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The War

The War image
Parent Issue
Day
23
Month
May
Year
1846
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Wcll knqwlng the iniercsi of our readers ii the war wliicli Ima sprung tip with Mexico, in . cun-cqu rtce of tlm grecdirusa of the Slnveholder for ilie rx'ension of Slnvcry, wc aliall give ;i c nneiMeri li story of tho tíraníationí, as ihc items .iir;ir .r mi week lo wecL In ihis way our ; nadéis will h tve a beller undcrsinntling of tho inaiier, llmii lliey woulii f we were to publsh tbc longihyaiid ummpuriani dotnils of the daily ptpeis. Uu ilie ll'h f Al.iy, Mr Polk transmittcd a speci'ul ino-'Siic lo Congr.-ss. staling the present eomlitiuii uf alFnirf!. ïiy ilint t npjienra tlint lus) Octobor, in;tiiry wns made 'of the Moxiean ovcrunieii; of ii vvould recette n minister from the 1 'nitod Sintes, clotlicd wiih full powers to settle all diih'culiics, induding thu bmnidnry of Texas. That gnvftriment issented, nnd AJr. Slidell, of Louisiana. was appointcd (orthnt purposo, and repaiied :o Vera Cruz, "resident Herrern was ilcsiroiis of roce; viiii,' hiin, bu: dolayed nn account of the popular clnnnir; nnd was supersedcd suddonly hy Gen Puredos. hy a revülutionnry inoveinc:it. Oo the Ist oí Mirch, Mr. Slidell np!M to tho ncw güvernir.cnt to bc received, but n the I2th a formnl rcfusal was eent 'o hini bv the Mexic.iu miiiisjcr. Mr. Slidell thereupoii returned, without nn opportum'iy of making any proposi'ions whatcver. Mr. l'olk ihcn stnres ilie circjmsianccs of sending the army into Texas. 'J'he Cungtees of Texua in 183Ü had !cc"ared the Jlio dd None fo bo the bnundary of Texas, and the country be twecn thatriver and the Neuces h.id been rep ! resomed in the Congrcss and Conventlon ol Texiis, orid hy annc.xation, the ilio del Norte thus bccarne our boundury. Tho nrmy w.is ordered lo taken station on the bank of the rivcr, phrtly lor convenience of receiving supplies. nnd parily to deftnd the country. Gen. Tnylor win ordcred to preserve n nll respecta a pcaccable at titude. unless hostilices should bc commeneed by tl. e Mexicana. On Match 2rt, the Army arrived at the bank of the rivcr oppositc Metamorns. On the IvJtn of April. G;n. Ampudiasenta notice to Gen. Taylor to break up hts encampihent nithin 24 hours, nnd retire beyond the Neuces, or arms alone would decide tho question. On the '-kh of Ajii!. Gen. Ariata hav.ng takrn cominand of he Me.vican army. c,m nunicated to Gen. Tnylor that he i;consiJered hostilitios coüinienced. and bhould proseeute theni." On the same day a jwrty of (VI men sent o-it by Gin. Taylor lo ascertain irtho Mcxican? weie crossing the river, became engnged with a Mr.xicnn f.. ree. and afier a short aflnir, in wjkich G wcie killed ind wounded, we:o compelled to surrendcr. Mr. Polk urques that as war e.ists wilj Mex ico, it ehould be proseented with vigor. He ínvokes tho nction of Congrcss to recognize the e.xisiencoof the war, and cali into service a lnrpc bidy of voluntcors. nnd Jifseinble an "overpowcring force" in arms. At the satr.o time, Mr. Polk will be remly to resume negotiutiens whenever Mexico picases. in the House of RepresentativeF, aftcr the Message liad bei n read. a bilí wns introduced andpassed the House, yens 74 to 14. the lillé to reud as follows:" An Act to provide lor the prosecution of the existir g war bét ween the United Siatcs nnd the llepublic of Mexico." In u'istance. it is as follows: "Whereas, By an act of the Rtpublic of Mex ico a sirue of war exisis beiwcen ihai government and the United States: Sec. I. The President ishcrcby authorizcd to nccept the service of voluntcers not excceding 5).0C0 for twclve montlis or to the end of tho war. Sec. 2. $10.000,0)0 are liercby appropriatec) to carry the above into effect. Sec. 3. Volunteers nrc to furnish th ir own clothing