Teriii of the Wntcliinaii.
a,wriptinP'r yeKTwo DoLLATts. payable ill
i ' Jful f not Pal(1 In advance. Two dollars
w'.w.-'rit will be chareed.
44J"L-tTSlnrrted at 81 for the firet.and 25 eta
ut)!KHif nt insertion. ' Court
Bf r ct. hfch" than the.e rates. Aj I
in to thosf who advertise by the yeafr
rTEJ lo'lhi KJitors must be post paiid
orders chnrged
liberal deduc
1
J. J. BRJJNER,
Editor Proprietor,
. , ( , j y i-ni - 1 i i i i I 1 1 ; i i . .
T- , , , p. . . . . .
! i oi t Tcimtnir vr r m!TTTTToTv a -t a TTnTTorn 1 onn
i- It is astomsliipg hat all the belies with which' we are acquainted in nature, when analysed, are found to be
composed of so few elements. The following table of elementary substances was prepared about ten years ago
by an eminent Chemist in this State. r ; ;
It might be useful to the readers of th3 Watchman, and especially school teachers to preserve it for reference.
Catalogue of Substances Connected with Chemistry, with some of their Properties Spc.
i , I
.1 nrnntc' II The
Caloric,
Light, x
Electricity,
Magnetism,
1st. Cla contains 5,
all of which are Elecv
tro Negative.
The other 48" are Elec ,
tro Positive.
1st. Class contains 6,!
which are Inflamma
ble or Acidifiable.
Name.
Oxygen, Gas.
Chlorine, Gas.
Iodine,
Bromine.
Fluorine, not distinctly
known.
Hydrojren, Gas.
Nitrogen, Gas.
Sulphur.
Phosphorus.
Carbon.
Boron.
The other 48 are Metals which are divided into 3 Classes.
1st. Class contains 3
Alkaline Metals.
2d. Class contains 10
Earthy Metals.
3d. Class contains 30
Oxidable Metals, f
which 12 are Malle
able. .
. I'fow Scott' t Weekly Pap.r. ,
pji SINGULAR CIRCUMSTANCE,
i te year 1820, the writer residing in
w -Coiinty, Va., I was requested by
ffriend toinssist him in? harvesting his
i.e There Were sortie ten hands erriploy
5 jn:lhefiC -In' the evening. (Saturday
Jane 2'2d, 1620.) about an hour before
lonsetw.to'fquit work and. Went to the
'x0JAc! Mr. Il . our boss, requested us
lo be seatrjd for a short time, while he
po to a near neighbor's to hire an
tiii'lioBi.jnumbr of harvest hands for
tjjC j,ext MondrtyV work. ' I had left my
Test in theforenoon, where we had work
f4,nefir G- ,'v''rt nd I requested Mr.
j' jo bring it wilh him on his return,
which he promised to do. It began to
crow latf, iinl I commenced Poking for
Mr. R- eve ft j before he had time to return,
jhc house 'jood on an eminence, and all
-L. iVnher Knd even the slumns. wer nfT
inr w 1 i i .
the land. Jhert: was a full view for half There are 53 Elementary Substances.
.rnile.'in-tne uirrcuon wnere no went. I
Agftin I loqkeu for him, and did not see
him. I remained, however, n minute
where he. tood, and on looking again,
suJJcnly, wjthin about 100 feet of me. in
pen space! appeared Mr. R., but oh how
"cbmgetj ! Jilt' appeared as writhing in
pain, his body slightly inclined on the left
side, his eyf-s rolled upwards,1 his counte
nance assumed a deathlike biie, his chest
heaved, and a Convulsion shojak his whole
frame ! I sjiood riveted tv theispot, unable
td stir, llts who perceiveu me, anu was
alarmed atjmy wild appearance. She
saw that I was looking intently at some
object cl'osd at hand, and oh looking in
the direction she saw nothing ! She, how
ever, causetl me to look away, and at that
moment, he vanished from my sight !
