The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-12-21

tween them and the gensral government He could not
and thereby give It's sanction to the application OF the
900 grant Of land TO educational purposes The
passage OF the present bill was all that was now neces-
sary.
The bill was then ordered to be engrossed for third
reading and being then put its third reading, II was
read third time, and passed.
REFERENCE OF THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
On notion the House resolved itself into Committee OF
the Whole on the state OF the Union, Mr. BOYD IN The
chair ....-
The CHAIRMAN announced that the unfinished bust,
mess before the committee the resolutions submitted
by the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. BRoDHEAD,l
apportoning the Presidents message to the several stand
MIR. A. JOHNSON moved to amend the first of the Sc
res Of resolutions under discussion by adding the follow
ing, viz;
"And that said committee do make diligent inquiry into
the origin ofhe existing betwoen
the anarchy OF Mexico and the United st,es and II the
laws and constitution Of the United States have been Vio
lated any particular and report the same 70 this House
WAR wiTH MEXICO 3D.
MIR. SEABoRN JONES then rose and addressed the
committee. He said that he regretted that after the lapse
of so many days il should have become necessary Tor
him to the discussion which had been in progress
when he obtained the floor. lie would have been ex.
tremey glad II that controversy were now dropped and
he would willingly yield the floor any gentleman who
would be able to terminate H. But IN the discharge OF
duty which he owed, not only TO himself but TO the ad
mnisrahon, 1t became necessary Tor HIM to advert to
some of the remarks which had been made by gentle
composing the opposition IN regard to the course OF
that administration with respect to the Mexican war
been win extreme regret uat ne nau nearu the
gentleman from Massachusetts represent himself
ing within the category which some persons were
placed by remark in the Presidents message Had that
portion OF the message alluded to any person party
60 noHrins, he (Mr j. would not have been thus sur
prised But the President made alluson TO any par
cular quarter 1t was, to say the least OF IT, an act Of
great imprudence the part OF the gentleman from Mas
sachuselts to bring himself within the range OF that
mark The remarks of quite general character.
He would read them. The President said:
1.-The war has been represented unjust and
and injured enemy; Such views, though
ained by but have been widely and extensively
lated, only home, but have been spread throughout
Mexico aud the whole world. A more edectual means
potract the than advocate and adhere their cause,
and thus give them aid and comfort
n By whom had this been represented unjust
the part OF the United States But by "few" Yet these
few have taken the pains TO circulate their opinions and
denunciatons extensively not only in the United States,
-but also in Mexico. And who they! The gentle
man from Massachusetts had thought proper TO rank
himself amongst them-he had placed himself in that
unfortunate category.
Mr. WINTHROP. Does the honorable gentleman
mean to assert that placed myself there
Mr.. JONES understood him to place himself in that
category; and that he had declared his right and that OF
all freemen TO express their opinions.
Mr.. WINTHROP. Does he declare, in the face of
this House. that he understood to place myself in the
Predcanent OF attempting to circulate IN MeXlcothats
his Observation-Disclosures OF the injustice and impro-
Mr.. JONES. did not single out that part o the
> MIR. WINTHROP. The honorable gentleman stated
that explicitly 1t is utterly unfounded-wlthout the
shadow of truth
MIR JONES will tell the gentleman, ii he will al
low me, what | understood him to say; and he cannot
deny it with a shadow Of truth. He characterized the
portion of the message which have read an attempt
on the part OF the President to suppress discussion and
declared that freeman he should discuss freely the
acts OF the President. He spoke OF the rights OF
freemen, and those which had descended from
dictionary fathers Where, then, did he place himself
presume that the honorable gentleman has not taken
the pains TO send his speeches 10 Mexico, although he
may have had them circulated throughout the United
States But that Is not the charge The charge is that
unjust wara war aggressive in It's character-a on
an injured enemy Does the gentleman deny, that he
has assaied this war unjust! Does he deny
that he has characterized as aggressve Does he deny
that he has called il the Presidents war; and not the
OF the country He has not only by these declarations,
but by the whole course and tenor of his argument,
placed himself in the unfortunate category of extending
Mr.. WINTHROP, viii the gentleman allow me a
, '"i Mr.. jones ZONES Certainly.
Mr.. WINTHROP. He may impute to me whatever
opinions he secs fit / do not say that do not
/ this war to be an aggressive war-that | do not
! think th, war to be Presidents war, and not a
! war of the country-that | do not feel all the
sentiments of adherence OF this which the Presi-
dent has imputed to the "few," but whom choose to
call the "many, as believe they throughout this
nation But it does SO haPpen-and the honorable gen.
tleman from Georgia should have known the circum-
stances OF the case before he assaled met does hap
pen, and has been notorious TO the whole country that
which recently terminated in my reelection, have
been that | have RETAINED from denouncing this
war-that | have refrained from expressing opinions
which the honorable gentleman has now imputed TO me
that have not manifested the spirit exhibited in many
other parts of my own Commonwealth and in many
other parts OF the country, quite 80 resoueiy and
compromisingy as my constituents could have desired
and although there may have been some parenthecal
passages in my speech the tariff, and other speeches
substanatng his position, yet he will be obliged
to mcroscope-to all the glasses and aids which phi
osophy science will put within his reach in order to
discover those passages in any speech of mine which
will give color to the assertions which he has
made. Sir, the last member in this House on the
whg side who has subjected himself to the impuaton
which the President has seen fit to promulge but be-
cause may not have done it heretofore, let me not be
misunderstood Let me not be regarded entertaining
a different opinion from those who have done it to theI
hearts content and whom the President has seen fit to
MIR. JONES proceeded. He very much gratifel
by the explanation OF the honorable gentleman from
Massachusetts, He would be very glad if every other
gentleman the side had pursued the same pru.
, dent course in which he MIR. WINTHROP gloried
Whatever might have been his opinions the justice
injustice of the war, it ndeel gratifying to find that
thegeneman refraned from giving laid and comfort to
the enemy But was there any man there who could
stand up that House and refuse his assent to the alb
sract proposition of the President The message says:
The war has been represented unjust and
and As OF aggression part upon weak and
jured enemy. Such views, though
but by few have been widely aud extensively circulated
not only home, but have bsen spread throughout Mcx
and the whole world CThat is the abstract proposition
not have been devised encourage enemy and pro
tract the than to advocate and adhere their cause