The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-05-12

the Senale Now may be permitted to say that
am as anxious as the senator from Ohio, Mr.. Al.
LEN can be that we proceed expeditiously to the
consideration of the bil. am aware of the consid.
eratons which prompt such course az may be
most likely TO attain that expeditions action and 10
them am disposed to give the fullest weight But
am not ready 10 see the rules Of the house trans.
crossed, by which appears TO me an injudicious
haste In the proceeding now proposed to take place
and ask the chair, therefore, that the question be
but whether this bill be read a second time.
The PRESIDENT. The presiding officer has
already put the question whether this bill should by
unanimous consent of the Senate, be read second
time, and II was agreed TO.
Mr. JOHNSON, of MARYLAND asked by whom
the motion 10 read second time was made
The PRESIDENT. There was no motion
made In the ordinary course, the presiding Officer
propoundod the question. The bill was read by il
title, the second time, and then the senator from
South Carolina desired the first section to be read in
full.
Mr. ALLEN. Certainly. The bill was read q
second time by unanimous consent
i MIR. JOHNSON, Of Maryland. My impression
was that there must he motion TO read a second
ume' or Otherwise Il was in the power Of the pre-
| SIDING officer
euasion but TO procure the prompt action which the
nature OF the case manifestly demands
| Mr.. MANGUM then rose and said: There is no
purpose on this side of the chamber to embarrass in
any degree the passage Of this bill for all effective
purposes But am with many others, as | am ad.
Vlsed, unwilling 10 pass the ball its present form
because the fact Is not TO be disguised that is TO
all Intents and purposes equivalent To a solemn de-
cAraton OF war. am not prepared for that. But
| am FULLY prepared this day-this very moment-lf
the political question be separated from the bil-to
vote Tor the raising Of supplies am ready to vote
any amount that any representative OF the admins
rauon may indicate as necessary. Sir if they want
nity thousand men and ten millions of dollars
all can be had IN half an hour if the bill
be not embarrassed by any extraneous matter. |
had understood yesterday, when it was arranged
that the message should be referred TO two distinct
committees, that II was done expressly with the
view that the political question as TO the existence Of
peace or war should be determined by the Commit
Tee on Foreign Relations, and that the question OF
the necessary extent Of supplies both of money and
men was TO be examined by the committee charged
with the direction of these military matters. had
hoped that the honorable senator from Missouri
Mr.. BENTON would have introduced a bill on this
subject free from all this exraneous matter There
10 no disposition here TO embarTass the Executive
Sir, we on this side Of the chamber have as much in
Ierest IN the country as those the other side We
have as high an appreciation Of the dignity and hon
or OF the country the chairman of the Committee
on foreign Relations, or any portion of the Senate
or the administration can possibly entertain But
we are unwilling, under the force and pressure of
what may be esteemed patriotic, and under the APP
prehenslon which some gentlemen, in my iudg-
meht, very falsely conceive Of being placed in a
false PosltIon-wIthout regard to considerations
OF that sort, we are unwilling at the instant
TO assume that the state of war exists, with
out having any advlces on the subject. Suppose
those troops on the Rio Grande have passed the
river without any authority from the sovereign
power OF Mexico is any senator here prepared TO say
that this IS war in the of the public law The
act may be dIsavowed by the government Of Mexico;
and 1t So recognition of the existence of war here
Will be equivalent to all intents and purposes to
s, Tenn declaration of war-as much so as the de-
clarahon OF war against Great Britain in 1912 After
some further remarks enforcing this view, and
expressive OF his readiness to vote all needfi sup
plies, IT that portion Of the bill were separated from
the other, declaring the existence of war the hon
orabe senator expressed his regret that the chairman
OF the Committee on Military Affairs had not re-
ported BILL as in that cpmmittee he mir. M. y
nau confidence, and reiterated his statement that
the senators on his side Of the chamber were as So
lctous for the honor and interests Of the country
as those on the other side and if there was any
postponement of dehnitlve action on supplies of
money and men, that The responsibility did not
rest on that side of the house
Mr.. BENTON observed that the Committee on /
Military Affairs had met early in the mornng-had |
examined the bill passed by the other House, and |
generally approved Of it,
Mr.. CALHOUN again rose and said: His rule |
throughout life had been to discharge his duty with
out regard to conscquences-according to the die. |
tates OF ms conscience and more especially he felt
the Proprety OF that rule upon such a solemn uues
ton as the declaration Of war by the United States
OF America All he wanted was time to look into
the state Of the facts, and to make up deliberate
opinion: He wished delay in voting the sup. |
ples-the sooner they were granted the better; and
he must say that it did not argue that there was so
much anxiety about the supplies about some
thing else-to wit: that this preamble of the bill |
should be put in. Here sentence or two was
lost. IL unanny and prompttude Of action were
desired, he asked with all due Difference why should
not those who entertained doubts this subject be
accommodated by striking out the preamble Why
1t was reasonable request-it one that ought
to be granted. But the gentlemen say that they
have got all needful information. The Senate have
it not-at least he mr.. c. had not that information
which made it Indispensable that there should be
instant action on the question of the existence of
peace Well, then, the responsibility was
upon them. If there be delay the consequences
were with them. He would make no delay. But, |
Mr.. President, (said he, it is impossible for mo to
vote for that preamble in the present state of my in
formation as it would be for to strike dagger to
my own heart-ay, and much more impossible
Why so? am not prepared to affirm solemnly by
an act of Congress the fact that exists between
the republic of Mexico and the United States, by
the act of the former republic have evidence
of that fact. Shall then be called on to give such
a voter No. cannot do it. 1t would be impossi-
BILE for mo to render such a vote consistently with
that regard to truth which from my infancy have
been taught to entertain. Yet gentlemen would force
me to vote We'll | have hesitation as to nv
course gentlemen may take theirs, | never hesitate
in taking mine. 1t is made up. will vote neither
afhrmatively nor negatively; because l cannot do
either in the absence of Information. | know not
whether there is friend to stand by me- | have not
had opportunity Of conversing with my colleague
But here | stand, and stand immoveably. As to
this thing of rushing with an impulse upon such an