'Alarmed I-jvcnt into the hpuse, and en
quired if Mr. R. had returned. I went
abo to the barn and made (he same en
quiry, but in each case was answered in
the negative. In about twejnty minutes,
Mr. U. wasjseen about 80 rpds off in the
direction htj had went, leisurely coming
along towajj the -house. jVhen he ar
rived I ask c;d him if be" bad cjome straight
home from Mr. G.'s and he ahswered that
he had. 1 Related the whoe aflair to a !
near friend wro desired me to say. noth
ing about it. She believed hat his death
was near, and that it was made known
to me by htsapparation appearing to me
in that mariner. On the next Monday,
die hands (myself with them,) returned to
the field a,nd were allenpaged in cradling
and binding rye for Mr. R. He appeared
unusually cheerful. Rut the"recol lection
' of bis awful countenance made me any
thing but cheerful. There Was a man of
our company who was a professed deist ;
and his wIidIo talk was something about
backsliders! and the sins of religion. He
professed b be also atrAtheist, and deni
ed all lutufe rewards and punishments.
He kept ur) a laugh occasionally amongst
the hands that day. About three o'clock
P. MMr. R. came to us jwith some re
freshments, of which we partook, and
again commenced work. 1 was binding
after-Mr R.p Wo had gone about 20 rods
when the Atheist made some big speech,
and I raised my head to see if Mr. R. was
laughing at it, as I could feel nothing but j
disgust for him or his blasphemous ex- j
pressions, ll perceived thai R. smiled for !
a moment, find then resumed his cradling.
He struck ofice wilh the cradle, and drew
it around again the cradle fell from his
hands and jjhere before me stood same
form in reality, whose apparitmn I had
seen on Saturday evening I He stood
writhing for a minute and then dropt to
the ground'on his left side. I called for
help. It came ; but the King of Terrors,
hid imprinted his seal upon his palid
countenance f-convulsions and cramp held
his body for a short time;; and then his
soul lelt its! clay tenement! for the land of
; spirits. It iwas my lot to acquaint his af
fectionate jyoung wife with the sad ac
count thatihe husband of her youth was
i npmorei jWhenl arrive at their dwell
J ing the task was too great for me, and I
' passed to the garden to acquaint his aged
r father of tBe sad account. Mrs. R. per
ceived me", and seeing my wild looks,
asked me f her husband was not dead !
1 with suppressed emotion I answered in
the affirmative. She swooned away, and
sank senseless to the floor. Soon the
harvest hands made their appearance,
bearing the lifeless body of Mr. R.
Hut whip re was this boasted atheist.
Vhen Mr;. R. breathed his last in our
mmsthis boasting scoffer ran into the
Woods raving crazy! He remained in
that situation some time, and never re
turned toj his right mind entirely. We
consigned 'to the earth, the remains of our
heloved friend on the 25th of June. 1820.
I do not make these statements for the
MIS
- - V. " --Ml- -
i 1 j ! ' I
1
", Keep a checi: vtotx all totj
RutEts.
mi 'Hi
Do THI8, A KB LlBERJT IS SAFE.'
Gen I Harrison. '
NEW SERIES.
VOLUME VII NUMBER 15.
GREAT BUSINESS ON A SMALL CAPITAL!
! i
-41.
Discoverer.
Prieily.
Scheele.
Courtoia.
Balard.
Cavendish.
Rutherford.
Known to ancients.
Brandt.
Known to ancients.
Davy.
3
I1
year. Spe'c Gravity
1774 1.111
1774 2.5
1812 4.94
1826 3.
1766 0.694
1772 0.9722
1.99
1669 1.714
1807 2.
Fusing Point
by Farenh'ts
scale.
13 are Brittle.
The other 5 are
little known.
but
Potassium,
Sodium,
Lithium,
Barium, ,
Strontium,
Calcium,
Magnesium,
Alumium,
Silicium,
Glucinurn,
Zirconium,
Yttrium,
Thorinum,
Gold,
Silver,
Copper,
Tin,
Cadmium,
Piatinnm,
Lead,
Zinc,
Iron,
Nickel,
Palladium,
Mercury when frozen, or
at 40 below zero,
Antimony,
Arsenica
Bismuth,
Cerium, '
Chromium,
Cobalt,
Columbium,
Manganese,
Rfolybdeiinm,
Tellurium, j
Tungsten,
Titanium,
Uranium,
Rhodium,
Iridium,
Osmium, -
Wodanium,
Selenium, .
