Newspapers / The North-Carolina Star (Raleigh, … / Feb. 16, 1848, edition 1 / Page 1
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1 M,nortf)Carona potDtrtul in Jnttlltctuaf, moral ano p&pjffcaf t tfour e tbe lan&of aujr arigtjje Jjcuu of ouc af f return." 1 ' THREE HOLLARS a Tear, in Advance. . YOtV 89. RALEIGH, If. C , WEDNESDAY. FEBKVAUT 10, 1118. We. 7 TIIOS. J. LEM1T, Editor and Proprietor. MR. BADGERS SPEECH. la Senate uesoay, January iu. toao. m T . : 1 r idiQ INGREASE OF THE ARMY The Senate having mumed !- consid. .Mtinn. on ita ti ird reading, of lh bill to mite fbi a limited time, an additional mil itary force . . Mr. Badger said : If I believed, ir, (hat tbe duty which I owe to the country, and to the Stale which has tent me here. could be performed by yielding to the re quisitions of the Executive auch attppliea as he may deem requisite for tbe prosecu lion of the war, upon pi am for proaecuting it wSch have not been fully made known to Congre if I believed that I had not a high and controlling obligation to exerciae my own beat jii"menl or l,,a benefit of those whom I repre?nt, and for the general welfare of the country, upon every question submitted to the conaideralion of this body, I might be disposed to vote for the bill up on vour table. If, sir, the yeas and nays had not been ordered upon the passage of litis bill, I might have been content to per mit'the measure to pas, as far as i am concerned, without offering a single word to the Semite, upon its intrinsic merits. But the yess and nays hare been ordered upon this bill I cannot vote for it. I shall record my vote agaiust it; and I think that it is due to the country 1 feel that it . . I . L i . L 1 is due 10 mysen inai ine views iihi prin- cioler which -will govern my eomwet- in giving this vote should be plainly and dis tinctly stated, ami annum accompany to the public the vole itself. I shall endeavor to assign those views and principles in as short a compass as is consistent with a full exposition of what I believe to be the truth on this all important - subject, and which every consideration obliges me to put be fore those whom I represent, without any unnecessary diminution, without leaving out anything that may be required in a lull and complete expression of the argument, which, in my mind, is conclusive in regard to ihe measure before you. I shall offer my own opinions, sir, with entire respect, an4ven deferential consideration, for the the country, whom 1 know to be arrayed against me. Without intending towards them any disrespect, I shall take the lib erty to declare what are tho opinions which I entertain with regard to the origin of the war, the manner of its prosecution, the tendency of the measures now proposed, and the schemes that sre evidently enter tained by the Executive of the country in relation to it. J shall not go as far back. sir, as an honorable Senator from Maryland did a few days ago. (I mean the honorable Senator from that State who first addressed , the Senate upon this bill,) but, neverthe less, I shall be under the necessity of go ing a little back for the purpose of making myself fully understood. First, then, I will tay it down, and en deavor to demonstrate, that the war in which we aw now engaged with Mexico was the immediate terult of the unlawful and unconstitutional act of the President of tlie United States. I suppose," sir, that there ii no gentleman on thu floor, or else where, who aupposes or believes that tha President of the U. S. is vested with the war power of this country. It is a power expressly, and in terms, conferred upon ths Congress ol the U. States. And the President would have no control over it, direct or indirect, except from the incident al circamsiance of his limited veto on the action of the two Houses; and except from tha fart that, in virtue ol his office, he ia the cHef commander, the principal milita ry officer, of the United States. ( maintain, then, Mr. President, that when the President of the U. S. moved the troops under General Taylor to the Riit Grande, and took possession of the left bank of that stream, he committed a clear and undoubted act of war. What is war! What do ail the writers on tha law of aations tell us it is? They all, in -substance, define it to be a contest about rights, which is crried on r maintained, not by argument, but by force. It can, theiefore, admit of no question, that when a nation claiming certain rights, which are disputed by another, undertakes to support those rights by force, she undertakes to snppnrt them by war war as far as she is con cerned. - It is true, if the act of violence or aggression on her part ba not resisted by the nation that suffers it ir it be patiently and tamely submitted to no war results. To constitute wsi, it is as essentisl that there should be two parties, aa it is that there should be two parties to treaty of peace. The act of one