American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-08-06

suitable officer, take the command, correct the
disorder, and proceed to the seat of war, where
your services are needed To his aid, who acted
as Asst. Adj't. General, he would refer for
full confederation of this whole matter.
He remarked, that he was pleased as it was
in his power to save the Court and himself the
trouble Of their hearing and his reading twenty
pages which he had written to show what he
designed to substantate by the witnesses from
New Orleans, as he found an extract in the
printed Document which saved them and him
the necessity of going over that ground-that
Document was letter FROM Washington, da-
ted War Department, 28th August, l945-in
which the statement is made-"that requsi-
tons for troops upon the Governor of the sew
eral States is vested only in the President, and
restricted alone to him, except in two or three
specific cases-cases all in which the emergen-
cY must be great, the peril imminent to the
country" That his acquisitions for troops was
in accordance with the principle disclosed
that Gen. Taylor and his army we're in cir
cumstances Of extreme peril and of imminent
danger-was fact too pa pable to be Contro-
verted-a fact which can be attested by thous-
ands of our most intelligent citizens, both in
Louisiana and Texas-and fact-believed by
the President himself, and by the National Con-
gress, as is clearly deducble from the prompt
measure recommended by him, and by them
adopted as soon as General Taylor's eXigencies
were known. Having great reason to appre-
bend that by delay of ten days even, Taylor
and his army might be cut off by the Mexican
reinforcements-the emergency contemplated
by the War Department actually existed, and
although he did not make acquisitions for
troops, he nevertheless communicated to the
Governor the facts Of the case and invited him,
in anticiI alton ofsuch requistion being made,
to accept the services oftroops, which were &C.
cordingy mustered into service.
Gen'l g., further remarked, that he cherish
ed strong desire to pass over all such matters
as did not strictly come properly under the no
tce of the Court, but discovering certain docu-
ments communicated by the President of the
United States to Congress before the Court, he
felt bound to notice such documents only in so
far as they contained differences unfavorable to
his characterand reputation-his honor mpell
ed him to notice them ia connection with the
subjects of investigation now before the Court.
If he were public prosecutor, one disposed to
enter the field of bitter acrimony, he might de-
vote days and months to the herculean task to
cleanse the Bureau at Washington-but fortu-
nately for HIM, the task was saved him-the
documents enanating from that Bureau, were
sufficient expose of its own rottenness, sc. He
made no complaint, he came here TO complain
Of no one,-he wished to do wrong to no one,
only desired that right should be done to him.
He craved no indulgence, he asked no greater
glory than to be restored to his proper station
in war to conquer our foes, and in peace to
prepare for war. That was all the glory that
he now or ever craved. He desired no distinc-
ton except such as belonged TO his profession.
He desired to remain in the service no longer
than he was able to perform his duty-he claim
ed every privilege due to his grade now and to
the last; no power should trample on his rights.
He was old and had grown greyin the service
of his country-if that country could be bene-
fitted by treating old soldiers as savages-who
treat their old warriors with neglect, he was will
ling to submit TO such treatment-but the vir-
tuous, the patriotic, the brave, surely never thus
repay the services of those who have grown grey
in defence of their country. l belong to my
country, born one year after her birth day
Her declaration of independence was 4th July,
l776, and my birth day 10th March, lit; |
have grown with her growth, and with fervent
hopes for her prosperity, have strengthened
with her strength. Though old and grey in the
service of my country, have been advertised
in the newspapers one called the Union,
have been stigmatized as all offender-and as a
matter of course advertised in the Federal u
Mon. By then, | have been accused as a vio-
lator of the laws of my country For you, my
old brother soldiers, it is to say, whether these
things are true or false. Whether or no | am
TO be arraigned before General Court Martial,
or to be returned to my command. If the lat
ter, shall be grateiul-but if your sense of
propriety will not allow you thus to deal with
me-and you decide that am to be arraigned,
| sincerely trust, that upon the Banks Of the
Rio Grande, where the witnesses all are now
actively engaged in defence of our common
country's liberties, said General Court Martial
may be convended.'