Davy, 1
Davy,
Arfwedson, .
Davy,
Davy,
Davy,
Davy,
Wohler,
Davy,
Wohler, :
Davy,
Wohler,
Berzelius,
Known to ancients,
Known to ancients,
Known to ancients,
Known to ancients,
Stromeyer,
Wood,
Known to ancients,
Alchemists,
Known to ancients,
Cronstedt,
Wollaston,
Alchemists,
Brandt,
Alchemists,
Heisinger,
Vauquelin,
Brandt,
Hatchett,
Gahn,
Muller,
Muller,
Delhuyart,
Gregor, "
Klaproth,
Wollaston,
Descotils,
Tennant,
Lampidius,
Berzelius,
1807
1807
1818
1807
1807
1807
1807
1828
1828
1828
1829
.86
.97
1818
1741
1751
1803
1733
1804
1797
1733
1802
1774
1782
1782
1781
1781
1780
1803
1803
1803
1817
1818
19.30
1045
8.9
7.29
8.6
2147
11.35
6.9
7.7
8.4
11.8
13.6
6.70
8.35
9.S3
5.90
-8.6
5.6
8.
8.6
6.11
17.4
?
18.68
10.65
4.3
185
99
Infusible.
Ditto.
150
200
5237
4717
s4587
" 442
23,127
612
680
21,637
20,577
40
809
476
17,977 -
21,877
23,127
620
23,127
23,127
23,127
23,127
23,127
23,127
about 220
nomenclature in use among Chemists was fram
ed by several distinguished French Chemists, and was
first published in May, 1786.
It was formed on the supposition that Oxygen is the
only principle of acidification, and is so formed that the
name shall describe the character of the substance nam
ed. Thus,
A sabstance with which Oxygen, Chlorine, &c. are
united in a less degree than to form an Acid, is known
by a name that terminates in ids as, an Oxide, Chlo
ride, Iodide, &c.
When the substance contains a larger portion of the
combining ingredients than the lowest, the Greek adjec
tives answering to first second, : third, are added as,
Protoxide, Deutoxide, Tritoxide Proto-chloride, Deuto
chloride, &c.
The highest degree of combination is known by the
Greek preposition Per, pre-fixed, as, Per-oxide, Per-
chloride, Per-iodide.
The various kinds of Acids are designated by the
name of the base of that acid as, Sulphuric from Sul
phur ; Phosphoric from Phosphorous,
The -degree of acidification is known by the termina
tion of the name:
The name of the weaker acids ends in ous, as Sul
phurous, Nitrous;
The name of the stronger ends in ic, as, Sulphuric,
Nitric
When a degree of acidification between these, or
above one or the other, is designated, the Greek prepo
sition Upo, under or the Latin Sub, under and Su
per, over, are prefixed as, Upo, or Sub-Sulphuric, less
than Sulphuric : Super-Sulphuric, more than Sulphuric
The various Salts are known by prefixing the name
of the combining acid to the name of the base as, Sul
phate of Potash, Nitrate of Potash.
The degree in which the acid is combined, is known
by the termination of the name of the combining acid.
Thus, a salt formed from an acid whose name ends in
ous, is known by a name ending in ite as Nitrite of
Potash.
A salt formed from an acid whose name ends in ic,
is known by a name ending in ate as, Sulphate Soda,
Nitrate Potash.
When the salt contains- an excess of acid, the Latin
adverb b is or bi is prefixed as, Bi-Sulphate, Bi-Phos
phate.
In some books the prepositions sub, super, are pre
fixed -as, Sub-Sulphate, Super-Carbonate.
1 "When two solid substances unite, the compound is
known by a name ending with Uret as, Sulphuret of
Iron, Carburet of Iron. '
When a solid inflammable substance unites with an
inflammable gas, it is said to be uretted, as, Sulphuret
ted Hydrogen, Carburetted Hydrogen.