natmn cannot alone constitute war; it is like the cae of an in dividual striking a blew : if it be not re. scnte.l, no contest, no battle, no fight is the result. The blow is an act of aggression; it is an art commencing a contest, but it d'es not amount to a perfect contest. Whether this act on the part of the Presi. dent was an set of wsr, of hostility, of ?gresHtn, depends not st all upon the Qiestion, ' whether we had a light to the territory of which he took foieihle posses- en. . War, between nations, pra -supposes a contest about rights. Tho publicists, h epok of ccrttests between nations, ver suppose t'.em to contend except . U rlgis. Wsr is a contest about right, "stoic war is a contest between nations 'out rights, carried on by force . and- not y argument, r If, thmefore, it were as. '"neil at clear an 1 unqueiticnihla thiit the de 6r Texas and !. IT, S "e Rio io Gran le, it is still beyond all r'oubt ,.i.eXM, possessing tlie left bat.k of. that stream, having settlements there, hav ing ofKeeis there, and exercising jurisdiction there any movement to dispossess Mex ko, to occupy what she thus occupied, and what she claimed lobe her on n, is an act of war. It is an act of wsr, just and right ful if the the territory be ours just and rightful if the tenitory be unjustly and im properly withheld just and rightful if, also, the act of war ba directed by those who represent the sovereignty of tit Ra tion. Well, sir, this set was directed by the President of the U. 8. : He ordered the troops to the Rio Grande. They advanced. When they came into the Mexican settle ment, the inhabitants fled before thorn in dismay; the officers abandoned the public buildings and act fire to them; and, under such circumstances, our forces, under the command of officers of the U. S., took from Mexico that of which aha was jn pos session, and by force kept possessesion of ue territory, ana piaceu it onatr me ju risdiction of the United States. Now, sir, on this subject I had the honor at the last session. 4d hwagvlo. toe, attention of 'he Senate the action of of Mr. Jeffer son, during his administration of this Gov ernment, under circumstances of a very sim ilar character; with this difference, that the title of the territory then withheld from us was truly and clearly ours. In every oth er respect the case was like. this. The territory was withheld by another power. and a uisposi'iun manifested by that power to deprive ua of what , wo owned. Under these circumstances, Mr. Jefferson con. ceived that ho had no right to use tbe mil itary force of the country to obtain posses sion ol that which was withheld trom us, though clear) v ours. And he states, as the reason for referring the aubject to the de termination of Congress, that matters re lating to peace and war belong exclusively to that body, and not to him; and as thu movement might change the relation of the two countries from peace to war, therefore, it belonged to Congress to determine whether the movement shuVd be made. .gu'Mrdj.j!: k hajtatbci author more respectable m itself than the author ity of Mr. Jefferson. I doubt very much whether, with large portion of the Amer. ican people, and of the Senate, it will be thought quite eqnal to Mr. Jefferson's. But upon this question, with respect to the President f the U 8., the authority is conclusive and overpowering. It creates upon him, what lawyers call 'an estoppel. for I am able In show that the President of the U.S. hbs himself recognised that such an act as this is an act of hostility of ag gressiou of war. On the llthof July, 1845, the Secretary of the Navy writes a confidential communication to commodore Conner, then commanding iu the Gulf of Mexico. He says: The unanimous vole of the Texan Congress fer annexation leaves no doubt of the contam ination of that measure. When you ascertain, satisfactorily, that the Texan convention, which assembled on the 4th, has also acceded to an nexation, you will regard Texas at a part f yeur ceantry to ds ueienoM like any other part ol it. At the same time, every honorable effort is to be mads to preserve peace with all nations. The restoration of oar boundary oo the south west, by the consent and choice of Ihe people of Texas, is due to the strong attraction of ths principles of liberty, which endeir America to every one of its sons, and is a tribute before Ihe world to tha policy pf peace, of political free, doro. and of onion on tha principle of freedom. Ilia Ihe Pretident's desire thai this great event should be consummated wiihota the effusion of blood, snd wuhoat tha exercise of force be lieving that free institutions, in their own right, will achieve all that ean be desired." I rend this part of the communication for the purpose of shewing, that though this paper was written on the 1 1th of July prior to the actual consummation of the act of nnhexstion yet the instructions to which I propose mors