Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-05-19
TwENTY-NiNTH CONGRESS.
nrpaTe on THE WAR BILL.

Omllleu we uOW pIUCccu W supply TIC oHie'io'
Mr.. Benton thought that for purposes OF infor
nation, il would be proper 10 read paragraph
from recent proclamation oil The presiueh'
Mexico al interim MIR. B. then read an ex'fac
from a proclamation oil the 2lst March, IN sup
stance. that The President OF Mexico had no pow
er todeclare war but the commander OF the Mex
lean army had been directed 10 take position II
which he would be able 10 repel invasion, an! L
take the initiative ( G., strike The hrsi blow, an(
10 roll back the injury with which they had Deei
threatened; their intention was merely 10 ueieh.
themselves. MIR. Benton remarked that ne ia.
read this extract Tor the purpose oil showing .ne
thedoor was apparently open iot a So far as
nation OF The existing state OF tnings. ~ Ia n
he cond see, the government OF Mexico nau MOI
craats1 war Hostililies had broken out, Dut Inc
door was no, closed against peaceful issue
Mr. Clayton said he certainly drew the same
inference from The portion OF the proclamation
read by The Senator which be had deduced. HOS
,ililies were not necessarily war. There was nc
treatise on the law OF nations which did nolrecos-
Mise lhe distinction HoStilies, such as deien'
siye operations dia no amount 10 war. Repfi'
sails were not war unless general. Measures %
defence were no, war. However, ne did mo-
make these remarks with view 10 pTeJudSe 'his
great question whether there was or was moi wal
All he desired as he had said again ana again
was 10 obtain time Tor deliberalion on mat ques'
tion and the man Who voted with MN ana ho' d.
firm that there was not war. In order 10 ascer-
tain the sense OF the Senate, he would move 10
strike oui the words prosecute said war 10 a
speedy aud successful issue" and make II read
ssthal for the purpose OF enabling the government
OF the United States TO Iepel The INVASION, the
President is hereby" &c. II that motion were
successful, he would follow il up BY another, 50
as 10 make the bill wha: he desired.
Mr. Calhoun rose and said, that he now ap-
peaed 10 the Senate il there was man VINO
could believe upon the only document WEch they
had-how authentic he knew no-tna! thefe eA-
listed war between the two countries War mus
be made By the sovereign authority Inc Pfesi,
dent Of Mexico could not make war IL couu
only be done BY the two countries Even II ine
TWO Presidents had declared war, The nations could
disavow The aci; and he called on The senate 20
reflect upon the position in which they Wonla De
placed in case they made declaration Oh war,
and in due course OF lime there should come a
dsavowal on the part of Mexico. de wonld
much rather tha, The Senator from Delaware mad
divided his motion and made the proposition ilrsi
on striking out; and SO pu, i, 10 the country and
10 the sense OF truth entertained by every mem
Der OF the body
Mr. Houston then rose and said, that ne did
not wish 10 trespass on the time Of the Senate;
but he rose simply for the purpose oi expressing
his apprehensions in relation 10 their position
with regard 10 Mexico. lie contended that They
were actually in state OF war; that war had 'iF.
tually existed for ten years between Mexico and
Texas that Texas had been annexed IN The face
OF a declaration on The part OF Mexico maj she
would regard il IN act OF war. The United
States, IN anneyin~ Texas had assumed the re-
sponsbity ,ndt ~ - utea Texas anteccden,
10 that event Il va ~; il accordance wan The
long continued declarations ., AcN'ro thai ;0s
recent ou,ras-s mad been cummit"t upon Inc
troops OF TIE United States, ana upon That terrific
tory from which Mexico bad insoleHlly ORDERED
line citizens OF Texas a. invaders and rebels. ne
United States, he argued, now occupied towards
Mexico precisely The same attitude which the
State OF Texas had maintained for The last Ten
years. On his conscience he could not resist the
conviction that war actually existed. He then
went on 10 point out the folly and danger OF de-
laying proper action till the question as 10 a for
NAL declaration Of war should be decided. That
might be discussed FOR months in that chamber,
whilst their troops, exposed 10 all the rigors OF
Southern climate, were doamcd 10 inactivity,
and daily wasting away He eloquenty con-
tended that Mexico should be chaslised al Cncc
for her outrayes and insolencs, aad showed
that Mexico had no right 10 the territory on
this side of the Rio Grandeth.i size held no
post on it-ani that The iarasion was evident
IL sanctioned b. the Mexican Government
government against whose disEoaofaIc course
and habiiual deception h. warned the Senate.
he did no, regard The Mexican Soveinmen, "a a
systematic political organization at all. Were
they 10 wait for the action Of that government as
though it were regularly cons!i uted No, at all.
