The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-12-15

zion completes the work, and places the .n,;--
tary resources Of The country in the bs.lNe mil |
President That was what was done on ~. !. y u
Of March, 1889, in reference TO this yerv % Day
whom we are now negotiating. WV
II was the act Of the Roman Senate. on a.
proach OF any great national danger. to nss. NC
luton comforting upon one of the consu,s w; re
powers Under that system the consul wa..
win the entire monetary and martial forces ~
republic TO enable him TO meet the emery,n.,'
fact he was created dictator, but for Iim;,.y.
and, IN truth, 1t was not without some feslasu
alarm that heard this act first read in ths ~
Comforting upon the President Of the Uni,sd 80
and, If mistake not, by unanimous yo,. ~ ~
body, powers equivalent TO those conferred !,
Roman consuls, by which they were clothed wv, vi
tatorial authority for a period of six months M
in the United States, however, expected Al five
that Great Britain would treat this act as an y, ua
war. Nobody supposed that the passage of y
an act, although 1t was the strongest passed nss
this government, would be of itself a proyoIs
cause OF war, The act passed The negolnSI
and the question in dispute was suspended ~
time. Now, what is the casei The pres;S...
the United States sets forth in his annual ms..
to Congress the state Of the negotiation "a =
negotiation it could be called, up to the wi,bss.
on the part Of the United States of their as, n'a
sition submitted to the British government '' n
admonishes us, that, for the present Al lss., ~
thing has been accomplished by negoliaiion'' =
the senator from Michigan, in this state Of I'M. -
rises in his place in the Senate, and does what sr.
senator does every session Of Congress-noyss ~
committee Of inquiry; and for that, il seems l..
incurred the implied censure of the honorab, ..a
ator from North Carolina. Sir, the r,soIn,,a,
comes well from the distinguished senator from MI
taran 4 hara ha ha. d.
perence of war and Of peace, individually. BEEN.
his age and character were calculated to give ,E
movement importance which would commend A..
resolutions to the serious attention of the commnS
to whom they were 10 be addressed Is il then ~.
sible would ask, that we have arrived at thai bn,
iating condition that the American Congress i NM
afraid to institute an inquiry into the efficiency
the martial forces of the United States, for The y,
lection of the country ! hope not. The SEMI,
from North Carolina has treated this question
though it were equivalent to declaration Of y,
He says he is disposed to trust all this subject 10 d,
President. What subject does he mean, Tn, !.
collation. We see by the Presidents mesa,,
that he has gone about as far as he can 20, mn
senator must then mean that the subject matter
these resolutions is to be trusted to the discetoD
the President of the United States.
Mr.. MANGUM. IL the senator will permit m.
will make myself better understood by him. I'M
President understands the whole state of this am.
ton; and from him desire all inquiries into d.
state of our ornaments to proceed; not from subs
dnates, but from the Executive itself.
Mr. CASS. The senator uses the term subOra.
mates. May ask to whom he refersi
Mr.. MANGUM. ! mean the heads Of deuar.
ments, with whom the heads of committees nua
necessarily have communication.
Mr.. ALLEN. understood him, sir, precisely
ns he has now stated. He desires thai befo
Congress moved, the President should recomm.ri
military preparations. Now, so far from MI
Van Buren, having recommended the military
preparation, authorized in the act to which
have alluded, have not the least doubt, from ny
knowledge Of the man, and the moderation Of hi
whole character, that he was absolutely asounda
when he heard this power had been conferred upoa
him. Did he ask Congress to place the entire nil,
tia ofthe country at his beck and CALI Did he Coz
gress TO give hun the power of deciding on the qu.s
ton Of or peace during the Of the sesOt
Did he ask Congress to place ten millions Of monr|
at his disposal No. He communicated the hsu|
to Congress in regard to our foreign relations, u
the progress of the negotiation, and then Congra|
proceeded, as was it's duty, to Judge what legsade
should follow on that disclosed state of facts. Whl
did the President do in the present cases He folos
a similar course TO that which has heretofore ben
pursued; and now it is our business to assume ia
responsibility of judging, together with the Pra
dent, Of what the emergency requires in regard N
our national defences. Nothing can be more inae
cent, nothing more judicious, nothing more nscs
sary, than the resolutions which have been submit
ted by the senator from Michigan. had up
posed, especially after the able exposition II
the mover, showing the necessity of their passgtl
that they would have passed with the unanineu
concurrence Of that body. t
And now will conclude with the expression u
my sincere qualification at hearing one and The
most prominent, perhaps, of all the Observations
that dropped from the distinguished senator from
North Carolina. He told us that should war ever
come, there was spirit in the country able to make
it powerful enough to cope, not only with Grsai
Britain, but with the whole European world IN
arms. He told us that should any declamton Of
war be passed by Congress-, from that 'aomsn. an
anti-war man would not be found on the continent
Mr.. MANGUM. only spoke for myself and
my constituents.
Mr.. ALLEN. | only hope that the expression
may be universal in its application; and that IN cas
declaration Of war should be made, the aspirations
of the senator may be fulfilled to the utmost extent
unlike the case presented after the last declaration
war. And, indeed, am encouraged to believe ihi
the experience of after years, perhaps the improu'
condition Of the patriotism OF the country-becausa
the people here have been enjoying the benign nns
ences which time ana justice never Iail 70 WPes
upon all human affairs--I say, hope, that sud
state of things may have been brought about 'lIa
our last declaration Of war against Great Britain la
no such melancholy spectacle could now be presen'e
of any division Of public sentiment. trust ths'
resolutions will pass, and 60 to the committee; al
that the only subject of discussion on this floor W
be as to the mode Of preparation, and the KIND
preparation; and that it may be reserved Tor n'
time when distinct and specific recommendaIloa
will come from the committee
Mr.. ARCHER then rose to oppose the passas
Of the resolutions He believed that, after ALL IN
chief object of the introduction of the Resolution
and the debate had been to afford an opportunity
making a splutter about patriotism.
| Mr. MANGUM. call the honorable senator U
order.
Mr. ARCHER. certainly intend no dsrespee
to you, nor to anybody. Mr.. A. then went On :
some length to argue against the passage Of inc y
olutions, on the grounds that it was more d'gnme
course to follow the ordinary procedures proc
dure which the exigency Of the present case va
sufficiently important to supersede. /,
| But did the Senator from Michigan think ma. y
resolutions would have no influence in the uns
States' Suppose the result Of their adoption wCd
induce the people to believe that war was IneviaVl
what effect would il have on the funds Dld u,
not perceive the effects on many thousands Of
people of the United Statesi This debate Is
would be waited to tho remotest corners OF our oou
try. And what would be the inference derived Ifo
| he o( and UNI