particularly to call the attention of the Senate, are given pros pectively cautiously and with a view to the aetual completion of that measure. when, as appears from tho instructions themselves, ihe officer to whom they weie directed was leqtiired to consider Texas ss a pari of thit country. The letter pro ceeds: "To secure this end most effectually, you ars charged to commit ne act f ograeioni and, st ths same time, yon are Invested with the command ofa force eumitnt to taks from oth-' ers a disposition to hulik act." Then, after enumerating the force at the officer's command, Ihe Secretary says: 'That you may precisely understand what is meant by Ihe aggreuien which you are in structed to avoid, 1 will add, that while ths annexation of Texsa extenda our boundary to the Del Norte, the President reserves the vin dication of our boundary, if possible, to mtih- oJtaf peace. ' You will, theiefore. not emolov feree to dislodge Mexican ironps frooa any post ran oi me uol wort whlcft was in Ihe tulnal pwettitn uftht Mexican at fh time of annex "SKould Mexico declare war. vou will at one Ui'odg her troop from snv post the may hav ins ill-nun oi ine uei iarte take poa. esainn of Tampion; and. ifytur force i tuffi. etW. will take thecasila of Sjn Juno d'Ulloa; it being the determination of the president to preerre peace if possible; and. if war edmes. to recover peace by adnpiinw the most prompt and energetic meat ores." Di. ft. R. 19 4 Sett ,291k Cvngrem . ' n e, t Again : The Secretary of War writes General Taylor under date ol July 8, 131J ThU department is informed that Mexico hat same military' establishments on the eatt ,om time have been, in ihe attaal' occupancy of her troops, la carrying out the instructicbs heretofore received. ou will be careful to avoid any sets of aggrt$im, anles aa actual state of waranoaid eaisi. ine Mexican lomessi ins eats in thslr possession, and which have been so, will net be ditluricd ss lone as the relations of pesos between tba U. S. snd Mex ice eoaiiae.H Hera we have, from the representatives f tbe President in the two Departments, War and Navy, a clear and distinct recog nition ol this position, that, although the President held our true boundary to be the Del Norte, yet it would be mjc act or AGORKSSIOIf." A HOSTILE ACT," an SCt which would not be justifiable except in a state or war, to dispossess Mexico of any portion of that territory of which she held possession at the time of the annexa tion. When, therefore, orders were issued to General Taylor, on the lSlh of Janua ry, 1848, to advance and occupy a posl tion on the left bank of the Rio Grande, admitted to be in the possession of Mexico, the President ordered what he then, un doubledly, understood to be art act of war. He ordered what he intended, ani what he- en pposed wou Itl ' be- -regarded; on "the part of Mexico, as an act of hostility of aggression. For, sir, you will observe, that when General Taylor, in the execu tion of this order, advanced to the Rio Grande, and drove the Mexicans front their Dossessions when he occupied what had before been occupied by ihe Mextcant and these .facta were reported totLe, rres ident, there was not the slightest intima tion on his part that General Taylor had exceeded the scope of the orders which had been given him, and had thus been the means of precipitating the country into a war, which, by a prudent forbearance, might have been avoided. On the contra ry, up to this very moment, all that was done in pursuance of that order has been recognised by tlie President as having been rightfully done, as having been done in accordance with tha purposes which the Executive had in view when the orders were given. But, sir, if the act was nnt an act of war, it was plain! v aiidmatiifefil y an act which was an act the tendency of which was to change the relation of Mexico and thit country from a atate of peace to a stale of war. Van there be any doubt or this, sir It is impossible to doubt it, when we recol lect the tin' appy and angry atate of feeling which existed between tbe two countries. When we recollect the position which our army held at Corpus Christi for so many months, and. the disputes existing between the two countries the mutual charges of insincerity ami breaches of faith when wo recollect all this, it must be manifest that ancY ah act as moving an armed force to the Rio Grande was, in itself, if not an act of war, at least one which wore the appearance af aggression, and one which was calculated to rouse the feelings of the Mexicans, and to provoke retaliation. Thus much must be eonceded; and if ao, sir, whence did tbe President of the United States derive his power to do this without the consent of Congress? According to Mr. Jefferson, an act which in its execution may change the relations of the country from peace to war, is an act beyond the competency of the Executive, and to be passed upon only by