The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-25
NUMBER 3O6.

to ride ronghshod over The ruins 81 hi country; o.
IL no one OF the generals commanding these sey7'
en- armies the war VIII require shouh aequirs ufh'
SsS. ne sSsss " asS S IKE
and Antony and Lepidus Of old, thsy viii parcel
aud divide d ruined and undone country
among themselves. These an, N the pictures
with which, from day TO day, the Senate,
for the last four ,monlhs, have been, amused
q si IT, 70 IL y a.
auctions to be drawn from historical fasis running
back through the silent lapse Of centuries thai are
past. No one at all familiar with the past history
OF republics can be ignorant that these gloomy APP
prehensions have TOO much Foundation, But the
darkness and the gloom m which the history Of the
ancient republics are shrouded, mslts in the glare
Of the beam that breaks from the portals Of oorow
free and glorious institutiohs Sir, We have, had
two wars, and il happens, With the ssrris power
with whom II seernsio be apprehended we are nov
threatened with Sthird, : AZ the end Of .ths FIRST,
that great and ysperstsd, man, tatyks~, wish one
sccosd, we apply the epdeAting sppellatloaI VI the
Pathef 81 his County, having condactsd he army
Of the reyoludsn successfully 70 yisoEy apa glory
was elected by Ills countryihento preslde ODER The
eiSii administration ofthe government which no had
eminenty contributed % establish, He who had
been first IN war, became first u and viii, to
Il BcUcTdlOH VI tiHc, ufnt Hcafts
his countrymen. Liberty was not destroyed by ele'
waiting Washington to the chief maglstracy of the
country, although he had commanded the armies Of
| his country. .,.
In the age which succeeded the revolution, we
became involved in another war with Great Bntan
Ia that age there appeared another character on
| the stage, who has been styled the second Wash
ington. He, after having brought the second war
| Of Independence TO glorious t1rmination on the
plains of New Orleans, was IN the fitness OF time
elevated 10 the highest Office in tho gi Of his coun.
trymen, and filled 1t for eight years. And, sir 90
far from having usurped supreme power OF pros
| trated the liberties Of his country, /, who never
voted for him, willingly bear to his memory IN,
Just tribute Of having done more To yindicate III,
true principles Of the constitution than any tina
ever lived. These two men, AFTER having conducted
armies Of freemen fighting for freedom, to victory
and TO glory, were elevated to supreme civil power
which they voluntarily resigned, reured to the tran
quill walks ofprlvate life, contributing their best ex
ertions to the Duration the permanenoy, and the i'm
mortality OF the institutions Of their country, ant
silently descended to the tomb, followed by the ben
edietions Of grateful Millions Their monuments ar
the everlasting hills Of their country; thai eoantr,
which they abered through life 70 make free an
to keep free. | mention these things not TO indioat
my preference for military men for civil employ
ment. Not at all. ] feel no such preference. 1 d
il for the purpose Of contrasting the virtues Of IN
ilustrious and veneraed dead Of my own country
with the examples furnished by other countries il
ancient, and Of our remarkable instance in noder
{ times. And from that contrast draw deduction
not only highly favorable to the virtues Of some
most illusuious men; but. what Is of infinitely
more importance, l draw the most coDsoling hope
of the perpetuity of our institutions from the virtue
intelligence. and patriotism of our people. Sir, be
fore this spirit of military domination and rule cal
be established in this country not only the entire in
elligence and patriotism Of twenty millions of PEG
pie will have to be subjugated but twenty sep
arate sovereigntes, and constantly Increasing, witt
their peculiar guardians and defenders will have Il
be overcome, among whom the distinguished sena
tor from South Carolina now stands, and has Ion.
stood, a most conspicuous ohAmpioni 4 arm not
therefore, TO be deferred from the course which be
lieve to be correct upon this question by tho 1a,O
hsadand of military dsspotsm. II hsv
no fear but the race of Bsutusas w kesp paos viii
the Caesars. These some Of the groat bulwarl1
that stand between the free institutions of the coun
try and the establishment Of military despotism, thu
dreaded fruit of this Oregon war. Hsh 81 aTinaa
Ihave already said that considered the passag,
of these resolutions the most efcctual means o
preserving peace. And ! could not refrain, wh,
| other senators were depicting in such sornbr,
coors the evils Of this anticipated war; recurring tc
one of Shsridan's descriptions Of rebellion in In
dia in his time 1t will be recollecteds that durins
the government of Warren Hastings in that ii-fated
and undone country, il became necessary in orde
to justify every act of British rspacity; I'd charge
portion of that unoffending people with rebellion
against British power. think Sheridan .describet
II as rebellion set on .fopt by an old woman car
red on by two eunuchs. and suppressed by an aft
davit. no think this oregonwar will prove equally
the work of1magiDaion, "g1 hHE uGgH5rgoH
| The Texas question, too has been introduced in
to this debate. Sir, that was question not barrier
Of incidents in this chamber, or in the political his
/ tory ofthe country, i'1''--''" --.- a.
i "An of which saw, and part Of which was.s r,a
And laval myself of this last occasion to say tina
no in America was more In favor Of the unior
of Texas with the United States than 4 was; or
according to the measure of his ability did NOR,
| to accomplish it than did. q 1t is true that had
upon that subject, have Upon every subiect M
own views of the proper mode of attaining the object
and upon those views / acted. Time, the great un
folder of events, will determine whether l. CanG
those with whom thought and acted, were RICH
or not, and to that test am willing to submi
| them. did not then think, nor do I,rnou
think, that there was anything in the panic cry b
snow or never" | could not have believed that
without imputing to the authorities and the PEG
pie ofTexas, the intention, more than intimated b
the time, of a disposition to transfer themselves t
Great Britain. That never did believe, and neve
will believe, would as soon suspect the people
Of any other State of this Union of such an nten
ton, know something of the people Of Texas
They are flesh Of our flesh, and bone of our bone
American hearts beat in their bosoms, and animate
their actions Those who fought the battle Of Sar
Jacin,o, are consenia spirits With those who fell D
the straits Thermopyse, and The legitimate desceh
dants of those who ZEN at Bunkers Hill, and Bran
DIVINE, and Little York, ana the othef ssncti6ec
battle-felds Of the revolution, l. was in favor b
having Texas ceded to the United States, Of payins
for her lands, thereby preventing the existence D
two separate land systems and of furnishing her i
that way the means Of paying the debt contracted h
her struggle for independence; Of taking charge 0
bnrJ md M hn.n 1os
Mexico, and thereby preventing the probability D
war with that power, and Of settling ii her border
another question Of vast and incalcuable impor
lance, not only to her, but to the whole Union
Neither do admit, but, on the contrary, deny
that there any similarity in the cases OF Texas am