The Mexican people are kind, generous and hos
pable, but they were ruled with 4 rod OF iron by
set OF lyrants brigands, u>nrpers and land pirates
This people, if left to themselves, would never de-
sire nor go 10 war with his country. The men
that are brought into the field against The United
States would rather stay at home, and il was not
they but their drivers, who had offered insult 10
American citizens and indisniiy 10 the American
flag The MeXicans, then, had committed az
gressons under order OF their rulers, and, he
would ask, il they had not produced a state 81
things in which war was as perfectly existing as
il would he after its declaration by that honorable
boiyl The declaration by Texas OF war was
clear and emphatic, and her action was cores
ponden and the question now was, whether the
Senate OF the United States would sustain them.
He did not wish TO waste the time OF the Senate,
bui he could not omit giving his opinion that wal
existed He would vote for the bill
Mr. Mangum arose and said, the evidence gi-
ven by the Senator from Texas, in The course OF
his remarks, OF the existence OF war, was not the
American idea, nor did it agree with the views
taken by Senators, in the debates which occurred
in the second session OF the Congress OF the Z.
States; and il seemed not 10 be the idea OF those
who held political power in this country now. II
would be recollected well! that in the discussions
on the Texas question, there was nothing which
seemed, in the opinion Of that t-dy, as so
much 10 be Iepudiated and Stunned, as the
most distant possibility ut this country being in
volved in war through annexation. And he ap-
pretended II was nc; the opinion OF the Mexican
Government He thought the Proclamation which
had been translated By The honorable Senator
from Missouri (Mr. Benlon) was conclusive on
No. 49,, L.T1 & -
Vernment assume that there was peace between
the two countres7 He 1isclaimed The power OF
Inc Executive head TO put Mexico into state OF
war with the United States, and refers 10 the as
sembling OF Congress as that period when war
was to be declared. With the views OF the Sc
nate, then, he had offered those OF the Mexican
Government, 10 which might be added the opin-
ionso Inc highest political characters in the ma
ton, that war had not existed by virtue oil those
acts OF hostility committed on the Rio Grandr.-
The question, then, was reduced 10 the inquiry,
whether, from the existence OF that state OF hosll-
tiles, as far they had evidence Of il, they were
10 admit the existence Of stale OF war There
was no need OF repeating that war was The emana
ton OF the will OF The sovereign power. Fls would
thank The chairman OF the committee on foreign
relations 10 say in what document (or he oil course
had read them ally was the evidence contained tina
the sovereign power Of Mexico had assented TO q
state of war Ii there was any such evidence
he (Mr M } was uninformed of it, But he ha'
arisen for the purpose of asking his friend trou
Delaware 10 withdraw his motion 10 strike GU
and insert, because in that form the question wa:
indivishle; but if ii were drawn in the form III
strike out" the modification might be in any
form 10 sui the sense OF the Senate And he wa,
frank enough 10 say that although utterly repus
nani 10 the thought OF c,nsiderin. the country il
a state OF war, yet he was prepared, II il wert
thouuht eYpedient that the Executive should de
terminc the question; and il Mexico should make
no denial by the Mexican Government OF a stat,
of war, that the Executive should act in tina
state of things, and not conhne the American
troops 10 The left bank Of the Rio Grande. II,
knew the ineffcency Of an army under suci
circumstances. BIT suppose there should te I
disavowal OF VIA, as occurred rs the Mexican
Government, in uhat pfeilcanienI should ineI
place themselves BY recognising the existence
:: 4 ...L. ~ Ill