Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-06-20
SPEECH OF Nh. HUDSON,
OF MASSACHUSETTS,
On The Subject Of the Uar ,eih Merico
HOUSE, or RErREsESrArrvrs, MAY IA, 1916.

hnl IN the ARM
Appropriation bill
Mr. HUDSON, having obtained the floor said Mr. Chair
under ordinary circumstances should not have nrudet
myself upon the attention of the committee But we are now
at war with sister Republic; engaged in a contes
by the Executive without Just cause and in drec
violation OF the fundamental principles of our constitution
Believing this to be the case feel my duty bear
mony against this procedure and the inclined to do
ths because was one of the few, or gentlemen the
other side OF the House have sneeng sad of the gn0-
de fourteen who had the independence follow their own
sense oil duty and to vote according to the dictates of their
own consciences. bring accusation against others The
subject was presented by the majority of the House the
embarrassing orm and gentlemen OF honesty of purpose
might dier upon the final As claim sincerity for
se do not question the sincerity of my friends whose minds
were brought to different result.
But the gentleman from Illinois, (Mr DouGLAss, in reply
TO my friend from Ohio (Mr. DELASo has told the commit
tee that is treason to the country denounce the war;
Is declared He TO admit that the remarks of the
member from Ohio would have been understandable they
had been made before the bill had become law But
sir recognise such distinction under the circumstances Of
the case. We know the manner in which that bill
passed. the hot haste with which pressed through this
House, and intend that il shall be known elsewhere. So
far my feeble powers extend, intend the country shall
know with what rashness and indecent haste all the evils
war have been brought upon the country message
received from the President of the United States refer
relations with Mexico This message
panied with voumnous correspondence which passed between
Government and Mexico and also between the Execu
tive and Gen. Taylor. The House resolved itself into
Committee of the Whole consider the subject The do
BATE by vote of the dominant party limited to the
short of two hours One hour and half Of that time
consumed in reading the correspondence and even then
half OF the papers not read The chairman of the
Committee on Military Affairs called up BILL which had
been for some time upon tables which simply authorized
the President to accept the of volunteers should they
be necessary to defend SOIL epel invasion from
our territory This bill under debate for some thirty
minutes, but no Wing able obtain the floor. Then
for the first time, declaration of mentioned and
1ry IFnnnf that 4a,
time for discussion expired the committee passed upon the
amendments, and the bill Immediately reported the
House, and passed under the previous question: Thus sir
was war declared after debate of thirty minutes only
and that confined entirely few brief remarks by mem
bers of the Democratic party Not an individual of the mi
nory permitted word upon great and absorb
ing question of peace and The House knows and the
country shall know, the hay and nconsderate manner in
which they have been involved all the horrors of
instance of precpancy and shness be found
IN the history of any assembly calling itself dslbera-
tive body.
Thus sir the Wing party the House compelled by
yrannc majority TO pass upon this great question without
single word OF debate their part and without having one
halt OF the documents which submitted by the President
read And now told, by the members of the same
dominant party that reasonable to speak against mea-
sure thus hastily and yranncay forced through the House.
without debate, amid of excitement and confusion
Opposition to this told would have been pro-
per before It had passed. but now, being war; all opposition
the shows of PATRIOTISM and disposition
to take sides with the enemy. Sir admit such principle;
will submit to such iron rule. And has come to this
mat all debate IS to be suppressed III this Habitat freedom
OF speech to to be denied the representatives free
pie doctrine despotic was never advanced Ac
coding this doctrine, il the President led by amb
ton by reasonable desire himself throne on
the ruins Of our free Government has the wckedness
pie upon the perogaives Of Congress- and
Just war with foreign Power, submit in silence
because hostilihes have already commenced. We
stand by in meek submission, and rights invaded and
the property and lives OF our citizens wantony sacrificed be-
cause drilled majority of political parans may have
ceeded In pressing through Congress- without debate,
dorsement of Executive usurpation saw SIR will coune-
nance such doctrine 1 will submit no such dogma
Under the peculiar circumstances OF the CASE will speak,
and speak freely this day would have spoken Mon
day last And, though the gentleman from Illinois very
des brands those towards who voted against the DECLARE
on OF war, will him that have the moral courage
speak sentiments and neither his dogmatca de-
caralons, the awful mods of his head shall restrain me-
viii speak as think, regardless of the owns Of that
gentleman his friends make petensions bravery but
frequently requires moral courage stand Alone
with small minority than it does follow the multitude in
the moment Of popular excitement. ...
Mr. Chairman Of the fourteen who voted against
the passage of the bill voted against various
sons and, among Others for this believe the preamble and
It's repetition in the first section of the BILL to be The
preamble follows Whereas by the act of the Repub
lie OF Mexico, state Of exists between that Government
and the United States"
Now, sir regard this preamble utterly false-alse as
whole and false in each Of its recas true that war
son between troops and those of Mexico but collision
OF forces IN single instance, and at a particular point does
not amount to in the legal and constitutional
term by the constitution of this and of Mexico the
power TO declare vested Congress- and not in the
President the commanding general We have no autho
for saying that the Mexican Government had declared war
and we know that Congress had given authority the
President to march his troops upon disputed territory pos
session OF the Mexcans There also manifest distinction
between hosies and When war proclaimed by the
constituted authority the whole nation and the world are
bound to take cognzance of it, and govern themselves
cording to the rules Of constitutional and international law
But there be outbreaks collisions at a particular point
hosllies within limited sphere and letters maque
and rerisa be granted injured Subjects
under certain circumstances and with suitable limitations
without being in state Of war; the legal Of that
When exists neutral nations are bound TO take notice Of
but the same is not every Of hostility. We
have several examples history which will illustrate
this distinction The attack upon the Chesapeake by En-
gsh cruiser before the late with England of
hostility, but neither nation regarded a The same
Is true Of the destruction Of the Caroline the Canadian
frontier The capture Of Monterey Mexican upon the
Pacific by Commodore JONES' in ls43 another case in
point Each Of these shows that there may acts of
hostility between the forces Of the two Powers and vet the
relations OF peace I've preserved The declaration there
ore mat war existed not sustained by facts We had no
evidence Of ITS existence al that the contrary all the
evidence we had before sustain the opposite con-
could not therefore, subscribe the declaration
that war already existed
The preamble states not only that war exists but tina,
cI'ss bg the net the Republic Of Mrtco This declaration
oeheVe 10 he untrue Mexico with all her faults has not, in
his case, been the aggesso The statement which asch
the war to the acts Of Mexico clearly and concusyey
uadiced ny The facts IN the | might 90 back Ia
the commencement OF the revolution in Texas and show
that the Government Of the United States have no, main
a ral