In both these cases the adverb or Li is prefixed to
denote a larger portion of the combining ingredients,
as, Bi-Sulphuret, Bi-Carburet, and Bi-Carburetted Hy
arogea.
will take verjr good care that their rath drirers
in future "furnish their oxen icagons." Natch
ez Courier.
TEXAS BOUNDARY QUESTION.
In our last we gave President Fillmore's
Message to Congress in relation to afiairs be
tween Texas and New Mexico. We subjoin
here the Letter of Mr. Bell, Governor ol Texas,
to the President, and Mr. Secretary Webster's
answer thereto.
Executive Department,
Austin, ( Texas,) June 14,1 850.
Sir : By authority of the Legislature of
1 exas, the Lxecutire of the State, in February
last, dispatched a special commissioner with
full power and instructions to extend the ciril
jurisdiction of this Slate orer the unorganized
counties of El Paso, Worth, Presidio, and San-
la re, situated upon its noith western limits.
That commissioner has reported to me, in an
official form, that the military officers employed
in the service of the United States, stationed
at Santa Fe, interposed adversely with the in-
habitants to the fulfilment of his object, by em
ploying their influence in favor of the establish-
ment of a separate State Government east of
the Rio Grande, and within the rightful limits of
the State of Texas. I transmit to vou here- !
with the proclamation of Colonel John Munroe,
acting under the orders, of the Government of
the United States, under the designation of Ci
vil and military Governor of the Territory of
iNew Mexico.
I have very respectfully to request that your
Excellency will cause me to be informed, at
your earliest possible convenirnce, whether or
not this officer has acted in this matter under
the orders of his Government, and whether bis
proclamation meets with the approbation of the
President ol the United States ?
Wilh assurances of distinguished consider.
ation, I have the honor to be your Excellency's
most obedient servant,
P. II. BELL.
To his Excellency Z. Taylor,
President of the United States.
AN AMATEUR FOWL BREEDER.
The editor ofthe Lynn Bay State has
been buying fancy eggs of some pne in
Boston at a big figure, which did'nt turn
out what he expected ; and so be con
cludes that the hen fever is a great hum
bug ! Sarved him right ; he bought what
were said to be Cochin China eggs, and
after waiting ipatiently over four weeks,
he found six ducks in his hatching coop
one morning. So much for his foresight
edness. This is not half so bad as the case of
one of his neighbors, however, who paid
a round price for half a dozen choice eggs,
queer looking speckled eggs small,
round. outlandish " eggs which he felt
certain would produce rare chickens, and
which, hef was very cautious in setting un
der his very best hen. - I
At the end of a fortnight he wqs star
tled at the breakfast-table, to hear his fa
vorite hen screaming 4 bloody mUrder,"
from within the coop! he rushed: to the
rescue, raised the box-lid, arid found his
hen onhe nest, but in a frightful pertur
bation struggling, yelling and cackling
most vociferously.
He spoke to her kindly and softly ; he
would fain appease and quiet her ; for
there was great danger lest in her excite
ment and struggles she should destroy the
favorite eggs those rare eggs, which had
cost him so much money and trouble.
But soft wxrdf were vain. His best hen
continued to scream, and he raised her
from her nest to ascertain the cause of
her trouble, more critically. His; aston
ishment was instantaneous, but immense;
and his surprise found vent in the brief
but expressive exclamation
M Ttirklex-bu thunder r
J marvelous. Every word is strictly and . Such was the fact. The poorinnocent
literally true. Many of the persons who poultry fancier n was the victim of mis-
were at the burial, are Vet alive. The
Deist Johti B., is gone to his last account.
The image ofmy friend Henry K.Jsyet
vividiin my mind, as when present in
death, or iti bis apparition he appeared to
me. Those who were acquainted with
these facts will readily recognize the wri
ter, and know that he is yet alive. N.
FROM THlTcHOCTAW NATION.
We tavo received, among our exchanges,
.two papers, the Advocate" and the Intelli
fcencer," puiliihed in the Choctaw nation.
