Texas, but to be neutral. And a
letter had also been written to Mr. CALL, in
October, to promote the views of the New
MeXicans. MIR. CLAY was coming to the SEN
ate--he had written an emancipation letter to
the people of Kentucky, which augmented that
popularity he previously possessed in the North.
He was not friendly to General TAYLOR. The
latter, therefore, was persuaded to make higher
bid to the North. Mr.. Clay came forward with
plan of Compromise that gave the North all
the acquired territory, but for the present
created but one new State for the North
General TAYLoR's policy gave the North two
new States at once. And for that purpose it
was expedent to precipitate not only California,
but New Mexico into the Union. 1t thus be-
came indispensable to reverse the policy before
adopted towards Texas, and to wrest from her
enough territory and population to make, with
that west of the Rio Grande and New Mexico,
Free-soil State E
And thus was beheld the humiiating spectacle
of two Southerners, Mr. CLAY and Gen. TAYLOR
surrounded by Northern supporters, and COM
peting with each other in mutilating and dismem-
berng the South for Northern support.
On the death of Gen. TAYLOR Mr.. Film ORE
acceded to power. He was not of the SEwARo
school of Whigs-was not so friendly to ABB
ltionism or to several other modern isms. M
WEBSTER became his Premier, and WIS so
more of an old-fashioned Wing. But on that
account they were both liable to denunciation
from the new and powerful school. Of them
selves, we think, that neither Mr.. SEWARD nor
Mr. WEBSTER would have written or advised
such apaper as this message But TAYLOR had
taken the ntiative-he was Southerner--they
were Northerners could they dare to do
lpss for the North and for y frepdomT than a