Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-05-22


vey to the people Of the Territory the of the
Presidents desire to sustain them in the full
oyment Of their rights and property to to them
all the advantages Of citizenship Of the United States and
particularly assure them Of the disposition of the Pre-
sdent sustain and protect them in the Of
any government which Of their free choice they might
think proper to establish He also directed to
tain what the populatio ~ u country; what were
its products and psr nry its mineral values
how many Mexican citizens had withdrawn from that
Territory since the treaty Of peace how many had sig
nifed their intention to become citizens Of the United
States and to acquire information especially in
regard to the Indian tribes Then the only sentence in
this letter of Instructions the sole charter Of his power
which by any ingenuity the Senator can wrest from its
simple and obvious meaning to his purpose is this:
"You fully authorized confer with military and
naval commanders within those Territories. who win be in
ruced to assist in the accomplishment of the objects of
your mission
Does the Senate perceive that this aid and assist
which he to obtain from the military and naval
commanders merely such auxiliary to the
purpose mentioned in his letter Of Instructions Why,
the Senator transmute that simple and proper SEN
tence from its papabe meaning he possesses some logical
alchemy the secret Of which is with himself alone.
venture say that Senator here has any such
pocus. The military and naval commanders Of Call ia
never dreamed Of putting such Interpretation ohhai
clause the Senator from California has done. would
not willingly mpue it to them, except on evidence very
different from that which the Senator has adduced.
The Senator has quoted also the letter Of the Secretary
Of the Treasury addressed the collector Of customs in
California, which is direction to aid Mr. King, and
to be guided by his advice m the conduct of all proper
measures pihm the scope Of his Instructions" And these
have shown from the letter Of those instructions to be
the communication of certain specified purposes of the
Administration and the acquisition of information des
rable and important the Executive, well needfu
for legislation very different thing from las the
Senator says) placing at Mr. Kings disposal the army
navy, and treasury of the United States
1t must be very papable think that Mr.. Claytons
letter of instructions did not confer upon MT King any
such power the army, navy and treasury OF the
nore even a /
nothing more less than such an instruction to the
officers in California any Administration sending out
an agent to and distant possession Of our own,
would give under similar circumstances ne had given
less he would have given them instructions at all to
aid Mr. King, and would have thrown him entirely upon
his own resources.
The Senator however undertakes sustain this charge
by reference to letter of General Persfer F. Smith,
who in command Of the military forces in California
seems that that gentleman time about the month
of june lS4s notified the Secretary Of War that in order
to facilitate the accomplishment Of Mr. Kings purposes,
he had got up exploring expedition and that they
going to visit the habitabe parts Of the State in
order that Mr. King might ascertain by personal nspec
ton what the condition of the population What
the products and of the country That cxpe
dtoa organized for this purpose and this alone 1t
Just what General Smith who by the by is not only an
accomplished officer but unimpeachable Democrat)
was authorized do without such instructions
| Nay more, it that which it was his duty TO do,
whether he had instructions to that effect not he was
in command of the whole of that department What Gov
i u W,
most part unknown territory has failed to take all the
in its power to ascertain its to ascertain
all those particulars Of its condition which necessary
for full information in order to the just and intelligent
Legislative action which Congress itself would necessarily
be obliged take in regard il 1t will be seen, by
reference to the letter of General Smith, that the Senator
from California is not borne out in his assertion lie no.
es the Secretary Of War that he has got up this expe
dition, and then says:
at hoped the character Of the country its capab
ty Of cultivation its products in minerals and timber will be
far aceraned to furnish all the data necessary for le
gsation."
That is the proof which the gentleman furnishes that
the President of the United States had undertaken to
transfer his constitutional authority, commandern
chief OF the army and navy to Mr. King to do what he
had constitutional authority to do-that is to put
Mr. Kings disposal the army navy, and treasury of the
United States the Senator says If there was ever
non sequitur, think the Senate viii perceive it here.
Then the Senator objects to another proceeding Of Mr.
King In support of his assertion he refers the fact
that Mr. King addressed note to the commander Of the
naval forces the Pacific asking that the Edith
then in the service of the Department should be used for
the purpose OF transporting members Of the convention
which was about to assemble at Monterey to make O
stitution for the State Of California to that point This
is the navy of the United States was placed at
the disposal of Mr. King Now If we suppose that the
assembling OF the convention the framing Of the const
tuon and the organization Of the State government
proper thng-and take 1t the Senator from California
would be the last in the world to deny it. for he took
active part in it. and is enjoying the fruits of it with
4
ciatesthen there improperly the part of the
naval commander in sending the Edith to convey these
| gentlemen to Monterey. Steamboats, like talent
they rust unused The Edith would be better employed
in proceeding up the Monterey with the mem
bers Of the convention than she had been lying idle in
port.
/ think when speak on this point, the Senator will
recognise my friendly regard for himself / really
undertaking TO defend him. quite much Mr.. King
and the commander Of the naval forces. / feel that
should be doing but act justice to him TO defend this
act and think that he just about much respon-
sble for the employment Of the steamboat Mr..
King himself II may little curious that the
Senator at this time Of day, should have found that there
any thing improper in it, and should have charged it
upon the Administration of General Taylor their
niquities that the steamer Edith had been employed in
this service and had been losfor she was wrecked
the voyage BY the by would remark, in passing that
the cost Of the Edith not $120 000 the Senator
supposed in his speech, but only S33, 900. have
ascertained that fact beyond all doubt have also
found in the Navy Department among papers which
were being copied there for the information of Congress-
letter from officer of the navy the Pacific coast
which conveyed to the first information had Of
other fact which about 10 state II that the
Secretary Of the Navy had sent out Lieutenant Meade
take the command Of this identical steamboat; but
| Commodore Jones having given the command of the
steamer another officer, he did not think proper to
withdraw her from that officers command and assign her
to Lieutenant Meade Lieutenant Meade complained of
this gross injustice and addressed letter to the Sec
rcary Of the Navy in the of which he aggrayates
the complaint by the assertion, which presume the
Senator from California recognises proper that he
| applied to by the Senator himself Hon. WILLIAM NJ
GwIS get the command of this identical steamboat
perform this very service is not necessary to read the
letter. but that the fact which is stated by Lieutenant
Meade Now, then, IL that Mr. King only did that