They give evidence7 of the happy progress al
ready made in lb civilization of the Indian.
The elections which were recently held are
aid 0 havet passed off without disorder of any
. ort and temperance was observed throu"hout.
j. The school examinations also took place a short
time sloco. jTbey are described as having giv.
n unusual satisfaction, while they would have
, been creditable to children of the same age and
term ct scaooling tn any of the States,
poultry
placed confidence. The party wpo sold
him them eggs, bad sold the buyer shock
ingly 1 And instead of a brood of pure
Cochin Chinas, he found that his favorite
hen had batched halt a dozen mud turtles
all of whom upon breaking their shells
seized upon the flesh of the poor fowl and
had well nigh destroyed her life! before
they could be " choked off P He has giv
en up the chicken trade, and has since
gone into the dwarf pear business !
From tie Washington Republic of Saturday;
ARREST OF RUNAWAY.
An affair was brought to light in our city yes.
terday to which much attention was attracted.
The principal actor in it is General Chaplin,
of New York, ia gentleman of fifty to si$ty years
of age, somewhat widely known as the editor
of a paper called Chaplin s -Portfolio publish
ed at Albany.; lie has been lor some lime a
resident of ibis city, acting as correspondent of
his own paper, and perhaps doing other wri
ting and attending to other business, as the
means of getting along.
On Thursday night it was known by a cer
tain portion of the police that he was about to
depart from Washington on that night with
some fugitive slaves in a carriage; and the
route he was to take, was also known. Ac
cordingly, while a good lookout was kept up
here in the city, Captain Goddard, with seven
officers took their position a little beyond the
District line, in Maryland, near the place of F.
P. Blair, Esq., about six miles from the city.
Here they quietly awaited until half-past
eleven o'clock, when the sound of a heavy car
riage was heard, and the voice o( a merry dri
ver who sang cheerily as he passed over the
road. This was the object of their pursuit ;
and when it had come quite up to them, the
night being very dark and cloudy,) Captain
Goddard dexlereously pushed a fence rail be
tween the spokes of the hind wheels and at the
same moment Smithey and Cox seized the bri
dles of the horses. An exclamation of surprise
from the inmates was instantly followed by the
discharge of a pistol by the driver, (Chaplin,)
which, as is believed, sent a ball through the
bat of Mr. Smithey, who held the near horse.
General C. plied his whip fiercely, and his fine
spirited horses would have bounded off had the
wheels not been "chocked." I Officers Davis
and Handy now pulled General Chaplin from
the driver's seat.
During this operation the inmates of the car
riage, two servant-men belonging to the Hon.
R. Toombs and the Hon. A. Stephens, of Geor-
gia, respectively, were carrying on a severe
battle with the beseisers around them, dis
charging no less than eleven bills from revolv
ers of formidable calibre. Nor were the rest
of the outsiders idle. The night, as we have
remarked, was very dark ; the halt-captured
driver fought to the last, only ceasing; when the
last limb was pinioned ; and the fear of shoot
mg each other rendered the police in a meas
ure powerless. They nevertheless returned
shot for shot as long as the firing from within
was continued. At one moment Capt. Goddard
approached the carriage door, and a pistol
flashed near enough to bis race to scortch bis
left eyebrow. For this he returned' two shots
both of which are believed to have taken effect
though not mortally. One of them lodged in
the watch of the fighting negro, who belongs
to Mr. Stephens ; the other made a flesh wound
in the same negros back. I
While this was going on, one of the beseig
ing party stooped to undo the trace chains and
detach the horses, and Mr. Toombs's man, hav.
ing discharged his last shot, leaped from the
front of the carriage upon this officer's back,
as the, blood in his tracks evinced. He has
not yet been caught.
The captare was now complete ; and upon
ascertaining the extent of the damages, all
were amazed that so little was! done. A flesh
wound in the arm of Mr. Butjs, a bullet hole
through Mr. Smithey's hat, a singed eyebrow
on the part of Capt. Goddard, and a scratched
face for Mr. Cox, are all the disasters sustain-
Department of State,
Washington, August 5, 1850.
