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The President's Message

The President's Message image
Parent Issue
Day
25
Month
December
Year
1847
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The Message opens with the usual sop lo ihs nalional vnnity - glorification of our "admirable system" - "the people the on!y -"civil and religious freedom"--"capableofself-goveinrtnent," and other flourishes of this character, repeated in well rounded periods annually in legHat've messagevnl dú'y thnugh the d.iily papers. They do no good,lut they render Atnericans inordinately conceited in their own eyes, and very ridiculous in the eycs of oiher nations. Mr. Polk then recapilulates the causes of the war, restating, of course, the former falsehood, (het Mexico commenced it 'by shedding the blood of our own citizens upon our own soil." This falsehood he sticks to wilh great perseverance throughout the message, and thence derives his conclusions that the war is a just, honornble,proper and necessary one on our part. „ - - I But Mr. Polk congratúlales himself that ihe asserlion thnt 'the war existeúby the act of Mexico," was sanctioned by Congress with "greal unanimity" - only two Senators ond fourteen Bepreseniatives voling aninst it. Not only so, but this vast majority also voted supplies for ïts prosecution. Ah! llere is whre the President hns the opponents of the war! If it was unnecessary and unjust, and commenceü by Mr. Polk, why say the conlrary, and vote supplies for it? Jast read vhat Mr . C!ay said en this sulject in lus Lexington Speech. "I have no doubt of the patriotic motives of those who, after struggiing U divest the bill of that flagrant error,found ihemselves constrained to vote for it. - But, I mui-t say, tha no earthly considf rntion would have ever tempt'd or provoktd me to vol e for n bill with a palpahlc fahchood slamped on i Is face. - Alinobt idnlizing trutli, as I do, I liever, neveb, eould hnve voted for that bill." We wonder liow Senator Woodbridge, who hos been tolked of for Vice President, and the greal mass of VVliig members will receive a icbuke sojust and terrible, and coming from so liigh asource? Here was ihe great error of Ihe war, in supporling t at oJl: Lut tl ey hnve since vied witl) thetr adersaries in glorifying and sustaining it. After two oratorical paragraphs praising the army and lamenting the dead who have fallen in his war, Mr. Polkgives a history of hisat'emplsat negolialion thro' Cummissioner Trist. They were unsitcccssful. Why? Because Mr. Polk asked so miiL-h "indemnity" ilial Mexico would not pay it. lt is worlh while'.o notice the diflerence in the offers of ihe iwo poweis. Mf. Polk demanded New Mexico, bolh Californias, the Rio Grande as a boundary, (wich last would late a large slice of Me.xican lerritory,J and ihe right of wny for a Canal or Railroad through the isthmus of Tehuantepec. - A vf.ry modest demand on the pnrt ol Mr. Pulk, embracing, we suppose,somewhere from a third to a half of the Mexican domains. He proposed lo sweeten the cession, however, by giving Mexico as mach boot in money ns miglit be deemed reasonablf. This, be it remem bereJ,nas Mr. Polk's ultimatum. Mex ico must give up a iliird of her territory or fight. VV lint clicl tlie Mexican Commission ers propose? The Nueces as a bound nry: ndeinnlty to Mexican citizens fo losses by the war: the right of collectin] the Mejiicar. Ta riff on imports of those whü tin d paid dut es to U. S. officers and the cession, for n sum of money, o so much of Upper California ns lies nort of 37 degrees of latitude. Mr. Polk. o coursc, would not accept of terms, whicl however righ: in themselves, wheiygran ed by him, would be a viitual acknow edgmeni that he had been in the wrong Mr. Pulk is sorry Mexico was .s stupid as to rei'use, while tho provinct ho Homandfd were worth bo linie In hor and are so handy,iheas Yankees say, to us. Mexico can't govern ihem mucl. - the people could not take care of thcmselves, i f they should try: f any foreign nation thould interfere, we should be bound to fightthemoíT the continent: nnd then "iheir resources would be developed" so beaulifulty underour government - who can doubt it? Bes!des,our whalers wish lo use the California harbors: and tbere are only a few people in the Californias and New Mexico; we could keep off the Indians letter ïhan the Mexican government, and adually release I can cRptives now held by them, " and restore them to ttieil families and friends!" How foolish in that nation to refuse to yield to such satisfactory reasons! So Mr. Polk thought,& hosiilities recommenced. The history of this negoliation shows exactly what we are fighting for - more land! Mr. Polk ssked nothing but land of Mexico; and he undoubtedly ngrees with Senator Cass, that " we want more room;" and he is for getting it immediatily by annexing these three provinces to our Union, under territoriul governments. These provinces, he tells us, OUght 'NEVER TO BE.SURRENDERED.' We think the Presidents suggestion sensible. If we are to have territory at all events. (and who cnn noiv doubt ttï) the annexation should be completed ot once. The soor.er the betler. Let us take from Mexico what we want, and be satisfied. But Mr. lJo!kdoes not wish to annihiIjte thenalional existence of Mexico. - Not pt all. He is Tor taking a part of' the country, at a time. In tliis, too, he s wise. VVere we to swallow at once so greatan empire, ilmight not set well on our national stornach. It nrght prove a nouseons surfeit. But we coilld easily swallow her at two or three nieals,taking one now, and one or two more twenty or thirly yfiars hence,afler the firsthad been thoroughly