Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1846-12-31

attempted to crawl out of the responsibility by heap
ing all the PRESIDENT 1t would not do 1t might /
be very fair party movement, but how did 1t look in
the ewes of honest men and Of the world Suppose
the opponents of the succeeded In proving that
the American Congress and Executive had commenced
and carried on an unrghteous and rnhoy war against
neighboring republic. What kind Of attitude would
the country assume in the eyes OF the world! Did
they want to disgrace their country! The fact was
he (AIr K.1 did not believe that gentlemen were as
patriotic as they pretended to be- in other words, he
did not believe that they really regarded the war as
wrong. They knew better. The evidences were
clear, and conclusive, and powerful; and he would
not be guilty OF the egregious folly of attempting to
make out the more clearly than IT had been made
out already. All knew that the war had been forced
upon them. All knew that the United States govern
ment had borne insults and outrages from Mexico
longer than would ever have been submitted to from
any other government nation Had England or
France, any other respectable government, treated
them with such contumely had been manifested by
the Mexican government long since the honor of the
country would have been indicated But Mexico
was feeble government distracted and rent by inter-
nal euds and dissensions BESIDES unprecedented to
republican FORM and excited their sympathies. Hence
it was that the United States government bore with
its insults and outrages till forbearance ceased to be
virtue. Mexico took advantage of that forbearance,
and made an onslaught on the American people on
Il
to the wall. National dishonor, prompt punish
ment Of the offender the only alternative. But
all that gentlemen knew we'll enough He would tell
what the secret; he would speak plain. The
Ameficar people knew that the gentlemen opposite
believed that the war was right. but wishing to get
the government into their hands, they endeavored
to make it the point of attack on the President of the
United States. That was the whole secret of their
opposition Therefore IT was tina. they denounced in
the present chief magistrate what they would be very
ready to justify and applaud in President of their
own choice. Was that not the fact! What the
complaint against the President of the United States
What the greyious charge against him A
usurpation of power! Well he (Mr. K would let
out secret that head. The truth was, that the
President had carried on the war with a little more
vigor and success than the gentlemen opposite ex-
pected He ventured to say that if the President had
failed to prosecute the war with vigor-if he had
conducted it in such would have lost ter
rtory instead of gaining it, the gentlemen opposite
would have been In much better humor that day. A
taught But what the President to dol Did not
Congress direct him TO carry on the war! Did not
Congress put men and munitions of war I'm his hands,
and order him to carry the their Executive
What was he then, TO do! Did they complain that
he had taken possession of California and New Mexi-
co! No. But they complained that the President
held on to the territory! Did they want him, then,
to overrun and desert the country fast he gained
possession of it? Were they willing to have this
4
acquired should be retained! Ii was all patry
bubble The smallest stckler for constitutional right
could hardly be excused in fastening onlthe miserable
point that gentlemen attempted to make. The Pres-
dent had assumed no authority beyond that granted
by the constitution of the United States. He (Mr.
K.) had been surprised to observe a member repre-
senting slave district Mr.. GENTRY attempting to
cast firebrand into the discussion.
That gentleman had said that it was all very we'll
let them keep the territory, but when they got it they
would go to quarrelng about it like two dogs over
their prey. What put that into his head The wish
was father to the thought That gentleman imagined
that the great democratic party would not be stopped
in Its career unless he flung that rebrand in their
midst before the time came But the gentleman reck-
oned without his host. He did not understand the
great bond of security which kept the democratic par
ty together. Judging of the causes of division which
operated so potentially In his party, the gentle
man supposed that such contemplate thing as that
would disturb the harmony of the great democratic
party But that party held together by the great
principles of freedom and free government. What
suggested the idea to the gentleman that there
men who wished to break up the Union Did he de-
sire such state of things! Such desire wherever
entertained was far from consummation-and why I!
All the politicians whig and democratic might unite
In that effort but they would fail. The people knew
the value of the Union and he who raised against it
parricidal hand would be overwhelmed by the indig
nation of the people. He (Mr. K was not going to
vindicae every thing that had been said done by
the President. He cared more for the President
Individually than he did for any other person who had
treated him genteey and who was entitled to respect
But he at the head of the executive of the nation
and he (r. X hoped that he would ever be presprv-
ed from the modification to himself of denouncing
such an exalted officer of the government as liar
as an individual In whom no confidence was to be
placed, and whose words were not to be believed He
would say this however, that if the President of the
United States had neglected to have moved forward
10 armu vIou of air.
rounded them when the advance of the troops was Or
dered to the left bank of the Rio Grande, he would
have regarded that officer of the government as liable
to impeachment and he believed that he would have
been impeached by the opposition. The truth was
they had adopted Texas into the Union. 1t was le-
gisative act, and he (Mr. K not going out of
the way to argue that question over again. 1t was
settled oy the American people. By their legislative
act they admitted Texas into the Union. 1t was also
true that her boundaries not very clearly defined
Not having had any political connexion with Texas the
government of the United States did not know exact
what those boundaries were and it reserved to it.
self the right of investigation of the whole mat
ter Texas magnanimously gave that right. What
did the Executive then do |! In pursuance of the
agreement to which he had just alluded, the Execu-
tive of the United States proposed settlement of the
open boundary question with Mexico by negotiation
Mexico refused TO receive their minister, and in yari
ways declared that she intended to settle the mat
ter by the sword, and designed to conquer Texas
said that the President should have stopped at the
Nueces-that that was the boundary. Now did anv
of the acts OF Texas recognize that as the boundary
Not one What right, then, had the Executive to
stop there Ii true, to be sure that very dis
tinguished senator Mr.. BENTON took that view of
the boundary; but his opinion would hardly have been
taken justification of the Executive, had he re-
cognized that the boundary, and failed in the full
discharge of his duty. The Executive was bound TO
regard the Texas herself a,r;oo 6,csa