Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-12-15

he letter o. oer coue' poudcnt az Washington informs
~ that neither Of the ica2e's II tho Administration party
In the Senate wLs willing {, seeept the station, alwsys re-
garded as one OF high distraction. and therefore eagerly
coveted. Of Chairman OF the Committee OF Foreign Rela-
lions and consequently that a Senator had been selected
by tho Loeoioeo Caucus iog that responsible snd digni6ed
post. who, however hish may be his claims to personal con.
s'teraion, has heretofore occupied a comparatively obscure
rank in that body, and has filed but little space IN the ewes
Of the coGnty-wo refer 10 Mr.. Sewer, Of Arkansas.
We were not surprised to hear that Nr. Benton and Mr..
Calhoun declined TO acecp, the Craftsmanship OF this com
mit,ee,-a station at oil times important, but rendered par
tcularly so at this moment by the cnianglcd position OF our
relations with Mexico. The views expressed so forcibly
and 80 earnestly by Mr.. Benton, IN his celebrated and IN
answerable speech on the Texas treaty negotiated by Mr..
Tyler, for the express purpose, as Mir. Il. then ALLEGED, OF
being thrown as "a bomb" into the Baltimore Convention
then about TO assemble FOR the puFposs q. nominating can.
jida,cs for The Presidency and Wee Presidency, aad the ex.
plosioi OF which blew Mr.. Van Buren, sky-high. arc 30 Gna.
rnctricaly opposite to those assumed IN the Presidents
Message, That That distinguished Senstor maniiestly could
not, without the most shameless Inconsistency. consent
q assume a position which would dcyolye upon him
the championship OF the Presidents Mexican policy
As htle desirable Is this position TO Mr.. Calhoun, VINO.
although not disqualified for u by the same reason
would necessarily be embarrassed in attempting 10 de-
iead the Administration by his course at the las, session,
when he Unqucsuonably believed that the action Of the
Executive had been, 10 say the least OF IL, prccipim,c-be-
lieyinE which he Goc.arcd that lac would rather plunge a
dagger To his heart than to vote for the bill recognising the
war, which, according to the cunning preamble OF that
bil-aSl laws could alter facts-"existeG BY the act Of
Mexico VIZ. Calhoun at that lime believed the war q be
unnecessary; and We feel assured that he had substantial
reasons tor the conviction, under which he acted, that.
even after " hosriues " between which and a state Of
war"h he very aecutely aud Justly discnmipatcd) had been
commenced, there was q reasonable prospect OF adjusting
the unhappy controversy, h%onoIa5ly and satisfactorily 70
the United States, by a wise and JudIcious exercise OF the
uesty-msking power. HIS pacific views. however. found
no favor with the Administration or with the great BODY of
its friends, whose cagcrness for war, as eyiuccd By the
advance o! our amy ton Corpus Christ TO the Rio G.andc.
had been stimulated by the insane desire to extend 1.-The
area OF freedom" and whose imagiuuunns he'd been in
famed by The scarcely less ridiculous belief, embodied in
words by the Washington Ua.1n. that, at The rs, sound
OF tue busc, a sufficient number OF volunteers would be
o-ganizcd TO 'Oyc':un Mexico, oecuPy the Halls Of Monte.
yuma, ami conquer the valleys OF California :"
The reluctance ct Hr. Allen to resume his position as
chairman Of this Committee i. We take It for granted, ~
tnbutable to the tudIcrous Positioninio which he was thrown
las; winter by the abandonment, towards the close o. ,he se,-
sion. by Mr.. Polk, -four title to i portion Of the Oregon ter
rtory, which, at its commencement, ne had declared 70 b.
'clcir aai unguesuoneble" Mr.. Cas-, a. one Of the svr.
path,zers with the Senator from Ohio on that occasion, Is
still, ike hat gentleman, doubtless smarung under the
modification and chagr.a Of & movement which sunk them
from the rank OF leaders 70 mere subaltorns IN thci. parrv.
They do not intend 20 run INC hazard Of being : second
time involved Ia 80 u!-agrecabIs a dilemma.