Congress, The Constitution has undergone no change, Uut people have made no amendment to it; it stands now as it stood in the time of Mr. Jefferson. Whence, then, baa Mr. Polk derived his authority to precipitate meas ures which must lead directly to war Congress being in session without taking tneir advice, or even deigning to inform them of what he proposed to dof But, sir, at all events, there is not the slightest rea son to doubt, as I asprehend, that the move ment of the troops upon tlie Rio Grande was the act which produced war. There had been, previously, threatenings, on tlie part of Mexico. Tere had been exactly that state of feeling which was likely to result in war. Hut there had been no war. und my conviction is clear, that if our troops had remained quiet at t-nrpus Uhristi where they had a right to remain, on the ground so strongly put by the Senator from Maryland, (Mr. Fxarck,) that it belonged to Texas by virtue of her revolution, and was then iu her possession there would have been no war. But, at all events, sup posing that war would have been produced in some other manner, or by some other : movement, though our troops had remain-; ed, which is mere matter of speculation, yet it cannot be denied that, in point of (act,! thit war the war in which we are now engaged was the immediate result of tlie movement of our troops upon the Del Norte, and of nothing else. That movement was an act of war; it was, at all events, an act directly tending to change the relations of the two countries from peace to war; and, ; therefore, an act which the President could not lawfully or constitutionally perform.. , The next proposition which 1 lay down . is, that this war, thus resulting from an act of tlie President, has been prosecuted by hua from the commencement with a view , to the conquests the permanent conquest of at leant New Mexico and Upper and Lower Calilornia. I beg the attention of the Senate while I attempt to demonstrate this proposition from public . documents. First, air, 1 will call the attention of the 3enate to the instructions given by the Sec retary of War on tho 3d of June, 1840, to General Kearny: -.Should you conquer and take possession of New Mexico anJ Uj r California, 0.- ond- arable places in either, you will establish ttmporarn dm I gmrnmciit Merein abolinh ing all arbitrary restrictions that may exist, so far as it may be done with aafetv. In perform t g thiduty, it would be wise snd prudent lo continue in- meir employment all such or the existing officers as are known to be friendly to tbe U. Slates, and will lake Me oar attest- unet U.tktm, The duties at the euatom-houtesl ought, troaea, 10 be reduced lo such a rats st may be barely sufficient 10 maiatain. the ne ceasary ofQoers, without yielding any revenue 10 tba government. You may astute the peo ple of those provinces that it is Ihe wish snd design of Ihe United Slates fa provide for them m fret government, with the least possible delay, similar to that which exists ia on4, Territoritt. They will then cstlsd on to exerciae ths rights of freemen ia tlrctinf their own repra-' tentalives lo ihe territorial Itgitlature, It is foreseen that what relates to the eivil govern, menl will be a difficult and unpleatant part of your duty, and much must neoettarily be left 10 your own discretion. Doe. It, if. 10 id teat , 29f A Consrtnv 5. In further proof of this, I read the in structions given by the Navy Department to Commodore Sloat, 12th July, 1648: - The oljeet of the UUiied Pistes Ja troJer its lights ss a belligerant nation, to possess Itself entirely of Upper California." ' t he ohlect ot the United States has refer ence to ultimate peace with Mexico; and if, at that peace, the baaia of tha tin pomdette shall be established, the government eipeote, through your forces, 10 be found in actual possession of upper uaiilernia. t This wUI bring wjth it the necessity of t ciu aumiiiiniraiiou. pucn a , gOTCinmriii ehoa!lrt)e established undei yonr protection; and, in selecting persons ' lo hold office, due repect should be had to the withes of the pto pie of Calilornia, as well as lo the actual pot-- feasors or suthortty lo that province, it may be proper to require an omk of allegiance 10 the United Siatea from those who are intruated with authority. You will alto atau.e ihe 1 peo-Uni- pla of California of the protection of the ted Mates. "After you shall have secured Upper CjV ifornla, if your force is sufficient you will lake notsetiion. and keep ths barhora on ths Gulf of California as far down, at least, aa Cuay mas. JJut this is not 10 interfere with ths fnrrmancnt occupation of Upper California." tJoe. H. K. IS 3 J lets., t engretS -pp Then, sir, on the I3tTi of August, wo Iiave instructions from the Navy Depart ment to Commodore Stockton, or the com- mandig officer, in tlie Pacific: 'You will take immediate pttettion of Upper Lalitoiiiia, especially of tbe three ports of can Prancisco, Monterey, and San Diego, ao thai if the treaty of peace should be made on the basis ot ths mi pt'tidrii, it msy lcsvr Cau ruMNIA TO THS U It I TED StatS.w "Having - provided. lot tke fuii potettioa of Upper California, tha neit point of importance is the Gulf of California. From ihe best judgment I ean form, you should lake pottes tion of the port or uuaymas. . 