American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-12-19

o,l.y. ,o,r.. 20 trD,rI men STOCKS, wal"h "t no
r, l,y ul them have IIu ady G'r'i 'hes laND nos
onty IN E, sou 30 ncral system 4" advrIua'h- =" IN
sun, p'ruly &C CuS.uwrT~. ifr 'if'u hi'n ol III
rilp,r I the aiJ at Gates ana towns, 10 "a
n9.irg of the thorsauds real here, r"ndeT' II NJ
admirable mrdism i'r s"rva'wg Advertisements be-
fole an classes OF society, before Christmas day,
SPEECH OF Ma. GlDDINGs. The speech o
this gentleman, on the war with Mexico, is nj
extraordinary production. Were he roprc
sentative from Mexico, instead of Cougrcs
sional district in Ohio, he could not be more the
apoogst Of Mexican actions, or more severely
condemn tho conduct Of his own government
With him the Mexicaus are a harmless and q
wronged people, and the executive Of this
country deliberate murderer and wanton
punderer. Mr.. Payne who followed him
spoke Of him as The leader of tie grca. Wing
party in Congress In this we believe that be
has done injustice to the members Of that par
~, for we feel assured that Mr.. Giddlngs has
not, in the speech which he has Just delivered,
expressed their sentiments. They arc patriotic
and, however opposed politically to the Pre-
5lNtulr VIC hl' ''lAVlh t'iHN 'ii'f VI" r. f'A'~
TO sustain their country, under all circun-
stances, against a foreign onomy.
What is the object aimed AT by Mr.. Gid
ding& Does he seek 10 encourage the Mex
cans to perseyere in the war? 1t would really
appear so from the language which he employs.
he says that he wants peace restored. So does
our government. But how is 1t to be obtain
ed Not, surely, by throwing down our arms
and rctroating from the cnemy's country. Our
government has preferred peace-and can it
honorably do more? 1t is, then, the fault Of
the enemy that hostliLies have not colsed. We
cannot 90 farther than TO express desire to
restore harmony whenever the Mexican gov
ernmcnt shall feel disposed for such state OF
things. But Mr., Giddings appears DESTROYS
that our troops shall be at once recalled, and
that we shall humble ourselves to Mexico, ac-
knowledge that wo have done wrong; and ask
forgiveness for our offences. He might feel
delighted to place his government and coun-
try in this humiating posture; but we trust
that he is the only man in the Union who
would be gratlfed by such degradation.
He advances a strange idea, viz that Con-
gress did not intend, by the vote Of men ard
money to prosecute the war, that our army
should invade the territory of Mexico. 1t is
not usual for nations to be so torbearng in
time Of war; and we can hardly suppose, that
Congress authorized the President TO call into
service fifty thousand volunteers for mere pa
radc and show. We know that such scnti-
ments were not expressed in Congress at tie
time, nor was such the feeling among the peo-
ple--on the contrary the general expression
was, that the war should be prosecuted with
the utmost vigor and in all honorable ways
that would most harrass the enemy.
MIR Giddings speaks Of the war as being
against the religious principles and feelings of
the people An individual may, if he please,
when smtten on one cheek turn the other; but
no nation, able to resist, can pursue that poll
cy with safety; and we are not disposed to
have our country set the example. We had
exhibited wonderful patience with Mexico
She had pundered our vessels; imprisoned our
citizens; violated solemn compacts; and beaped
insult and injury upon our country. And to
these repeated wrongs we meekly submitted,
appealing to her in terms of kindness for JUS
tice. And, when we annexed Texas to the
Unon-although the independence of that
people had been recognized by various foreign
powers, and even BY Mexico hersell-she pre-
pared to chastise US for the act-marched an
army to the Rio Grande for the avowed pur-
pose of reconquering Texas-pIaced herself in
a hostile attitude towards the United States;
and threatened US with her vengeance. I'm
der such circumstances were we to fold our
arms, and quietly await the blow? Such poll
cy might have pleased Mr. Giddings, as being
consonant with his religious feelings, but would
have been disapproved by tho American pco-
pie. We are rejoced that it was not pursued;
but that our army was placed in position to
protect our territory, and to chastise intrudcrs.
We say to Mr.. Giddngs, that he will neither
elevate himself nor the prospects of the party
Of which he has enormously been called the
leader, by the violent course which he has
adopted. We are sure that the members of
that party will not consent to follow him into
the ranks orthc common enemy; for they have
too much good sense not to know, that no
party Gun succeed which opposes its country
in time of war with foreign power.
We deeply regret that amy member ofcongress
should have taken the stand assumed by Mr..
Giddings-for it is obviously calculated, what
ever may be his purpose, to degrade his coun-
try in the eyes Of the civilized world-to make
us be looked upon as scmi-barbarous people,