Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-05-19


situ:ion required tie Pres:en, TO apnon, The
officers, and see The laws faithfully executed. He
has done 50; and for this simple discharge Of du
~, under law Tor which they voted. he is now
denounced IN The coarses terms known 10 our
language, as having done an act unholy, unrsh,-
eous, and damnabe
And this Remuneration is endorsed by the GEN.
tleman from Massachusetts, who, in 1919 de.
claret that our tito 10 The Del Norte was a. ner.
feet as 10 The island Of New Orleans.
Mr.. Adams. never said that cur lille was
good 10 The Rio del Nouc from lis mouth 10 its
source.
Mr.. Douglass. | fully understand the points
of the sen;leman's denial lie denies tbsl he
claimed III" Del More all tie wqy 10 is sonycs.
know nothing OF his mental reservations He
| claimed The Del Nore as the boundary without,
specifying how lar il extended up the liver Hen
vii! not deny this fact. Tor have The official ev.
dence over his own signature. |, is true can
not prove The handwriting, for il is printed in the
State Papers, and is his same celebrated desna,eh
10 Don Onis, The Spanish minister.
MT Adams. wrote that despatch as Secre,a-
~ OF State, and endeavored 10 make on, The best
case could for my own country. as i, was nv
duty. But utterly deny that claimed The Rio
del Norie in It's whole extent. | only claimed il
as me line short distance up, and then took
Inc norhward, some distance from The river.
~ ~. DruslaSS. III me gentleman specify
The point from which his line left The river
Mr.. Adams. never stated the point.
Mr.. Douglass Was il above Matamorasq
MI Adams. never specified any particular
! point. t'>'N '"'
Mr. Douglass. | have heard Of this line 10
which The gentleman refers. 1t followed river
near 10 The gorge OF the mountains: certainly more
man ioo miles above Malamoras CONSEQUENT.
y, taxing me gentleman ON his own claim. The DO
sl'lon occupied BY General Taylor opposite Mala-
noias, ana every inch OF the ground upon which
an - ican soldier has planted his loot, were
cPdIl within our own territory as claimed by him
IN lol9 am not now 10 be diverted from The raj
poin' al issue by tracing the line beyond which our
army has marched. Ny presen, object is 10 repel
inc c2inmnics which have been uttered against
ouI government Tor The purpose OF putting our
country IN The wrong in The existing war. Ihayc
exposed these calumr;es By reference 10 tie acts
dud admissions OF our accusers, by which they
nave asserted our title a, least as high up as we
nave taken possession The President had or
ue'ec ahe army no further than Congress had e1-
!enGeu our laws. have shown that the country
IN dispute has constituted one congressional cleo
ton district in Texas since 1886. Ina, lis cirizens
engaged IN the war OF The revolutions that they
participated in the convention which formed The
constitution OF the republic, and also the State
constitution; that the same country is within a
senatorial district Tor The State of Texas, and has
seha'or residing within it. that il forms part
y. one Oh me districts Tor electne members 10 the
Congress OF the U. States; and lha, is included
IN our revenue districts for the collection oilauG
cuies and has officers OF The customs residing
within il
~ Yie"' OF all these facts, | submit 10 The can
DOR ol every honest man whether The President
did MOI 90 his duty, and nothing but his duty,
when ne ordered The army 10 The Rio del Norte.
Should he have folded his arms, and allowed our
cltzens 10 be murdered, and our territory 10 BE- in
vaded with impunity7 Have We not iorborne %
act Extensively until our iolbearance i. construed
INTO cowardice, and is exciting contempt from
those towards whom we have exercised our mag
nanlmiIy4 We have "a long list Of grievances
long catalogue OF wrongs 10 be avenged. The
war has commenced ard he who is not on the
! sue OF our county, mus necessarily be traitor
/ - u. had trusted ana hoped that there would
| oe no anii-war party after wal was once declared
But am particularly mortified 10 see one ofho>e
who were ready % go 10 war for Oregon, arraign-
| ing himself the side OF The enemy. when our
country Is invaded on another side Of The Union
10 me, our country and ali IT'S parts are one ard
| lndivlslble. would rally under her standard for
| INC dcience OF one portion as soon as the other
| the South as soon as the Norh-for Texas as
soon as Oregon And | will here now do my
Southern friends the justice TO say, that firmly,
and never doubted, that If war had arisen our Of
The Oregon question, when once declared, they
| would have stood shoulder 10 shoulder by me as
ilfmly as shall b. Them in this Mexican war
When Inc oregon issue comes, ] have no fears
| Of the result
| Mr.. Adams. thought understood the gen.
tleman, some Time ago, 10 be or 81 degrees 40
minutes, and 10 tell his Southern friends tha, he
wanted no docsins on The Oregon question.