1 he p regret a ol our aims will pionamy be aoch that. In con junction with land forces, you will be stile to bold possession or uoayra is, and so to at- DUCS ALL THE COUHTtV ROBTH OS IT ON THl ouir." Doe. H It. 19 Sitter, 29th Congrett p. 83. Now, sir, in order to understand the scope and bearing of these orders still more clearly, let ua see what was done under them by the officers to whom they were addressed. In a letter of General Kearny to the Adjutant General of the 24th August, 1840, written from banta te, he says: "On ths 22d t Issued a proclamation claim ing thi whole eAVw Mtxiee, with itt then boun daries, at m territory tf the United State af A- merica, and taking it under our protection." nc. II M 18 3d sets., K9.'A Congre-pp. 19 20. In another part of the samo letter he says: 'On my return (which will be In two or three weeks J a eivil goverarneni fchall be or. eanised, and the ofuci officers sppoinied lot iu after which 1 will be ready to start tor Upper Call. lornis, which 1 hope msy ba by the laner end of next month; and in such csae I shall expect to have pnaaeaeion of that department by lbs closs of November." Then we have General Kearney's proc lamation, in which he announces his inten tion to hold New Mexico as a part of tlie United States, under the name of the ter ritory of New Mexico." "As, by the net of the republic of Mexioo. a state of war exists between that goverarneni and ihe United Siatea; and as the endersigned, at ihe bead of bis troops, on the lfth initial, took possession ol Santa re, the capital of lbs department of New Mexieo, ha now annonn- es bis Intention to held the department, with US oritnal oounaane-. tn se(A nde of the Del Xsrte. J as a past op tub United Statu, and smier tne name or 'th TsaaiToir or New Mexico.' " a "The underlined has inatroetions from his Government to respect the religious institutions of New Mexico lo protect ihe property of ths ehurrh to cause the worship of those belong ing to 11 10 us unnieiurnen, inn meir religions rights in lbs amplest manner preserved 10 them; alao to protect in persons and property of all quiel and peaceable inhabitant within its boundaries against their enemies, th Eutawt, th Nsvsrjoes, asd other; and when ha at suies sll thst it will be bis pleasure, as wall ss his duty, to comply with those instructions, ha calls upon them to exert themselves in tire serving order, in promoting .concord.' and ii maintaining th authority and efficacy ol th n law, j 7 - A nd h requires of these who have left their homes, and taken up arm against the troops of th United Btaiee, lo return forthwith it them, or else they will bs considered as aa mist snd traitern subjecting their pemn lo punishment, snd their pmpert to teizur and ' ... A.. .U- I e. . .1 II:. . fonitcanan, tor un ueneui 01 111a puouo ireas- my. ' " '"' ' -It laths Wlah and intention of lb United States to provide for New Mexico a fru go trnment, with th leant possible, daisy, eimilor ) to ihateinthe United Stales, and th people of, wns not reivirru until tne 'i-H or XMOvem New Mexico will thou b rallt d 00 10 xeicii, bcr, aud because cf iu being voluminpur, the rights of freemen ia electing their own rep reaenlativee to the territorial hfilutnre. But, until this ia ba done, ihe laws hitherto in existence will ba continued until changed or modified by competent authority; aud those persons holding ofliee will eontinua in the tame for tbe present, provided they ntUl consider themsrhes rood citizen and are willing tc take Me nath tf a'teriunt U the United Stales. The United Mates hereby abs.he all otr-1 sons residing within the boundaries ef New! Mexico from any further mlkgtmee t the public ef JHtxica, snd hereby claims Ihein ot cilizenff tie United Slate, those who re main qutel and peaceable wr.l be considered good ciiisenr, snd receive protection those I who are found in arme, or ikttiiratlns' others sgainst Ihe United Sta'ee, will be eoaeidered j rraifers. and treated mceardingtu. Iroe. It. It. I I'J xj eeea., win Uonrreae p. W, VI. What was the action of Commodore Sloatf I How did he interpret and understand the I orders ho had received! We have distinct information upon this point, communicated I in the proclamation of Commodore Sloat I to the people of California. He says;. "Ilenerftrteard California will he portien nf the United State, snd its peaceable inhabitants now enjoy, together with ths privilege of choosing their own magistrate! and other oln eers, for the administration, of jutiifc among themselves