The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-06-16

expansion OF this republic, provided that expansion
was effected on correct principles. He looked TO
the day when the institutions of this young republic
would embrace the continent; but this end was not
to be attained by conquest nor were republican in
sutuuons TO be spread by such means.
HIS present object was 10 inquire into the causes
OF the existing war. And he laid down and pro.
ceeded To argue three propositions that there was
no necessity for the war, and that the cause Of il
was the moving our troops from the Nueces 10 the
RIO Gfande. Secondly, that il was improper.
Thirdly, that It was not right. The President, in
his annual message, had congratulated Congress at
the bloodless acquisition of Texas. He (Mr. S. J
had rejoiced at it, and boodless he contended that
acquisition might have remained Mr.. S. then pas
sed TO an examination OF the correspondence, with
view TO prove his first proposition, that the
removal of the troops from Corpus Christi, in full
hlment Of what he designated as a masked
intention to bring on war by the irritatons which
that removal produced, were the causes of it. He
did not undertake 10 say what the boundary line be-
tween the two republics should be, but he was sat
Ished Of the fact that the line of the Rio Grande
could have been peaceably acquired but for the for
ward movement Of the army OF occupation.
As TO the objects of the war, he inquired what il
was the intention of the administration TO dos Was
It to pursue the conquest Of Mexcoi Was il that
our soldiers might ''reyel in the halls Of the Mon
tezumas'" Was II that we might acquire the Cal
iornas and all the mining districts as well as the
capital of Mexico itsefl II So he was opposed to
II. He declared himself in advance in favor of
peace 50 soon as peace could be honoraby obtained
Til then, he would not only exhaust every dollar
that was in the treasury, but every dollar that might
be there for years 10 come but that our arms should
be honoably and VIGOROUSLY sustained. But he
thought that this question was not 10 be settled in
that way. And he expressed his sincere regret that
General Taylor had not received authority from the
department soon as any offer OF armisiice should
he Wn4H A mr. n -.
be manifested, to meet it. He (Mr 81 was in
favor of the Rio Grande as the boundary. He be.
lieyed, as he had said, that that boundary might
have been peaceably maintained If the question had
been properly managed. If that was the object let
It so be proclaimed here. Was our debt to be in
creased millions upon millions (he knew not what
it would be before Congress adourned) to carry on
this war; He would like to have some information
on this subject. 1t was due to the House, due to
the country, due to the brave volunteers, who had
gone TO that war; due TO the tax-paylng people that
the object Of the government should be made
known
Some explanations followed between Mr.. STE
PiENS and Mr.. DOUGLASS as TO the position
assumed by the latter gentleman in a recent speech
And whilst speaking on this point Mr.. S. was cut
of by the expiration Of the hour.
Mr. LEAKE said since he had had the honor Of
seat on this floor, and from his earliest recoec-
tons, he had met with many things existing in the
party relations Of the people Of this country that
excited his surprise, at least He had been prepared
to believe that the mass Of the people Of the coun-
try, both federalists and democrats wings and re-
Pubcans, were equally patriotic, and that there
was no party either here or beyond the limits of
this Capitol, that would select the salient angle of
attack on the administration which now controls
the destiny of the country the precise point of time
when the patriot is strainng every nerve to bring out
all our national resources in rePeIIing the invasion
OF foreign foe. But from close observation Of
the course Of the wing party, he had learned that
this was not the first time when they had been ar
rayed against the honor and interests Of the coun
try. 1t was, therefore, with some qualification of
his surprise that he had observed the course of
tlemen on this floor. What were the grave charges
preferred by gentlemen on the other side of the
House against the administration on account Of
their conduct IN relation to the Mexican war Ii
was charged by the gentleman from Kentucky, fMr
G. DAVIS at former period, and by other gentle
men, and had been to-day reiterated by the eloquent
gentleman from Georgia, Mr.. SrEPHENs l that this
war was commenced by the President; that the
constitution Of the country has been trampled under
foot in the most fearful power that appertans to its
sovereignty, by no less person than the President
OF the United States; that IN ordering the advance
Of General Taylor upon the Rio Grande he COM
mitted not only an invasion upon Mexican soil, but
a far greater, far higher offence-one against the
constitution Of his country Without stopping to
argue this question: he might appeal to his friend
from Georgia, and TO every gentleman of his party
to know why sumbered their eoquence when this
outrage was first committed' Was it not notorious
before the commencement Of hosttes that the
American army was there stauonedi And all that
time no opposition was heard to it from the oppo-
nents Of the administration.
Mr.. STEPHENS Mr.. L. yielding) said tina, no
official information had been given from the Execu
tive that the army had been ordered there. A few
days before the first battle, the gentleman from
Kentucky [Mr. DAusl had attempted to intro
duce resolution Of inquiry on this subject, and
the majority of the House did not permit it.
Mr.. LEAKE said he cared not whether official in
formation had been received or not; the fact was
made known through the ordinary channels of in
formation In the country, and it was the duty of a
watchfnl sentinel on the watch-tower of liberty to
sound the alarm, whether official information had
been received or not.
Mr.. STEPHENS, The attempt was made to
bring out the fact by resolution of inquiry, and it
was voted down by the majority of this House
Mr.. LEAKE. This, am informed, (for I was
not here at that time,) was only the Saturday be-
fore the information was received. The conflict was
then known to be inevitable. And this was the
point to which was coming | recapituIated
moment only to fasten on the wings, as a party the
odium that Justly attaches TO them Mr.. l. repeated
that they submitted quietly and tamely to this in
without raising their voices against it, and not I'M
I'll American blood was shed on American soil, not
until an injury had been committed higher even
than one upon the constitution, and when an enemy
was exerting all their forces to crush the American
arms and PROSTATE American power, it was that
these gentlemen bethought that there was an out
rage on the constitution. Ii was not until their
voices could lend some aid to the enemies of their
country that they raised their voices. 1t might be-
as Mr. Samuel Weller would say, an "hextraordna-
ry" coincidence but it was an unfortunate one Is it
not remarkable that it was not until the conflict
took Place-unt thrill of Indignation ran through
the counry-hat at the precise time when the arm
OF this nation stretched out to avenge the in
suits and injuries committed upon us, that that
arm was attempted to he paralyzed by certain of our
own citizens! 1t was not until the American eagle
ar he might be pardoned in the ausion to this noble
bird) was about swooping to revenge, that he found
himself paralyzed and brought down to the dust by
an arrow feathered from his own wing. And this
was American patriotsm This was the attempt to
put odium on the democratic President and admin.
stration Mr.. l.. referred to the anecdote given in
Wirt's Life of Henry, of the man who had his cat
tie seized upon to supply the starving troops of the
country IN that region, whose hoarse and dssonant