The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-06-24

Il
have claims against Mexico. She must De brought
to do justice, to the best of her ability. II she
still ressts and holds out, she Is senseless she ID
senseess, too, in expecting aid from foreign co9n-
tries. There is no foreign government standing Dc
| hind Mexico. England could have no object IN
interfering; IT, therefore Mexico rests any hope
Of foreign aid, it will entirely fail lie did not
/ think that England in such position as 10
offer mediation between US and Mexico, at the last
dates from that country but If any offer Is made,
Mexico ought TO accept lie (Mr W. ~ooiu go
for suspending military operations. lie would oier
peace. IL Mexico refuses peace, and prefers wal,
then she must have till she is brought TO think
| differently. Let US, them give our own government
the wants. but let It inform the people for
what object and TO what extent this war Is no" to
| be prosecuted.
Mr.. BENTON said the observations Of the sen
ator from Massachusetts, Mr.. WEBSTER, chiefly
addressed themselves to the chairman OF the Com
mttee on Finance, Mr. LEWIS, who might find 1t
appropriate some future occasion TO reply to some
| parts Of them. For himself, he saw but two as
poets under which the observations Of the senator
addressed themselves TO the chairman of the Com
mite Military Affairs; and, under these aspects,
| he would reply The first related to the generals
which the bill proposed to appoint and to this, he
believed, the senator from Massachusetts, made no
particular serious objection. The other related TO
| the expense of mounted troops, supposed, by the
senator from Massachusetts,, on the estimate OF Mr..
| Poinsett, to be three TO the same number
of infantry. Mr.. B. said this depended upon the
4 theatre where the mounted force employed. II
in settled country where forage was 6ongh! for the
horses the calculation might hold good but IL where
the horses fed themselves, IT would not hold good;
and tins was the with our present mounted
force. They are to be employed in the great
grassy plains Of the Southwest and West where the
horse finds his food under his feet, and where the
food for the man follows in the shape Of CATTLE and
feeds on the same grass which sustsins the horse
This makes a great change in the character well
as in the expense OF war operations, dispensing in
| these grassy plains, which extend indefinitely to-
wards Mexico and the Pacific ocean, with the cum
1 brous commissariat Of modern European armies.
| In these vast plains the character Of changes
and becomes adapted to the openness of the coun-
| try and the new mode Of subsistence. IL assimi-
| lates TO the character Of operations in Asia,
where mounted men constitutes the chief force, and
is also the cheapest force.
| The bill then taken up in committee of the
| Mr.. CRITrENDEN said that the present bill,
though not perfect, is better than the which
passed few days since in agreeing with the COM
mittee Of conference. IL deprives the States, how
ever, Of the appointment Of the highest officers Of
| their volunteers. The States furnish the colonies
and subordinate officers but this bill takes the APP
poistmen Of higher officers from the States and puts
| It in the hands Of the general government. Ken
lucky furnishes three regiments which, according
TO this bill, would form a brigade yet Kentucky
| ~ not 10 nave the appointment OF brigade 0fhceTs
These officers should be designated by the voice of
| the regiments and then the governor Of the state
should appoint the man Of their choice. What is
| there in this Mexican that we should depart
from the old CUSTOM The men will act better and
march prouder under officers Of their own choice,
| whom they know and who will share their fortunes
IN peace or war He was willing TO give the Presi-
dent the power to appoint officers to the regular
army, but he not willing interfere with what he
| considered the militia. General Taylor's despatch
es show that our army was very much in want Of
more officers in the recent battles One regiment
was commanded by a major, another by lieutenant
| colonel, and another even by a captain He
therefore willing to have officers in the gener-
al army, but he wished the militia and gallant vol
unteers might be left to choose their own officers
lie was not prepared to offer any amendments
He would go for a repeal of part of the law passed
two or three days since IL no gentleman was now
prepared to offer amendments, he would move to
| postpone and print.
Mr.. BENTON said the States lost nothing by the
bill, for they were not in condition TO supply the
generals wanted. The State laws and militia organ
| lzaton would not apply: militia would serve six
| months-the volunteers serve for twelve. If mi
litia general therefore called out, he would
| come with his militia commission, and under
| the law which provides for calling ont the
militia he would therefore be different in char
acter and different in term OF service, from
| the troops which he commanded. But how call
out the militia generals If done, must it not be ac-
| cordiDg the laws of the States, and which may re-
quire the senior officer to be taken2 Can he be Sc
lected either by the governor Of the State or the
President Here are certainly grave difficulties all
of which easily and constitutionally avoided by
the bill now before the Senate. This bill violates
! no right Of the States il depriyes them of no ap.
| pointment which they could make themselves For
unless their legislatures are convened to authorize
the appointment Of twelve months generals to com
mand the volunteers, they have generals which
they furnish. Mr.. B. acquiesced in the motion
OF Mr. CRIrTENDEN 10 postpone the bill till to-mor-
row, when he hoped it would be read the third time
and passed, the exigency of the public service re-
curing the immediate appointment Of the generals.
Mr.. CRlTTENDEN thought it did away with
the old custom. Our militia laws were intended to
keep the power of these appointments away from
the vortex of executive patronage Let us beware
how we depart from the old rule These troops are
still militia, though you call them volunteers. You
have not appointed the captains the majors, nor the
colonies; why, then, take away the appointment of
higher officers' Shall Kentucky, and Tennessee,
and other States not have the privilege which Lou
lsana has enjoyed in appointing a brigadier gene
raj, now recalled to take command of the Oregon
rifle regiment Every Kentucky volunteer would
feel proud in marching under the banner of his own
State, with officers of his own choice; so with other
States Shall these men not be gratifed' He would
oppose every interference with these gallant volun.
teers, in their right to have officers whom they
know, so long as there hope of that oppos-
ton being successful. He therefore hoped the far
Their consideration of the bill would be postponed
1t was accordingly postponed till tomorrow, and
the bill was ordered to be printed.
Several messages in writing we're received from
the President Of the United States. Also, a mes
sage announcing that the President had signed and
approved the supplemental Mexican war bill, and
sundry private bills]
PERSONAL EXPLANATION.
Mr.. Johnson, Of Louisiana, rose to question
of privilege and said:
Mr.. PRESIDENT: hold in my hand New York
paper, which contains letter from this place of the
2ls instant, which totally msrepresents certain re-
marks made by me on Friday last, in answer to an
inquiry made by Mr.. HANNEeAN. senator from In
diana, may have been misunderstood, for my
friends around me, being of opinion that should
answer no such question, prevented me from saying
all that had intended to say.
After the vote of the Senate the joint resolution
relating to the issuing patents for the Houmas claim,
IN Louisiana, had been announced on Friday last
the senator from Indiana rose and inquired Of me
whether was not interested in the claim stating