Mr.. Douglass. Sir was for 81 deg 40 min.
and am as ready 10 fight for that line as The Del
Norie My patriotism is rot OF that kind which
would lead me 10 60 10 war 10 enlarge one section
OF the Union out OF mere haued and vengeance
towards The other. know of no sections in this
| respect; and while did complain of some Of my
| southern friends on the Oregon question: | never
doubted their patriotism when war was actually
declared. But, since the gentleman from Massa-
| chuse,ts has referred TO the Oregon question,
wish TO call his attention TO one of his wise say
lnss on that subject, and see if he will moi apply
il TO Texas as well as Oregon. lie told US that
he went Tor the policy u The great Frederick in
regard 10 Silesia. He was for taking possession
fI>t, and negotiating afterwards According 10
| The sentleman's own showing, that is pIeci.cy
what Mr.. Polk has done in regard 10 the country
| on The Del Noric, He certainly ought not 10
! blame he Presideu; tor acting over one Of his
| own inaxlms The President has taken posses.
sion, and has offered 10 negotiate, and gone 50 far
| rs 10 send minister 10 Mexico for that purpose.
| For This he is abused also. He is condemned
| like for using the sword and the olive branch
His enemies object 10 his forts for amicabe ad-
uslment as much as TO the operations Of The ar
my All is wrong in their eyes. Their country
IS always wrong, ard our enemies in the righ, -
| II has ever been 20. II was 50 in the last war
Then II was unbecomiDg moral and religious
| tree people to rejoice al lhs success Of our arms
We were wrong IN their estimation in HE r.. nch
| indemnity case-in the Florida war--n all The
| Indian wars, and now I'M The Mexican war de-
| SPAR OF ever seeing my country again in the
right, ilhey are 10 be the oracles. Mr. Douslass's
| hour here expired.
| Mr.. W a>hinglon Hunt asked Why, ifiha,was
| the case, this government had offered com1ensa-
I ton for the grant OF the Rio Grande as The boun-
| dairy?
Mr.. Douglass did not know Che said) that such
an offer had been made
Mr. Hunt said the offer was made by Mr.
| Shannon.
| not intTused 10 the friends Of the administration
MIR. Hunt. Then the gentleman denies III
Mr.. Douglass. Certainty nor. know moth
ing abou, and care nothing about il. | neither
deny nor affirm things as 10 which have no
knowledge. The gentleman from Massachu-
sells did not deny that We had some claim 10 the
country west OF the Nueces.
| MIR. Adams II The gentleman refers 10 me,
deny The fact
Mr.. Douglass. can prove it, sir, from The
gentlemans words, though they are no, in his
handwriting being in PRINT. Ia hi, letter TO
Don Onis, he says: "Well might Mr.. Monroe
and Mr. Pinkney assert that our lille 10 The Rio
Grande del Nore was as good as 10 the Island of
New Orleans; and This assertion the gentleman
not only made but proved by great number Of
authorities. The gentleman from Massachusetts
had said, in relation 10 Oregon, that ie would
take possession first, and negotiate afterwards;
and be would certainly not now blame Mr.. Polk
for following his advice in regard TO Mexico
Mr.. Adams here made remark, intimatins
that he was afraid the Presiden, would give up
Oregon.
Mr.. Douglass hoped, he said, for The best He
stood out Tor the whole, and believed that We
should get il; and if for no other reason, because
the British title had been demonstrated so clearly
here that he demands based upon il would mol be
acceded 10 by the American Congress. Blu,
whatever become OF Oregon he wou I'd stand by