snd ths same protection will be extended lo them aa to any other Slate in the Union. Thev rill also enjoy a permanent government.' Doe. U. R. 19 3d Seta., 2Dth Congress, p. 103. " ' Anil te'Ti general order 'of July -7y '18 ifr he says: "h r not only oor doty to lake California, but to preserve it sltnrwards, as a part ol the United States, ai all hazards.' What was the understanding of Com modore Stockton? In an address to the people of California, of the 17th Angust, 1848, he ssysi The Territory of Catif.trnia now belong lo the Uuiled States, ead will be governed, is at en as circumatancea wilt permit, by officer, end laws timilar to thoot by which the ether Territories of the United Stitea Sre regulated and protected. Doe- H. f. 19 3d Seas, 59lh Congreas, p. 107. Again, in a proclamation, he says: "I, Robert F. Stockton, commander-in-chief ol lh United fbrcei in the Pacific ocean, a.id I rugTvrnm di me -Arrriiucv ut wauiurilll, m'1 com mander-in-ehicf of the army of the tame, do here by rake known te an men, that bavins at biout ov coaaotar taken poeeeetion . of that territory known by tl name of Upper and Jewr . Cali fornia, do now declare it to he a Territory of th United Ctatot, under th name of the Territory of California-" Doo. II. R. 19 Sd ieia,JOt& Con gress p. 109. I Now, sir, it is impossible, I tliink, to read what was done what was reported by our officers to the President as having been done by them without seeing that they understood and acted on his instruc tions, as - designetLtO- make, a- permanent conquest of such portions of Mexican ter rify as they were instructed to take posses sion of. There is not one word said in the instructions nothing declared in the actions of the officers obeying those in structionswhich refened or appeared to refer to a military occupation of those ter ritories, for the purpose of compelling Mex ieo to do us justice for the wrongs we had sustained at her hands; on the contrary, the instructions io General Kearney, be fore read, require him to establish t empora ry civil government therein, and author ize him to assure tho people of the dttign of the United Statei to provide lor them e' government similar to tli.it which exista in our , territories. These offi cers clearly understood that they were lo take possession of and hold those terri tories as a portion of the United states. They accordingly took possession: they organized government; and they acted in all respects as if from that lime forward these territories caased to be tha propeity of Mexico, and became for all lima the property of the United States. Iow, did they underatand their instruc tion aright Why, ir, in the message of the President of the United Statei, commu nicating those dncuineuls to tjs, theie is something said which implies a disavowal of something that was done; an intimation that in some respects the instructions fasd bran exceeded. . , ,f, .(..a t-,.;;.i These documents contain all the "or ders 01 instructions to any miliury or naval officer of the Government "m relation to the establishment or organization of eivil government in any portion of the territory of Mexico.".' ... . "Among the documents accompanvino- ihe report of th Secretary cf war will , L found 'a form of government' 'established and orgsnized' by the military commander who vuiiijurrru ana nccupico WHR his fo.-ces the territory of New Mexico. This document was received at the War . De partment in the latter part of last month, and, as will be perceived by the report of tha Secreiaryof Wsr, was not, for tha reason stated bythat officer, brought to my notice untn alter my annual Message efih8th in stant was communicated lo Congress, ft j declared on its face to be 'a temporary gov emment 01 aia lemtoryt out iner ars portion, of it which purport to establish and organize a permanent territorial cov- ernment of the United States over tha tent inrumi mi vmieu oiaicsorer me terri- SJfS whTSn? fTr rights, which, under ths constitution of ti:. ' - : , tory cal tne united mates, ean do eninyed per a BTW . a ara. j . manently only by citizens of tho Unitpd States. Theae have not been approved arid recognised by mei" ( The SecrrUryof Wr. in the report refer- red to by the President s tales tl at I e nr. g18 law o: ine territory of New Mexico was not read by hire or ' submitted . to tha . President until after, hi annual iuesMgw ; waa sent in." . ; . , 1 1 appears, then, apon the statement of , the President of .-. the - United r States arel . ' the report of the Secretary of W ar, that ll 1 "or game luw established by Ueneral, Kearney for the government rt the tern- , lory of New Mexico, in consequence nf , its late arrival late with relrrenee to , the then succeeding 1 session had not h-eiv , read by him and submitted to tbo Pres ident; and his orders taken with ret pec t it it. Well, now that is the out), one of the) doeoments of which it is intimated that the conienta were., not known by. the) proper department and communicated t tho President, and approved and sanction' ed by htm. T herefore tt is a reasonable. 