The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-11-12
THE LAST SPEECH.

! The LAST SPEECH.
! The National Intellgsneer Of this morning repub
fishes, as in duty bound, tho two recent documents
upon which have animal serted, viz: the speech Of
Mr.. Webster at Faneuil Hall and the letter Of Mr.
Clayton to the fedonsts Of Wilmington. We
shall not expatiate further upon them this evening
They are evidently designed to mark out the course
Of proceeding which the federal party may adopt at
the ensuing session of Congress- and prepare the
minds Of their followers for the measures which will
probably be proposed by the leaders. Mr.. Webster
opens his battery upon the Mexican war, and Mr.,
Clayton raises the banner which is Inscribed the
REsroRArIos Of the act of 1912. The general inn
preston is, that the federal party, embodened by
the temporary triumphs which they claim from the
recent elections, and determined TO strike down the
administration and the republican party, will wage
fiery war during the session, which, though short
liz It's duration (extending only from the 7lh of De-
nember to the 4th Of March, will be marked with
no little violence and asperty. Let the federalists
wage it when they please. The republicans reused
up by their temporary defeats, and united more
firmly together, will be prepared TO resst them; to
resist them! aye, to carry back the war into the
my's country.
The version of Mr.. Webster's recent speech, in
this mornings National Intellgencer, is copied from
the Boston Mercantile Journal" and fills nearly
three columns. Ills distinguished neither by its great
eloquenee, nor statesmanlike views, nor powerful
arguments. Its great objects to create preju.
dice against the war and the revenue tariff, and
through them principally to aim stab at the adj
ministration and the republican party, and to wean
l. a. r. IL a IL.
south Everywhere, we are sorry to see, il is Web
sterian in the bodness Of its assertions and the in
sdoua dexterity Of its thrusts. Just he opposed
the war Of 1912, he is opposing the war Of 1876
taking sides, In both cases, against his own coun-
try. Another feature of his speech marks the stu
dious policy Of his party. During the last cam
paign of 1874, he invoked the "third party" 1.-THE
abotonists) to vote for Mr.. Clay. He refers to
them again in the speech before us, and with the
view OF rousng the north against the south, and of
conciliatng the abolition vote for the next federal
candidate, he pretends to descant upon the constu
ton, which, until now, he has so literally and so
atitudnously construed. He addresses the abolition
feeling in a new phase; for, not content with saying
that Texas was annexed for the purpose Of extend
ing the verge Of slavery, he now attempts to raise
a prejudice against the war, by insnuating that it
was waged against Mexico for similar purpose.
There is another blemish in the speech. IL is
scarcely consistent with itself One position con-
tradcts another. For instance, he first says
at is as clear as anything can be that those per-
who voted the third party ticket in 1874 suf-
fered Mr.. Polk to be elected and Texas to be an
nexed; and, therefore, far their permission ex
tended, they suffered what we call the Mexican
war to be sprung upon The Mexican war! II
proclaimed on the house-tops by the opposition
that the anneraiOn Of Ttras could inpoips wn 10Th
.Nsrco and denied by the other side. And yet those
who professed to be the jealous for peaceable
annexation did just what they could to bring about
a war"
Here the orator certainly meant to be understood
as saying, that the annexation must necessarily
bring on war because Mexico would not yield her
claims, and therefore she would have war. Now
what does he say in another part Of his speech
Why, that Mr.. Polk brought on the war-that is to
say, unless Mr.. Polk was willing to yield the rights
of our country, which clearly extended to the Rio
Grande, we could not avoid with Mexico
Now, though as Mr. Webster contended before,
annexation necessarily involved a war, yet he now
contends that Mr.. Polk brought it on phen nobodu
erpeesd it, IL is well to read the following passage
and to compare the orator with himself
("Here some one in the gallery cried out, who
voted for il" After a moments pause, in which
the audience remained silent. under the sudden in
terrupton, Mr.. Webster replied: 1t not voted
for by anybody; the President made it without any
vote at ALL Tremendous applause
"And that leads me to say that this war; in its
origin, is presidential war. But The constitution
declares that Congress alone shall have the power
of declaring war; and beg to know where when
and how they declared it. The first we hear of
il in Congress is from the Presidents communca-
ton declaring that war does exist"
And again, more remarkable and still more con-
Trajectory passage:
"The second surprise the .Neriean ,oar. Who
expected a with Mexico, right off, without the
authority Of Congress9 But upon the llth of May
the war did exist, according to the Presidents dec
laration."
First, then, we are told that annexation was GER
tain to bring on war; and next, that when it came,
nobody expected it. 1t surprise upon the peo-
ole