The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-05-22
Mr.. SEyERANCE-HIS VOTE AND HIS
s.--z- LETTER,

According to our promise, and in compliance with
The request of Mr.. Severance, publish to-day his
letter to the editors of the Intelgencer written ap
paren,y to justify, to explain, or to apologize for
his recent vote in the House Of Representatives
Mr. Severance's request for this republication seems
Ito US very injudicious but that is affair Of
His vote we have already shown to be very bad
vote. His letter will appear, upon perusal, to be a
very weak letter. We have already expressed our
opinion Of the language, which Mr.. Severance has
seen ft to use in this document We should have sup
posed that he would have thought that he went far
enough when he said, by his vote, that American SOL
ders empericd in the discharge of therduty should
belief to famine and slaughter, without aid or succor
from their government Mr.. Severance thinks
otherwise, and adds that their Mexican enemies are
to be "honorsd and applauded" We have al
ready expressed our opinion of this language
The following extract from the New York Courier
and Enquirer will inform Mr.. Severance how his
language is regarded by his own party:
"Mr. Severance declares that 'he believes the
Mexicans on the Rio Grande have been acting in
xdjtnee and IL they haze made manly resistance TO
General Taylor they to be honored and applauded
for doing So foreign foe is honored and appauded
/ by member of the American Congress for cross
/ ing the boundary line and attacking the American
army! Mexicans are honored and applauded by a
y member Of the American Congress for shedding the
blood Of American soldiers! There is but one step
between such declaration and that conduct which
the constitution defines as treason. 1t is not, indeed
'levyng war against the United States but it
lacks not much Of adhering TO their enemies, giving
them aid and COMFORT "
With this introduction, meaning if possible to do
Mr.. Severance justice, full justice, more than
he desires, we give his letter at length:
HOUSE OF REpREsENTATrvEs, May IL, 1886.
GENTLEMEN: Being one Of the fourteen members
Of the House who yesterday voted against the bill
appropriang millions of dollars to be placed al
the disposal Of the President, to enable him to carry
on the war against Mexico which he has com
menced, and having been unable to obtain the floor
to give any reasons for my vote, ask the favor Of
part Of column Of your paper to explain those
reasons. | had no objection to vote any supplies
necessary for the relief Of army, but regard
the very first line Of the bill papable misstate-
ment OF fact. | believe the Mexicans upon the
Rio Grande, have been acting strictly in sef.de-
fence, and IL they have made manly resistance to
General Taylor, they are to be honored and APP
plauded for doing So Without now calling in
question the mode by which the Mexican depart
ment of Texas was converted into State Of our
Union, do deny that General Taylor, since he ad.
yanced beyond the Nueces, has been either on the
soil Of the United States or that Of Texas. He
has been, and was at the last accounts in the Mex
lean department Of Tamaulipas, and it is there on
Mexican soil that blood has been shed. The war
has not been commenced by Mexico, but by the
President Of the United States without the author
i,y Of Congress, and without any necessity. 1t was
not required by any sound policy, and it was to-
tally forbidden by the constitution Of the United
States, by regard for Justice and by international
comfy and good faith.
II is very true that the Texan Congress resolved
its limits up the Rio Grande and 40 con veyed on
paper; but nothing is more clear than that they had
no more right to convey any country beyond the
Nueces than they had to convey New Leon, Zaca.
tecss, or Durango. They do not pretend, believe,
that the State or department Of Texas originally
extended beyond the Nueces, but thew saw
they have extended the Texan republic to thai
river by their victorious arms; that they hold
It by the same title that they hold Texas proper
the right ofcopquest, the right Of revolution This
do not believe is true. As far az my information
extends every expedition which they sent to the
valley Of the Rio Grande, upon its upper or lower
waters, was a complete failure. The people on thai
river, who are nearly all Mexicans never submitted
TO Texan authority, civil or military. know il is
Az included on paper IN the western congressiona
district OF Texas, but il il actually represented il
me Msrtcdn Congress. Our revenue collection laws
100 as the President say, in bis message Of ysssr