The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1846-05-21

The following Interesting debate and incl
dents occ ur-ed in the House Of Representatives
on Monday. When the war bill was ordered to
be engrossed for third reading
Mr.. Garrett Davis rose and said: Mr.. Speak
err ask the House to excuse me from voting
Oh the passage of this and will. assign very
briefly my reasons.
This is a measure, directly and indirectly, of
very great importance, and yet no opportunity,
not single moment, has been allowed any
Wing of this Honse to say one word upon it,
So far as ii can operate upon the fate OF the
gallant General and his little army upon the Del
Norte, there is no need for such unparalleled
through tnIs body. He is frontier frffe6
| thousand miles distant. In the exercise OF a
discretionary power vested i'll him by the Exec
utve; he has made a requisiton on the Cover
nors OF the neighboring Statates for ten thou
sand troops. AT this moment, the destiny Of
General Taylor and his gallant band is sealed,
and doubt not that ere now the prompt succor
which he has received from the States contigu-
/ Gus TO the theatre of his operations has given
him such force that he has beaten back the enc
my, and that his victorious standard tAthis mo-
ment floats over Matamoras. Whatever il is,
his tate is now sealed, and anything may
now do will be too late TO influence il. There
could then be no valid objection to give day
! TO the consideration of this BILL and no person
would desire more. But the naughty and dom
| mating majority will not allow this m uch.
| But, Mr.. Speaker, have an objection the
preamble oil the bill, 1t reoites that war exists
between the United States aud Mexico, aid thai
this war was began by Mexico. That informal
war exists between the two countries is unde-
! niRble; but that NJ exico commenced il is utter>
! ly untrue, and object to the preamble because
it sets forth go bold falsehood am decided.
ly stronger in favor of the appropriation of the
money, and of the raising of the forces for
7 l.. IL, Il
is sufficient for me that our country is at war,
be it formal or informal, whether began BY
Mexico or our own Government. | require on
ly to know that our army is in danger, and
whether it be in the territory of the U. States
or NJ ext co, am ready TO vote men aud money
even TO the utmost resources OF the country for
the rescue. If the war be wrongful, at a more
convenient season would hold them response
BILE who made it. But | protest solemnly a.
ganst deflling this measure with the unfounded
e.atement that Mexico began this war. That
position is nor necessary TO give this bill any
possible effect. II could have been as we'll
omitted, and, had it been rel ected, l doubt not
that the bill would receive the unanimous vote
of the House. But that the object OF
its authors, Their purpose to make til e
Wings vote against, force them TO aid in |
throwing a shelter over the administration, by |
voting Tor bill which set forth that this need |
less and unexpected war was commenced by |
Mexico.
Sir, If the bill contained any recitation upon |
that point in truth and justice, II should be that
his was begun by the President. Tie river
Nueces is the true western boundary OF Texas.
The country between that stream and the Del
Norte is part of Mexico; and that powe had
people and establishments in II. Months ago |
the President, of his own will, orders &c neral |
Taylor and his army totake post atCorpus Chris |
ii, on the west bank of the Nueces, where they |
remained until considerable time after the be- |
ginning of this session OF Congress. In March
last. under the positive orders OF the President,
he moves through the disputed country upon the |
Del Norte. The Mexican authorities meet him
at several points with the declaration that he
has invaded their country, and with protests
against the aggression. They warn him that
unless he retires east of the Nueces, he will be
deemed 10 be making upon Mexico, and
they will resort 10 force. He refers to the posi-
tive orders of the Executive. and IN the execu-
ton OF them he presses on TO Ma tamoras; s'rong
Iy fortifies position overlooking the city, and
mounts a battery of cannon within three hun
bred yards CT il, bearing upon lie public square,
and from whence he could, in few hours, bat
ter il down. lie then blOckades the port OF
Matamoras orders off English and American
vessels, and directs the capture Of Spanish
schooner. The Mexican commander treats all
these as acts of war; and, on the 25th of April,
Gen Taylor is informed by mess enger, from
the Mexican camp, THAT hostlties exist. that
the usages Of civilized nations. That night
detachment Of the Mexican army crosses the
Rio Grande, General Taylor sends out scout
ing party TO reconnoitre, which attacks the
Mexicans, and is defeated aud captured by the
Mexcans, and thus war is raging in bloody
earnestness& |.