The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-12-15

fore he closes he will inform whether he believes, with
the President, that Santa Fe is in Texas and therefore,
within the limits OF the United States, or not.
Mr.. JOHNSON, believe in the boundary OF Texas
as defined and claimed in the act OF her Congress
. Mr.; SCHENCk. Yes, | know that-in the act OF
March, ls36-hats not the question,
Nh. JOHNSON. That was the Texas, with the same
defined boundary, whose Independence had been ac,
knowieiged by the principal powers OF Europe She had
the same boundary then as now. The question OF boun-
diary was 10 be settled BY negotiation when she
nexed He thought he knew where he was on this point
But he did not intend 10 be drawn of from the difficulty
IN which the honorable gentleman from Ohio had in
volyed himself The member from Kentucky, MIR DA-
VS., when pressed by the gentleman from South Carroll
ma, Al RHErr, discaimed that he had admitted that II
was part OF the United States; TO which the latter re-
Piled that the argument OF the gentleman from Kentucky
ie to the ground; and now It would the gentleman
IRON Ono attempted 10 sustain the sinking member from
Kentucky and prove from the message that Santa Fe
within the boundary OF the United States and then that
Commodore Stoektons proclamation proved that the
laws and constitution OF the United States had been
violated That was the genteman's position
and IRON II there was no escape He read
the Presidents message 10 define the boundary, and
based on thai has Argument turning rOund and IN the
same breath declaring that he had not endorsed anything
that the President had said. What did his argument
amount to! And furthermore TO what did his sincerity
amount Them in regard 10 Gen. Keamy, great deal
had been SAID about his proclamation. lie must confess
that he had not the highest idea in the world of those
gentlemen with epaulets on their shoulders who COM
manded the army and navy; but they entitled TO a
certain degree OF respect, and they We're good wings in
poniles lie dld not see why they should be so much
abused by their friends upon that floor.
A voice. Is Capt Stockton wing .. ....
Mr.. JOHNSON Why, he is good Tyler democrat
sort OF amphibous politician, ia augh.l He CMr ~
was about to say that he had little more respect for
these gentlemen than their party appeared TO
tam for them When strong fortresses were 10 be at
tacked-when country was TO be invaded, or coun-
try 10 be defended, these gentlemen called upon
and were worthy OF reliance. But in the OF discus
sion the other day. the gentleman from South Carolina
INF RnETrl de1dingy spoke OF them as THAT sort Of
were 'gumps-what did they know p Well he (Alf.
J) asked them to look at the House and look at the
spectacle presented by sort OF people there; i hree
and 10 every differed from his fellow in the opinion
which he felt called upon to present TO the House and
the world. After such specimen OF the unanImity OF
such high eNPounders OF the constitution he asked with
what grace gentlemen could laugh at 'gumps' out OF
the House But how did the matter stand Where was
the foundation for those charges, that of violation OF
order and OF the law and constitution, and everything
thai was sacred, the part OF General keany. Why,
he said that General Keany had been guilty Of a
strous olence-he had been swearing MeNicans He
(Mr J did not appear there rs the generals apOloglst or
defender II the general had served his country faith
fully, he (Mr. ~ thanked him. whether he was a wing
democrat But, after all, II might turn out that Gen
ertl kearny--one Of these "gumps'-mght have had
some important provisions OF international law lying
before him. Let them hear what Martens, in his Trea-
tise on the Laws of Nations, says; 800. 70
The eon1uero Inns, strictly spaakng right to make
may al into his power though thcy have commted mo "
oence against him and, of course, lac has right to
move them tn another country: But now-adnys he con-
than 10 submit such SUBJECTS his domination 10 make
them Sredr te1ty 10 HIM 10 exercise certain rights of soyer-
eighty over them, such raising and quIcring troops
among them, making them pay taxes, obey his laws, Ne,
a prn,itt.ng a. rebels tNo cto ahc" 10 beTay him or
What had General Kearny done conflicting with that
Nothing. He had right to them to eaty to him
So much for General Kearny But the President (Mr ].
went on TO say had been charged with initiating the
country into 1t had been called the Presidents
war. Was il SOL Whose war was il; Ii was the war
OF the American people That the President proved most
conclusvey The Texas boundary had been left an open
question between the two governments, What the
necessary steps TO be taken Negotiation and peaceful
oyertures and these measures taken But Mexico
refused all overtures She refused TO negotiate What
position was this government then bound to main
tam Why, OF course, TO observe and maintain the
boundary defined by the government annexng herself
to the United States and that obligation the government
did fulfil In pursuance of that obligation, it became the
bounden duty of the President to direct General Taylor
to take his position the eastern hank of the Rio
Grande, there to continue till the Mexican government
came TO its senses. The Mexican government with her
troops crossed the ne and struck the soldiers of the
United States 10 the ground She struck the first blow
which had been successfully returned and he ferventy
prayed that If Mexico did speedily her senses
the would be prosecuted TO the city of Mexico itself
All that had been urged against the justice of the war,
was very much like that which said in ls9. That
war was called James Madisons war, Felix Grundy's
war, the devils Let them hear resolution passed
by the Massachusetts Legislature of that day:
The real canss Of the war must be traced to te first sys-
friends and Trainers othc constitutions TO irnpacnbc ami
mostly against those men, and their universal exclusion
from all concern in the government of the country; TO the
influence Of the worthless foreigners over the press and The
del alterations al the government in all lis branches
Jealousy Of commercial states fear of their power contulpt
of their pursuits and ignorance of their true character md
Importance to the cupidy of certain for the wilder
reserved for the aborignes violent passion for
the conquest" Nc. .-..J.a I'd. 49,.
With equal candor the senate OF that State not to be
outone by the other legislative branch declares that
''Thc founded in fasebood, declared without
necessity and its real object extent of territory by I'M
Just conquest and to aid the yran Of Europe in his view
aggrandl cement"
That the language of that day, and it was the Ian
guage OF this day; and it did strange that this gov
eminent could never be thrown into conflict with any
foreign power, but found willing to denounce
the government unjust and niqitous in its defence of
the nations honor, ready to affirm that it a Pres-
dents war-tha II was an unholy and an unjust war.
what parties endcd but he omitted them for the present
was little strange to see the association presented in
the House There federal leader of the northwest
or he should rather say one who assumed to be the
leader OF that division of the Union, and there
was a distinguished member from Massachusetts
mir WrNrHRoPl leading division of the federal party
there-both singing the song of the feleralists
who opposed the last war There again was gentle
man from Kentucky attempting to bring up the division
of the federal party OF the slave sateswhere also Ken
lucky and Tennessee stood during the last war When
Massachusetts, was repeating again and again, through
her State Legislature, in her pulpit and her newspapers
the same sentiments that she uttered now, where did
Tennessee and Kentucky then stand They stood Shout
They fought in the same field togeherther blood min
ged upon the same cory field and now how did they
stand, while her noble Butler leading her cho-
sen band at Monterey, when in the hickes of the melee
ms patriotic voice was cheering them on to the encounter
Where did Kcntuckys representative in that House stand
He stood BY the side OF Massachusetts honest enpm