The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-07-09
SPEECH or MR.. OWEN, OF INDIANA.



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RI, 10, us tnrn even TO the question Of expedieney
The sole view which will be taken BY many. VIVA,
Il the real dangeri Much, admit, OF INK shed ono
Of buster some perhaps, Of predatory bands ula'
may occasionally harass our borders none II VIC
NAV Judge from the past, OF any war, mat ooup'.
of regiments OF good Kentucky rhemen eouiu 10,
Terminate ia fortnight And what Is the actusi
gaini Great, in commercial point OF sie" sun
greater perhaps in military ons. An essential
fraction of our own sast valley OF the MIssis'Pp &c
united 10 the parent country To winch II ha'u,a",
belongs, aud from which il should never have oeen
discovered base Of operations, whence hos'he
power might make descent with fatal elect on the
most vulnerable portion of our Union, secured ior
ever from all foreign occupation. But why enlarge
on such advantages Every one secs Them
Then there are the objections Even II the
abstract right be our side, is not some'hins' "e
are asked due 10 national courtesy Even at consi-
derable sacrifice should not labor TO preserve
friendly relations with our neighbors OF Mexico
Peace is ever wol th a sacrifice But these same
Mexican neighbors OF ours have seemed to me, ever
since ] remember anything OF public Affairs, aoso-
luteIy bent upon eakng with us at last Oar Oh
nlomatic intercourse with them for the last twenty
wears has been little else than continued series oil
aggressons and complaints. Mr.. Van buren, GER
taiDIy no captious quarrelsome statesman, "fo'e
thus, in his despatch OF October TO-, 1873, 10 our
Mexican minister;
''The President is deeply and painfully impressed
triih The unfiendy and undeserred conduct HtIioo
tonards u.s. her neighbor and sister repubc aud bis
only holes Of an improvement in present relations
with Der. are funded on her being made duly and
de- py sensible Of the injustice which, under the Infiu-
ence of bad counsel, she has been induced TO do her
earliest aud hest trisa4i"
These remons,rances we're wholly unayailing
and in 1887, things had gone so far that President
Jackson adverting in his special message OF Febru-
a.. ~ k..x AZ. to
urge on Mexico redress of grievances complained Of
adds
uThe length of time since some of the injuries
have been committed, the repeated and unavang az
pca,ions for redress, The wanton character OF some
Of the ourages upon the person and property OF our
citizens, Upon the officers and flag Of the United
States independent Of recent insults to this Govern
ment and people, by the late extraordinary Mexican
minister ro,id Justify, in the eyes Of all nations, insrs-
date uar.
That an act be passed authorizing reprisais, and
the use of the naval force of the United States by
the executive against Mexico, &C.
Nor has the conduct tone of Mexico towards
u.s. been altered Of late years. MIR. dc Bocancgra's
vaporing pretensions and Mr. Webst,r's bitter and
spirited rebuke (aready alluded toy still fresh in
the memory Of all, who have followed up the history
Of our foreign relations.
And is il TO such nation, peeysh and litigious as
she has ever shown herself, that we are bound now
tendery to evnce that orbearing courtesy, which we
dreamed not Of extending TO Spain, in 1925, and
1927 and 1899, when, without her privity or concur
renee, and pending an actual war between her and
Mexico, We sought to purchase from her Ievolted
province that very territory which, but ten years
before we ourselves had ced, and confirmed 10 the
Spanish King Admirable consistency Most cour
teous stretch Of diplomatic poliieness!
Ga for inlus. on of that brave and sturdy spirit
of ind pendence, AMERICAN in the best OF the
term, and once the characteristic OF counsels,
to and fortify them now To Henry CLAY
not the hero OF recent Convention, upon the sense
less pagesns and empty parade of which, the spirits
OF the Revolutionary Fathers could they rise from
their graves, would gaze IN mingled wonder and sor
row and disgust; not the man who tamey shrink
from the Texas question: but boldly stakes fame and
political life the annexation republican gov
ernment, of a national bank-not that Henry Clay
but another-the Henry CLAY Of history he whose
name still shines upon u.s. in all its brightness, from
out the obscurty OF the pas the indignant defender
of Jefferson the democratic speaker OF democratic
House of Representatives the bold, pioneer adyo-
cate Of South American independence I; the man TO
whom an admiring nation eagerly applied the lines ::
g" His mind was an essence, compounded with art
OF the brightest and best Of all other mems
powers;
He could rule, like a wizard, the world Of the heart
And call up It's sunshine, and bring down its
shoWcfs.
TO that Henry Clay from his present self, let
US appeal Let voice firm his better days recall
us 10 becoming spirit, in crisis like this
These, on the oath Of March, 1918. when speaking
Of our duty towards the infant States Of South
America, were Mr.. Clsy's words:
" am no propaganda would not seek to force
upon other nations our principles and our liberty il
they do not desire them. | would not disturb the
repose even Of detestable despot.m. But if an
abused and oppressed people will their freedom if
they seek TO establish 1t " in TRUTH they haze estab-
hs'ed l., we have right, as a severe gn power to
notice the fact and 10 act circumstances and our IN
ierct require"
And gain, in the same speech
:" see, and | own it with infinite regret a tous
aad feeling, IN the couuses Of this country, inn
naeiy beiOto thai which belongs 10 the country. We are
alarmed at dangers, We know not what by spectres
copJured up BY our own vivid imagina,ions."
This 5 as true and as appropriate now in Is44,
as ever II was ~ 1878 France Belgium Holland
and England herself, have recognised the inJepen-
denee OF Texas England has, 10 addition, concluded
with her treaty OF commerce and as Lord Aber-
deem, IN hs despatch of December % ls43. Of
heisly declares, has even " put herself forward
10 pressing the government OF Mexico TO acknow.
ledge Texas as Independent ~ And after all these
evidences Of national opinion extorted in favor of
Texas even from the right.divine monarohies of
Europe, shall we, democrats as we call ourselves.
lag behind, when Il Is our place to lead the public
sentiment Of the world shall the spectre OF tory
eg timaey scare Us from our Just purposei II such
had been the spirit in 70 these United States might
have been British colonies still
Bu, our assent TO annexation, it may be argued is
asked upon IA sc grounds We are made the apollo
glss Of the abstract principle OF Involuntary servi-
iude member Of the Cabinet declares 10 connex-
ION wih THIS question: that southern slavery U.s. not
though al
positive good. That is not my affair regard
hat opinion-with unfeigned Difference aud deep re-
speet iof the man, but freely and boldly say it,
as the masier-error Of splendid mind II il should
ever be proposed, even by Indirect,on to make this
republic the head OF League Of Nations having for
is object to perpetuste bondage over any class or
race Of men, the idea, abhorfent to freedom will
hnd no echo m the free States at least Of ths Union;
nor many supporters, ! truly believe, even IN The
south. Some Of our slave States unprompted save