Sir : A letter addressed by you to the late
President of the United States, and dated on
the 14th of June last, has, since his lamented
decease, been transferred to the hands of his
successor, by whom I am directed to transmit
to you the following answer.
In that letter you say that, by the authority of
the Legislature of 1 exas, the Executive of that
State, in February last, dispatched a special
commissioner, with full power and instructions
to extend the civil jurisdiction of that State
over tne uuorganizea counties ot e.i raso.
Worth, Presidio, and Santa Fe, situated upon
its northwestern limits ; and that the commis
sioner has reported to you, in an official form,
that the military officers employed in the service
of the United States, stationed at Santa Fe, in
terposed adversely with the inhabitants to the
fulfilment of his object, by employing their in
fluence in favor of the establishment of a sep-
ed by the captors. The captives fared a little arate State Government eastof the Rio Grande,
worse. Gen. Chaplin had his head bruised, t and within the rightful limits of the State of
Mr. Stephens s man the two wounds already Texas. You also transmit a copy of the pro
described, and Mr. Toombs's man has not re- ( clamation of Colonel John Munroe, acting un-
ported himself to the surgeon. der the orders of the Government of the Uni-
The two captives were yesterday committed I ted States, under the designation of Civil and
to prison by Capt. Goddard, to await their tri - Military Governor of theTerritory,of New
ass : and it is understood that in the state ot Mexico, and respectfully request the President
Maryland, Gen. C, after having atoned to the to cause you to be informed whether or not this
laws of the District, will be required to an- officer has acted in this matter under the or-
swer the charge of a muitierous assault. A
mulatto man, named Warner Harris, residing
in the First Ward, was also committed to pris
on, as an aider and abettor in this transaction.
ders of his Government, and whether his proc
lamation meets with the approval of the Presi
dent of the United States ?
In the events which have occurred, I hardly
know whether your Excellency would natural-
STICKING TO ONE'S RIGHTS. ' I tt" a,,37c '"V;" ".7" U,,,"T
I'Mn nrpr1pfpsnr in ntnp. to whom it wa an.
Old stories very often have a forcible appli- dressedf and under who3e authority and direc
cation to present limes. The following anec
dote we met with lately in an exchange paper.
" How is it, John, that you bring the wagon
home in such a condition."
" I broke it driving over a stump."
"Where?"
" Back in the woods, half a mile or so."
" But why did you run against the stump ?
Could't you see how to drive straight ?"
' I did drive straight, sir, and that is the ve
ry reason that I drove over it. The stump was
directly in the middle of the road."
" Why, then, did you not go round it ?"
" Because, sir, the stump had no right in the
middle of the road, and I had a right in it."
"True, John, the stump: ought not to have
been in the road, but I wonder that you were
so foolish as not to consider that if was there,
and that it was stronger than your wagon."
"AVhy, father, do you think that I am always
going to yield up my rights ? Not I ; I am de
termined to stick up to them come what will."
" But what is the use, John, of standing up
to rights, when you only get a greater wrong
by so doing?
"I shall stand up for them at all hazards."
"Well, John, all I have to say is this : here
after you must furnish your own agon."
In the political world there is a very large
ugly stump, placed directly in the middle of the
high road over which our great legislative wa
gon has to pass. What is i worse,, too, some of
our ' Southern fellow-citizens helped the North
to place the stump exactly in its present posi
tion, or rather to dig away the earth which bad
previously hidden it. These very same politi
cians now insist in driving directly over the
slump, because it is in the middle of the road,
it being one of their undoubted rights to use
that portion of the highway. ' Little care they
whether the wagon is broken or not in the
passage they insist on their rights at all haz
ards. Would it not be proper for them to re
flect upon the agency they had in giving the
stump its present position, before they put in
practice their threats to break the wagon upon
it, merely because those who helped them lo
put. it there, fancying it a great improve,
ment to the highway, will not assist In its re
moral I j
There is one thing very certain ; the people
who own the vehicles that travel over this road,
tion the proclamation of Col. Munroe was is
sued, is no more ; and, at this time, that proc
lamation, whatever may be regarded as its true
character, has ceased to have influence or ef
fect. The meeting of the people of New Mex
ico, by their representatives, which it invited,
is understood to have taken place, although
this Government has as yet received no official
information of it. Partaking, however, in the
fullest degree, in that high respect which
the Executive Government of the United Slates
always entertains towards the Governors and
the Governments of the States, the President
thinks it bis duty, nevertheless, to manifest that
feeling of respect, by acknowledging and an
swering your letter. And this duty, let me as
sure your Excellency, has been so long delayed
only by uncontrollable circumstances, and is
now performed at the earliest practicable mo
ment. after the appointment of those heads of
Departments, and their acceptance of office,
wilh whom it is usual, on important occasions, :
for the President of the United States lo advise.