4 just, and necessary coiielueion, that every; one of the other documents, except tho one t. specified ami taken out by tho exception, had been read, and . considered, and approved. , And, furiher. evcii in reference to General , Kearney's 4organio , Uw, nothing is excepted by the President , law a "permanenr form of government; whereas ihe IVesident intended a perma nent occupation, with permanent govern ment, to ba finally settled by Congress. . leaving to the military officer th establish ment of s mtwrary government only. Nociception was taken by tha President, to General Keatwy Vroefamstion of -t he- 24th August, declaring Ins uHention to. hold New Mexico "as A. faat oi tus U nitkd State" none to his requiring all THE INHABITANTS TO aETl'SS TO. THEIR homes on pain of being'ednsidered traitors anil subjecting their persons to punishment, and thttr properly lo confiscation--none to his requiring the time noWteis to consider themselves "citizens or, ako to take a . OATH OP ALLEOIANCK TO THE UNITED Statm' none to bis declaring ihs imteh tion of the United States lo provide a civit oovernhent lor New . Mexico . with a tkrhitorial lkoislattue rion - lo Ins , AnsoLviNo, in the name of the United Slates, the inhnbttants ol mat country im ... eiico nou finally, none to hts claiming all persons re- . siding within that Wrritory at citizen f. th United State, and denouncing tho doom of traitors against rtl of tbem who . should be foand im arms sgainst us. . ; Tu , nothing that was done, by either. Commo dore Sloat or Commodore Stocklon.in regaid lothese matters, is any eice ption taken; yet Commodore Sloat proclaimed to the inhab itant of - California, as early, as July 1640, THAT TUV-NCErOBWAEO CALirOHN- ia would bp.; a roanoN or tub ukius Status,'1 ' - snd iwould enjoy "a i,eba nent ooverxhemt." A nd.in his general orders, issued ' July 7 in, he , ssys to lbs troops who were about to be landed on the eoaat, that tl was tneir duly not only to taks California, but to preserve , it afterwards, as MA f ant or ths United States," at nil hazards. , And Commo- dor Stockton, by hs proclamation,' makes known lo all men, that he has by right of comqvest taken possession of the territory known as Vpper and JLower California , and declares it to be "tub tirhitort or tub Unite States," under the name t f The territory or California. And again, on the 17th of August, he declare that "the territory of California now . be longs to the United States, and will be governed, as sonn as circumi tances per mit, by officers snd laws similar lo those by which ether territories of the United States sre regulated and governed." : Here, then, we see flier srting undtr, the sul!iority of the Pieaiden', without ra-' buke from him, soiling' snd es'abiishing eivil governments in Mew Mexico and I'nU ifornia, aathe premanenl teriitorie of tlie" United States; claiming their inhabitants an our citizens, promising tbem a permanent form of Government, and denouncing tbem . as traitors if they should take up arms gaipst ihe United States. VVbst is this but conquest! What is it but seizure and permanent annexation by force of armsT This, then, air, I presume the President . designed to do at tha very-, time when ba i called upon the country for a recognition of this war, and for men and money , to p.osecute K. No intimation is given' to us in any of the correspondence if he did not -hen entertain ths design at what time ' Ihe ; hange : look place in ths Presidential : mind. In June, July. and'August, from ihe -i Navy and ths War Departmetit to all the ;. officers charged with carrying into exe cution the wishes of the President in the prosecution of the war, we iiave the same . generul lone of ineiruciious, ami we have all ' these officer seizing territories ami treating them as a permanent part of tlie' United Stiles. And te these preceding the President takes - no exception! lie .? does not intimate, by th slighiast breath., of tlitapprohsiion, that the seal f thee . commanders has exceeded the porpoee of the Executivel ,.,-, , mv w T must suppose, then, that conquest was ' the jrhjecj; lor which the PretiJenl prose cuted tbe war from the beginntg, and not . V . j, ..ai - .;-II.. , .!y iu? t; : 1 i.- ... been bis purpose! At th commencement oftb war, what did he want indemnity fort Mexico, it is true, owed to nor cin- sens money, v If the object had been lo seize ths Mexican territory, and simply i bold it by mililsry occupation, In outer to compel Mexico lo recognise and disrharr her debt to us, why is nothing of t'ii ktnl S four :h jag; . - i i .in r ' i l
The North-Carolina Star (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Feb. 16, 1848, edition 1
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