digested. A great and permanent empire should giow gradually, that it tnsy become consol idatod and harmonizad in ils character. Mr. Polk hos learned this historical lesson, and her.ce his anxiety to gêl a peace ceding these provinces to us. lf he can not get one in any other way, he prcposes to follow the example of the English in their East Indian conquests:- conquêr n country, set up a new government friendly to themselves, whose power they will guarantee,and then make wilh that government atreaty confirmingto themselves wliaisoever they wish. Mr. Polk evidenily understands the arts of dilomacy as well as wat. The President justifies himself for the pol cv nursued by tlie armies of ynying for every thing tl)ey had of the Mexicans, He was opposed to this, after irying it. and wrote toboth Scott and Taylor to stop the practice, and rob the Mexicansof whaiever they wanted: but those Generáis refused tu doso for two good reasons : it would make all the Mexicans raving mad ; and would most likely result in their own starvalion. The President is urgent in recommending that contributions in even form should be levied upon the Mexicans. and they be made lo feel acutely the calamities of war. But we very rnuch doubt whether such a cou rte will hasten the atlainment of ihat peace which Mr. Pulk seeks s,o earnegtl . The tendency of it would be decidediy the reverse. Multitudes of the rich and middling classes, who are now peaceably disposed, upon being robbed of a qtiarler or a half of their property, would be willing to sacrifice the remainder, if they could but get vengeance on their tyrants. Implacable halred lo his country 's oppiessors would be the feeling of every Mexican heart Mr. Polk, of course, wants Congress liould furnish him wilh more regular roops, more volunteers, and power to ccepi of the services of as many as lie may wish' to cali out in future. All ol which Congrets will probably do. Butwar is expensive. lt costs cas h as veil as blood. The public revenue expended for the year enuing June SO, was 59,491,177 dollars. Rather a large increase on the moderate times of John Quincy Adams! Mr. Polk says if the war be nol concluded, he shall want tor he year ending next Jui:e, f 58,615,660. Hiis wouldamount to about three dollars apiece to every person in the ualion, or h'fieen oollars to every family. Add to this the Siate, County, Town, Highway and School taxes, and it will be found ihat the people pay about ono twelftli, or more, of all they earn lor their excellent government. As a general thing, tuo, they pay the na:ional tax peacebly and willingly. The principal reason lor this is, that a very great portion of it.through „.the tariff, is paid cumes by the poor and ignorant, when tey do not know il. Theimo.irit chiefly out of Labor. If the expenses of the war were raised entirely by direct tax on People, it would be stopped in thirty daya. Our national debt, Dec. 1, was $45,000,000, to wnich the President proposes for this year to add $18,500,000, more, making $63,360,000. To swell this,th unpaid future expenses of the war wi be added, logelher wilh a pension lis now f i rat recummended by tlie Presiden which will probably extend throug 0 yents t comv. Through )n aa various oiher ehannels, unnumbered milllons wil) be paid for this war by this gonerotion, or by posleiiiy: and thus God execules his judgment on natiorcs of conquerors. by permitting counlless curses to follow in tlie direct line of their nalional transgressions of the laws of JMStice and bpnevolence. They ihat lake the sword shal) perish by it directly, or feel more remolely its bitter effects. - War and Taxation go hand in hand. - Thus Mr.Polk is urgent to have Tea and CofTee laxed. He assures us n tariiFon those articles would save his borrowing every year Three Millions of dollars! - This tax would fall heavirst on the farmers and mechanics of the Free States - a considerable part of whom elevated Mr. Polk to the Presidency, and have sustained his war. We have not room to notice n detail theother suggestions of the President on national maners. Quite a nuinber of them strike us favorabiy, as judtcious and important. It vvill be noticed that he ngain urges payment to Spain for distribution to claimants in ''the Amislead case." Whelher he wants an appropriation for the value of the vesse!, or the slaves, or for both, does not nppear. He: does not seem disposed to particulnrize, but tells us that the amount asked is but "inconsiderable." and the Spanish Slaveholding claimants, through iheir government, vvill be madun!e-s they get itand continue to tease us, and they nre very troublesome just now! We rather exprct Congres will make this " rconsiderabk" appropriation, as Mr Polk has requesttd. On the whole, we regard ihe Message as a plato, straightforward document, justitying the war, nnd pointing out the mode in which Mr. Polk intends to manage it, and the odjects for which he is fighting. If the VVhigs, who have n mnjority in the House, wisfa D take nny stand against the continuance, policy, or objectsofthe war, this message affords thein a fair opportunity. But we do not e.vpect any such stand will now be successfully taken. The popular voice will be heard, shouting " More Territory;" and no consideraíions of justire,economy or prudence will stand in the way of the lopular will in attaining it. The most the philosopher or philanthropiit can hope is, that despite the wickedness of man. som e permanent benefus mny resul t to the human race Trom these acts of nalionnl outrage, injustice and vioience.

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Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News