and horsca, but when niustercd nlo active service are to be armed nnd equipped by the government. Sec. 4. They nrc to bcsubjected to the anieles of war, and, except as to clothing and pay, tobe placedon the same footing as the army, and in lieu of clothing thcy are to receive an equivalent in money. Sec. 5. The Volunteers to be officcred according to the respective lawsof tlic Stato to which the companies belong. Sec. G. The President, if he thinks it neecssiry, is empowered to jnake nominations to the Sonate of Genernls of Jiriqadc and Divisions, and of the General Staff. as now nuthori.ed. The Genernls will appoint their own Aida. and the President will nppoint the officere among their respective Suites tendering Volunteers. Sec. 8. The President ia nuthorized to complete all the armed vessels now nuthorized by law; to purchase or charter merclnnt vessels and steamboats to be converted into public armed vesscis, in euch numbers as are necessnry to protect the eea board and harboiB, or general defence. Sec. 9 S: 10. Pro vides the rntc of pay nnd (he continuancc of the net for two years. Private? of fooi companies wifl receive $10 per nionth; themounted njcn $2!) per month, including tin use and risk of hordes." This bitl passed the Senate afier a warm dis- cussion, yeas 50, nays 2. The bill o increasc ihe rank and file oí the Army, and increase the nnmber of men in each company from 4J to 10'). passed both Jiouses. In the Senate, Mr. Calhoun took the floor against tho positions of the President that a state of war existed with Mexico. The President could nol declare war. A collision had taken place, but a state of war did not exist. He would not voto for or ogainf t the bill in its present shnpc. In the IIoiifc. only two hours worc nllotcci to the discussion of the first mentioned bill. Mr. Adams opposcd it. The Government have ordered Messrs. Savery & Co. rif Pnüadelphia, to funiish immediately 100 tonsof Cannon ballj. The names of the nieinbers who votcd against the War bill os lojlow: Messrs. John Qtiincy Adnms, Ashman, Cranstort. Culvcr. Dcluno, Giddings, G inncll. Mud =on. D. P. King. Root, Severance, Strohm. Tilden and Vanee - 14. Thcrc are two in the Señale that voted agninsi the same nieasure. Their names nre, Thomas Clayton. ol Delawarc and John Davis of Massacii'.setts. As soon as the bill had passed both Ilouses, the President tssued (he following prociamation: By the President of the United States of America. A PROCLAMATION! Whereas, The Congress of the United Slates, by virlueof theconstitutional auIjority veslecl in ihem, have decjared by heir act, bearing date this day, that by hc uct of the Republic of Mexico, a state of war exists between the two Governments. Now, therefore, 1, James K. Polk, Piesidentof the Uniled States ofjAmerica, do hereby proclaim the same to olí whorn it may concern ; and I do especially enjoin un all persons holding offices, civil or military, under tlie authority of the United States, that they be vigilant and .cnlous in discharging the duties respeclfully incident thereto. And í do moreover ex hort all the good people of the United States, as they love their country - as thoy foei the wrongs which have foreed upon them the last resorl of injured nations, and as they consult the best means under the blessing of Divine Provitlence of ubridging the calamities that they exërt themselves in promoting concord and rnaintaining the authority the efficiency of the laws in supportinv and invigoraiing all the means which may be adopted by the constitutional authoritios for obtaining a speedy termination and an honorable peace. