Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1846-11-20

JIdu all
There are counties on the river which have
given positive Wing majorities-such as Long
Island, and the river counties-wheren the
question did not turn upon the local questions
affecting the personal choice of members. But,
throwing aside these returns for the Assembly,
and all the local questions connected with them,
it is now certain that the Wings have elected
the Governor of New-York by 1000 or 10000
majority. Not only is this a very handsome
majority far the Governor, but when we look at
the Congressional delegation, we find that more
than two thirds [cheers are ours. Cheering. ]
Throughout the whole State we ran for mem
bers of Congress, and throughout the whole
State we are far ahead. But instead of choos-
ing %. the Wings ought to have chosen 26 men,
bers. Unhappy, in the city and in King coun-
ty, the Wings and the Native Republicans were
divided
| Now, the Native Republicans and the Wings
are divided Among the former must say that
there are men of intelligence. and am glud to
say men of the best character. They have all
great personal and political responsibility and !
should be glad fall could be chosen | should
be happy, too, could at the same time, some
others ofour candidates for Congress have been
elected. James Monroe nheriting not only the
name, but the virtues fhis ancestor, Van Wag-
enen, Phoenix. Unhappiy this division among
our party, and among the agents we employed,
defeated ALL and let in the enemy
This let in the enemy. This was unhappy.
But it does not become me to impute blame to
any body, on this account. 1t was one of the
infirnites of human nature.
Gentlemen, I shall go, on Monday. to the
meeting in the town in which live, and there
deposit my VOTE Loud applause. I shall find
many well-meaning men who differ from me,
fbou uh fhnv do xyritn tInr
flag. Some ofmy worthy neighbors will give
their votes for the candidates of the Sd party,
with the ce rtainty that their votes can only avail
to keep the district unrepresented, or let in the
opposition candidate. | wish, that upon this sub
iect, could address myself-feeble as my voice
might be-to every voter in the district in which
live.
The evil which threatens us is not to be over
GENE by railing or reproach, but by reasoning
with our neighbors-by representing to them the
true consequences oftheir conduct-and by show
ing them its inevitable result.
tits as clear as anything can be, that those per-
sons who voted the third party ticket in lS44 suf-
fered Mr.. Polk to be elected and Texas to be an
nexed. And therefore, so far as their permission
extended, they suffered what we call the Mex
lean War to be sprung upon us. The Mexican
War! 1t was proclaimed on the house-tops by
would involve a war with Mexico. and denied
by the other side And yet those who professcd
to be the most jealous for peaceable annexation,
did what they could to bring about a war
But to return to the causes which have brought
about these changes in the Middle States.
What has caused this change?
II is all TO be referred to the recent moa sures
of Congress. not owing to the change of fifty or IA
hundred here and there in the State of New
York, but because the rejecting men of all par
ties-the masses, the troops, have come over
from the opposite side and voted the Wing ticket.
In the most etiectual manner they have signified
their utter disapprobation of the war, the new
tariff the sub-treasury and the various other pro-
ects of the administration. Tried on this
standard, New-York has gone Wing, and es-
pecially as to members of Congress has she gone
Wing ont and out The result here opens quite
a new view-t opens quite new prospects land
it, as trust the Wings will act bccomngly and
moderately, aud dscreetly, we shall hold the
majority we have gained.
Gentlemen, | do not suppose that the Sub
Treasury did much for the Administration in
New-York That is not yet in operation. and
its benefits are not yet perceived. Laughter. |
Much as is the influence of the Union, it cannot
refer all thase results to the Sub-Treasury. Ell
Their on one side or the other. The Tariff and
the War have had their share
But do not propose-I have not timc-to en-
ter into the details of either of these.
The Mexican War is universally odous
throughout the United States; and we have vet to
find any Sempronius who raises his voice for it,
Here some one in the gallery asked Mr..
Webster who voted for the War. lie replied
" Nobody at ALL The President made it with
out any vote whatever" Tremendous APP
plause,
And that leads me to say that the War, in its
origin, was a Presidential War. But the Cons
aitution declares that Congress alone shall have
the power of declaring War and beg to know
where, when and how they so declared it. Eve
nv one does know that our army was ordered
bv the President, to advance from the Nueces to
the Rio Grande thereby invading foreign ter
ritorv And because the MeXcans resisted this
encroachment on their soil, we have next the
Proclamation of the President, that War exists
between Mexico and the United States The
Proclamation of the President stated that expli-
city.
But gentlemen, there is another question here
Texas had become part of this Union. We
had received her as a State, and had assumed
her boundary-the Nueces. Why should we
not treat, with Mexico for that Why, when all
new territory of the United States was bounded
by the Nueces and every thing beyond that was
ciaimedby Mexico, and in the actual poss esson
of Mexco-why, then, say, should the Presi.
dent of the United States have ordered the army
south of Nueces, to take possession of the Mexi-
can land That was the origin of the war, and
that was against the spirit of the Constitution OF
the United States. Vehement applause. Con.
gress alone has the powerto declare war, and yet
il is obvious, under the present construction
that if the President is resolved to involve the
country in war, he may do it, This, say, is
a great msjudgment on the part of the Presi-
dent it is clear violation of his duty in my
Judgment it is an impeachable oiience.-[Great
cheering.
The great objection to this war is that it is it,
legal in its character There has bccna great
violation of duty on the part of the President.
/ He has plunged the country into war, whereas
unless in case of invasion of our actual limits, he
has no right so TODD. In that case of such in,
vason the power does exist in the President to
take measures to repel aggression. But to 60
out of our limits, and declare war for a foreign
occupation of what does not belong to us, is nc
mart of the power invested in our President by
our Constitution.
So much for the origin of the war.
Mr.. Chairman, wish to speak with all so
berness in this respect, and would say nothing
here, tonight, which would not say in my
Mace in Congress, or before the whole world
The question now is, for what purpose, and fol
what ends, is the present war to be prosecuted.
And in speaking of this let me, in the frs