In answer, therefore, to your first interroga
tory, viz. whether Colonel Munroe, in issuing
the proclamation referred to, acted under the
orders of this Government, I have the honor to
state that. Col. Munroe's proclamation appears
to have been issued in pursuance, or in conse
quence, of an order, or letter of instruction,
given by the late Secretary of War, under the
authority 01 me laie rresiaeni. 10 L.ieui. 1,010
nel McCall. Of this order, which bears dale
on the 19th of November, 1849, your Ex
cellency was undoubtedly informed at the date
of your letter. A full and accurate copy, how
ever, is attached to this communication. Col.
McCall is therein instructed that if the people
of Mexico, for whom Congress had provided no
Government should manifest a wish to take
any steps to establish a Government for them
selves, and apply for admission into the Union,
it would be his duty, and the-duly of others
with whom he was associated, not to thwart,
but to advance their wishes. This order does
not appear to authorize any exertion of miltla
ry authority, or of any official or even person
al interference, to control, or affect in any way,
the primary action of the people in the forma
tion of a Government, nor to permit any such
interference by subordinate officers. Col. Mc
Call and his associates were not called upon to
take a lead in any measures, or ef'oto reconv
.mena any ining as ni to be adopted by the peo
ple. Their whole duty wat confined to what
they might be able to perform, subordinate to
the wuhes of the people. Iu this matter it was 1
evidently contemplated thai ihey were-to act
as the agents of the inhabitants, and not as of.
ficers of this Government. It must be recol.
jected that the only Gore rumeot then existing -in
the Territory was a quasi military Govern
ment, and as Congress had made n provision
for the establishment of any form of civil Gov.
ernment, and as the President .doubtless be.
lieved that under these circumstances ibeTpeo.
pie had a right to frame a Government for them,
selves, and submit it lo Congress for its apnro.
val, the order was a direction that the then ex
isting military Government should not stand in
the way of the accomplishment of the wishes
of the people, nor thwart those wishes, if the
people entertained' them, for the establishment
of a free, popular, republican civil Government,
for their own protection and benefit. This is
evidently the whole purpose apd object of the.
order. The military officer in command, and
his associates, were American citizens, ac.
quainted with the torms of civil and popular
proceedings, and it was expected- that they
would aid the inhabitants of the territory, by
their advice and assistance, in their proceed-
ings for establishing a Government of their
own. There is no room to suppose that Col.
Munroe, an officer as much distinguished for
prudence and discretion as for gallant conduct
in arms, meant to act, or did act, otherwise than
in entire subordination and subserviency to the
will of the people among whom he was placed.
He was not au'borizd to do, nor do I uuder
htand him as intending to do, any thing white
ver in bis military character, nor to represent,
in any way, the wishes of the Executive Gov
ernment of the United Slates.
