operations which 7 had not initiated nor provoked—that the possession of Metamoras was a s^ine qua non." It is to be supposed that the General reconciled this extraordinary declaration to his conscience, on the principle of qui facit per alium, facit per se, and that, being a mere instrument, the war was initiated and provoked, not by himself, but the President. # 144 REVIEW 01^ THE MEXICAN WAR CHAPTER XXI SEIZURE OF
Before proceeding to detail the part taken by Mr. Polk and Congress, on the receipt of Taylor's announcement that hostilities had conimenced, ^ye will call the attention of the reader to the early and provident measures devised to secure, as speedily as possible, the object of these hos- tihties, the acquisition of California. On the 24th June, 1845, by order of Mr. Polk, "secret and confiden- tial" instructions vv^ere given to Commodore Sloat, commanding the United States naval forces in the Pacific. " If you ascertain with certainty that Mexico has declared war against the United States, you will at once possess youi^ self of the port of Saint Francisco, and blockade and occupy such other ports as your force may permit." This naval force consisted of five vessels, and for months it was kept on the California coast, ready to make the coveted prize at a moment's warning, and without waiting for ad- vices from home. The Commodore with his own and another vessel were waiting at Mazatlan, at the entrance of the Gulf of California, two more were stationed off Monterey, and the fifth was at St. Francisco. So admira- bly had all been arranged for an immediate conquest. On the 7th June, and of course.within less than four weeks after the declaration of war by Congress, the Commodore * See documents submitted by the President, in obedience to a call from the House of Representatives, for instructions to ojBficers in California and the Pacific, communicated Dec 22d, 1846 App. to Cong. Globe, 2 Sess. 29 Cong , page 45 heard of Taylor's conflicts on the Rio Grande. The long expected moment had arrived, and the next day he weighed anchor and sailed for Monterey. On the