The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-05-30

fathers and mothers whom they lefl behind, mus
| be provided for.
The abstraction of SO great number Of men from
the producing classes will necessarily Increase the
wages of labor, and make it more difficult TO supply
| the places of those who absent in the war
The seat of this war will be hundreds Of miles from
1 the homes Of our citiaens, who viii embark in il
| The climate ia which they will 90 Is one to which
| they have not been accustomed. Other risks have
| to be run. Other dangers encountered besides the
| steel Of the foe. Many, very many, OF our gallan
soldiers will have to leave behind them their wive.
and helpless little children, who must be cared for
| an aged father, or widowed mother, who must not
be lefl unprotected during their sbsenee. However
warm the spirit Of patrotsm may glow IN the bO-
ofthe soldier, here are other rights which press
upon him-other sacred duties which, as an honora
| bic and brave man--he must attend 10. He canno
leave aged father, helpless mother, loved wife
and children TO depend alone upon the cold charities
Of the world. He must provide some person who
will supply his place, and provide for tho wants o.
those who arc dependent on his labor for support
He must feel that he leaves them IN comfort and in.
dependence. These obligations and duties cannot be
forgotten or dsregarded.
/ The government, then, indop,odent of the consid
Grafton Of patriotism, must place Il IN the power Of
these men TO supply their places during their alb
sence, and TO make provision for their families al
home. Will gentlemen than say that seven dollars
a month is a consideration, which will enable our
soldiers to meet these responsibilities Seven dol
! lars is the pay which wei give IN time OF peace 10
the priyates in our army when Longing about ouI
garrsons and fortresses, with their wives and chill
dren--if they have any-near them. twill happen
that those who are least able to bear losses will be
first to enrol themselves and 10 their zeal and read.
mess to serve their country, they should not be al
| lowed to incur losses and embarrassments We be-
| gan the last with offering bounty Of only Sl6
and ended it with bounty Of sl44-an extraya-
gance which was brought upon US necessarily from
| Il =. ~ ga1
We have recently passed law authorizing the com
panies in army TO be increased to the number OF
one hundred in each. In time Of peace, before this
enlargement, when the number was fory.two in
each company, they were not filed while this low
| pay Of 81 was given. How, then, in time Of war
can we expect to fill them without some additional
| inducemenH and that, too, TO one hundred men IN
each company, unless we make provision for an in
crease OF payi Unless, sir, some such measure ID
| adopted-some increase OF pay-or some bounty ID
offered to induce men to enlist the increase which
we have made Of the regular or standing army will
be but imaginary. 1t will only exist upon pa
per.
fear, Mr.. Chairman, that such will be the result
with reference TO the regular army. But this coun-
| try must depend chiefly upon volunteers in time Of
war. Every inducement, therefore, should be held
out to them to enter the service and remain in ser
vice during the war. We experienced in the last
war the bad effects of short terms Of service, when
they enrolled for six months, and by the time
they were fairly drilled and prepared for efficient
service the time came for them to return home
To obvate this difficulty, therefore, have proposed
| by the amendment which | have offered that l6C
acres of land additional to the increased pay OF 81
per month during the war shall be given TO those
who volunteer and serve during the war, and in case
| they die, to their heirs.
| Twill now proceed, Mr.. Chairman, to notice the
arguments advanced, and the positions taken, by
my colleagues, [Mr. G. DAVIS and Mr.. GRrpER.l
The news received last evening from the of war
| is cheering news to every American bosom. II "a
no more, however, than l had expected from the
able general who commands the American army,
and the gallant officers and soldiers under his com.
mand | embrace this occasion to congratulate this
House and the country on the glorious result Of the
| engagement, of which We received intelligence by
the last mail There In nothing that can serve to
dampen the feelings of any American breast upon
this subject except the this debate has taken
and the arguments and positions which some gentle
men have assumed here. | will not impugn the
patriotism of my colleagues, both on their own ac-
count and account of the constituency they rep
resent. They come from State which never has
produced traitor to his country, and trust in
God never will But am surprised at the course
my colleagues have taken in debate, and can as
cribe it nothing else than that they have for the
moment allowed the feelings and exctements of
partisanship to blind their usually clear views My
colleague who first addressed the committee [Mr.
G. DAVIS, charged that the caused not by
| the Mexican government, but by the President of
the United States; by usurpation of power not
delegated to him by the constitution. This ia strange
language for a gentleman who | know has as warm
feelings any one towards his country. Without
reference to the truth of such a charge, ask nv
colleague, is this the time for such declaration
The country is in a state ofwar. Shall we dampen
the ardor of our volunteers shall we not rather
encourage them to buckle on their armor and march
for the defence Of the country
My colleague Mr.. DAvIsl tells his constituents
that the country is engaged in q war; it is their
duty to enrol themselves, and march its call; that
is the duty Of all good citizens to support their
country in time war; but that this war is brought
on not by the Mexlcans, as is falsely declared by
the President and by Congress, but by the Presi-
dent himself, who has invaded the territory of the
Mexicans, thus usurping the war-makng power,
which alone belongs to Congress; for which act of
! usurpation he arrai gns him before the country.
This, perhaps, Mr.. Chairman, will be very cheering
| language to the patriotic constituents (and knew
them to be patriotc) of my honorable colleague.
My other colleague Mr.. GRIDER tells his consttu-
ents that they, too, should 60 out and defend the
not opposed to the war; but that the war they are
about to engage in has been brought upon the coun-
try unnecessarily and unwisey by the President;
that the Mexican government was willing to receive
a special commissioner to settle this Texas ques-
tion but that the President would not send one and
him. This language, too, Mr.. Chairman, may
possibly be calculated to encourage that gentleman's
constituents to enter the service Of the country.
A member from Ohio on the other side of the
House, Mr.. DELANo,l tells his constituents that
our country is VIGOROUSLY in the wrong; that this is
an unnecessary, unjust, and damnable war;" that
the preamble of the bill declares lie; that the
was not brought on by Mexico, but by the Presi-
dent Of the United States And another member on
the same side of the House from the same patriotic
State, Mr.. GrDDMos, tells his constituents that the
Mexicans are an unofending peoples that this war
is waged upon them for the purpose Of conquest;
that if they engage in it, they will be visited with
Gods iusce-they will suffer the certain penalty Of
the violation of his aw-that they cannot escape
the penalty Of his retrbutve jusuce-that they will
fall by the sword and by pesence--that they will
be visited in the dead hour Of night whilst they sleep
IN their tents-that disease will seize upon their
limbs, and they will perish by an unseen hand-that
whilst they struck down by disease produced by
the malaria in the Valleys the brave Mexcans will
stand secure in the Businesses of their hills and
laugh when their fear cometh," and deride them as
thpu aink in th. of