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be nflixed to these premises. Done at the City of Washington the 18th day of May, 1840, and year of ihe independence of the United States the seventieth. JAMES K. POLK. By the President : James Buciianan, Secret.irv. From ihc N . O. Picayune. We pive a transla'.ion of a proclatnation which Gen. Ampudia lias found the means of distributing in the American camp : The Commander-in-Chief of the Mexican nrmy, to the English ana Irish, uuder tho American Gen. Taylor : Know you ihat the government of ihe U. Siaics is commiitiog repeated acts ol' barbansrn and aggreásion against the rnagnanimous Mexicai) nation: hat the governmcni which exists under the flag of the stars, is unworthy of tho designation of ChrUtian. Recollcct that you weie born in Grcat Rrilain ; that the American governmcni looks wiih coldness upon the powerful ilag of St. Gcorge, a:ul is provoking to o rupture the warlike pcoplu to whom it bu'ongs; PxQstderit Polk boldiy maniicsting a desirc to have possessioti oí Qregon, as he has already done of.Texas. Now, ihen, come with all cótifidence to thé Mexican ranks, and 1 guaruntee lo you upon my honor, good treatment, ind that al! jour expenses shull be dufrayed untii your arrivul in the beautiíU capital oí Mexico. Germans, French, Pules, nnd individuals of ihe nalions. sepárale vourselves from ihe ankees and do nol contribute lo de fond a robbery and usurpation, which be assurcd. tho civilized ii.ations of F.urope Inok upon wilh the utmost indignaron, - Come, thereíore, array yourselves under the tri-c-olored Üng, in the confidence that ihe God of ormies protects it, and that it will i;otect you pqunllv wiih Englund. PEDRO Í3E AMPUDIA. Francisco R. Moicf.no, Adjutunt of ihe üommandcr in-Chicf. This exlnbits the machinations at the botlom of the present cnlcipn'.se. 'J'he Mexican fort of San Juan de Uiloa is filIc-d vvith foroign engincers, and the aimv now this side of tho Rio Grande is accompanid by French, Englisji, and other Artillery men. From the Washington Union, May 12. We are rcjoieed to learn, by ihis evenine's mail, that Capt. Seih B. Thornion and Lt. Mason, wiih two dragoons, had arrived safe in Gen. 2aylor's camp. Capt. Tliornton, discovering the ambuscade too lato to retreat, had punged gallanily ihrough tlie enemy's ranks, and cut his svay wiih his own sword, wiih a boldness and inlrepidity which is alinost incrcdible. Il seercjs ho is nol lo be killed by accidenta of nood or field. Iïe is the same gentleman who so nanowly escoped wlien tho Pulaski was b'.own up. He liad iho vellow fever several limes in Florida, atid has pasged through many other huirbreadih 'acapes. When Gon. Worth lêft ihe camp. Cnpt. Tliornion asked him f r his sword. 27he general buckled it upon him ; and whon he heard yesterday of Capt. T's gallantry, lie exclaimed - " ïhat was my sword. I knew it would never be disgraced in his hands. He is as noble and gallant a fellow ns ever held sword in hand." The rumore at Washington now are tlmt Major General Scou hns been ordertd lo tlie cotuninnd of a Mexican invading nrmy, to conaist of 3ö.000mer. Tlie President hns signed ihc War bilí and also the bilt for inereasing tlio rnnk and file of the army. This will add about 7.C0J men to iis numbere. Intclligence from Point Isabel has been receivcd to ihe 'd of May, when no allack had bean In the mean lime ihe works of defence had been strengthcned, and reinforcemenls had begun lo arrive. If the Mexicans ntcnded to attack that posilion itiey liave missed their golden opportunily. Wc have nothing later from Gen. Taylor's cncamptr.ent than before ; but if thcre had been a battle, t would certainly have been known at Point Isabel. A Galveston paper of the 2d eays: - We understand that the U. S. schooner Flirt was endeavoring to get over the bar into Brazos St. Jago in order jo co-operate more efTecloally in the defence of the depot and posilion at tho month of the rivor." Capt. Symton,of the Alert, was assistmg in the object, having taken ofl' some of the Fliri's guns.