To judge intelligently and fairly of these
transactions, we must recall to our recollection
the circumstances of the case, at they thea ex
isted, l'revious to the war with Mexico, which:
commenced in Maj, 1840, and received 4he
sanction of Congress on the 13th of that month,
ihe Territory of Mexi o formed a Department"
or Slate of the Mexican Republic, and was go.
verned by her laws. General Kearny, acting
under orders from this Government, invaded
ihis Department with ah armed force ; the Go.
vernor fled at his approach, and the troops un
der his command dispersed ; and -Gen. Kearny
entered Santa Fe, ihe capital, on the 18th of ;
August, 1640, and took possession of the Ter- j
nlory in the name ol the Uni'ed States. On
the 22d of that month be issued a proclama.
tion to the inhabitants, stating the fact that he
had taken possession of Santa Fe, at the head
of his troops, and announcing his "intention
to hold the depaitmenl with its original bound i
aries, (on both sides pf the Del Norte,) and
under the name of New Mexico." By that
proclamation he promised to protect the inhab
itants of New Mexico in their persons and pro.
perty, against their Indian enemies and all oA.
ers, and assured them that the United States
intended to provide for them a free Government,
where the people would be called upon to ex.
ercise the rights of freemen in electing their
own representatives to the Territorial Legis
lature. On the same day he established a Ter.
ritorial constitution by an organic law, which
provided for executive, legislative, and judicial
departments of the Government, denned the
right of suffrage, and provided for trial by jury,
and the same time established a code of laws.
This constitution declared that " the country
heretofore known as New Mexico shall be
known hereafter, and designated as the Terri
lory of New Mexico, in the United States of
America," and ihe members of the lower House
of the Legislature were apportioned among the
counties established by the decree of the de
partment of New Mexico, of June 17, 1844 ;
which counties it is understood included all the
Territory over which Texas has lately attempt,
ed to organize counties and establish her own
jurisdiction. On ihe 22d of Decembet, 1846,
a copy of this constitution and code was trans
mitted by President Polk to the House of Re.
presentatives, in pursuance of a call on himbyr
that body. In the message transmitting the .
constitution, be says thai " portions of it purport
to establish and organize a permanent Territo
rial Government over the Territory, and to im
part to its inhabitants political rights which, un.
der the constitution of the United States, can bo
enjoyed permanently only by citizens of the U.
States. These have not been approved and re.
cognised by me. Such organized regulations
as have been established in any of the conquer
ed Territories, for the security of our conquest,
for the preservation of order, for the protection
of the rights of the inhabitants, and for depriv
ing the enemy of the advantages of these Ter
ritories, while the military possession of them
by the forces of the United States continues,
u:ill be recognised and approved." Near four
have now elapsed since the quasi military Go
vernment was established, by military authori.'
ty, and received, with the exceptions mentioned.
the approval of President Polk. In the mean
f
time a treaty of peace has been concluded with
Mexico, by which a boundary line was estab.j
lished that left this Territory within the United!
States, by treaty, what we had before acquired
by conquest. I he treaty, in perfect accord
ance with the proclamation of General Kear
ny, declared that the Mexicans remaining in
this Territory should be incorporated into tbej
Union of the United Slates, and be admitted at
the proper time, (to be' judged of by the Con
gress of the United States.) to the enjoyment of
all ihe rights of citizens of the Lnited states,
according to the principles of the constitution
and in the man time " bhould be maintained!
and protected iu the free enjoyment of their lib
ty and property, and secured in the free exer
cise of their religion without restriction." Thus
it will be perceived Uiat ihe authority of the
United States over New Mexico was the result
of conquest; and the possession held of it, iii
the first place, was of course a military posses,
sion. The treaty added the title by ceysjon Id
the already existing title by successful achieve
ments in arms. With the peace, there arose i
natural expectation thai, as early as possible!
there would come a civil gorernment to super
sede the military. But, until some such fornt
of government, should come into existence, U
was matter of absolute necessity that the mili
tary government should continue, as otherwise
the country must fall into absolute anarchy.-
And this has been the course, generally, in. the
practice of civilized nations, when colonies of
territories have been acquired by war, and their
acquisition confirmed by treaty.
The military government, therefore. exffing
in New Mexico at the date of lb- ordr. exisU
ed there of inevitable neC.siy. It existed aft
much against the will of the Executive Govern,
ment ofthe United Slate- a- ag-iinft the will oT
the people. The late President had adopted lb
opinion that it was justifiable in the people of
the Territory, under the circumstances, lo furnj