The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-05-11

commended that the left bank Of it should be occu.
pied at all But that is neither here there. IL
they had, that does not exonerate the President and
his administration Of the responsibility under which
they labor, The question IL, II properl was il
| right The honorable senator from Arkansas said
that proper for the defence Of the frontier of
Texas and necessary for the defence OF Texas. Let
us look at that for a moment Was II necessary TO
take up position the left bank of the Del Nortel
Was not the former position at Corpus Christi quite
sufficient Why was II necessary 70 cross the
desert, and take up position Immediately in front
of the friendly town of Matamorasl Why was il
necessary TO take Up that position, with the batteries
pointed against the town at distance Of not more
than five hundred yards from its enyirons' II was
| an aggressive act; act which the civilized world
will so designate. IL much an act Of aggres-
sion on our part as is a mans pointing pistol at an
others breast But there is another mstter 10 which
alluded, and to which the senator did not think
proper to pay any attention. and that is the block
ade Of the river. The honorable senator with, |
must be allowed TO say, amusing naipeis, endeayor-
ed to throw the responsibility Of all this the off,
Ger in command of the army. Now | am well per-
suaded that, whenever the facts fully developed
il will appear that Gen. Taylor has done nothing
but what he was ordered to do-that he will be ful
y justified by the instructions which he received in
every part of his conduct. protest against this al
tempt 10 shift the responsibility from the govern.
ment to the shoulders Of the commanding officer
acting in strict accordance with its instructions. IL
Is unjust towards that officer In the peculiar cir
eumstances in which the administration have placed
him, It Is glaringly unjust. ! do complaint
am justified in complaining with some Indignation
that any attempt should be made In any qusrierto
cast the responsibility Of the administration the
| officer in command of the troops. What 10 the
meaning OF this attempt in the quarter from which
It has emanated' will not pretend to say. These
are the matters 10 which, in that debate 70 which
my friend has pointed, ! shall esll No at.
tention. | will give the subject that calm
| and dispassonate consideration which he de-
sires. have already endeavored to do so. have
felt that these acts Of the Executive ought TO be
demned-l do condemn them. | think that they
will be condemned by the people Of the United
States BY these acts we have been preciptated
into war with friendly nation. Congress has
not been consulted, nor either branch Of il. The
President OF the United States has the power pro-
woke war-perhaps to carry on war without the
consent of Congress-but he has not the right to do
II; and whilst and my friends on this side Of the
house, in obedience to the dictates of patriotism As
trus are ready to vote all the money in the treas
ury and all that is necessary fthere is not enough
there for the purpose Of defending the country and
4 indicating its honor and character, | think we
have some right to call on gentlemen on the other
side Of the house, and ask Of them to abiure the
spirit Of party, calmly and fairly weigh the acts
Of the administration, although il is the admnisra-
ton Of their own choice, and when they see that
done by the Executive which they in their con-
sciences cannot approve, to Join with in con-
demning it openly, in the face Of Heaven and all
men.
Mr.. ALLEN arose and said he had no desire to
protract the discussion, but he wished To say he
thought the suggestion Of the senator from Delaware
Mr.. CLAYTON premature, because he had not vet
had time to examine the facts communicated by the
Executive; and II was for that that he thought
1t extremely unjust towards the President that they
should begin this business by denouncing him-by
charging errors on the govern asnt, and accusing
Of being the aggressor, before there is time to ex-
anime the state Of the This he thought a very
bad beginning, If they wanted the war to be sue
cessful-if they wanted to sustain the honor asd
dignity Of the country. II they desired that, they
made a bad commencement before the public doct-
ments the President had sent there were printed to
premise that the Executive had been the aggressor
and to place all the moral wrong on the head Of our
own government by one of its branches He would
say again, wasa bad beginning. War was not
prosecuted alone by arms. 1t was no, steel that
constituted the chief power in modern times but the
opinions Of mankind, the will of the country That
constituted the power, rather than the steel placed
in the hands Of -soldsrs-- And how wore they hus
announcement of an invasion is made, it was thun.
dered forth that the. United States government was
the wrong-that we the aggressors. That might
be wise in the judgment Of senators on the othsr
side; but he (Mr. A. believed, on second refec-
Il ton, not one would be found to say il was prems,
ture wisdom He thought it premature to condemn the
Executive before the documents which had been laid
before them had been printed The senator inquired
how it happened that that river was blockaded The
answer was given in the message The river was
blockaded to cut off supplies from the Mexican
army, AFTER and in consequence, of the Mexican com
mander having announced the fact that state Of hos
tities had commenced That was the reason Of
the blockade In regard to the position ofthe srmyo
the Rio Del Norte, he would say as the President
had said in his message, that the military reasons
on which he acted, came from the highest military
authority now in the country and came, too in
such an intellisble form as would enable the Sen
ate to see its propriety. He was then speaking Of
the military reasons. In regard to the political
reasons for taking up position the Rio Grande
at all, there questions the Senate would dis
for itself afterwards. Most senators said they
willing to provide the means for defending the
country; but there were those who questioned the
question should be opened therewhen the political
reasons on which the administration acted in order
| ing the army TO take up a position on Tho Rio
0rande-when the time TO discuss those questions
came, he (Mr. A. promised there would be men
factory reasons as would fully Justify The course Of
| the Executive. No man disputed The absc-
lutte necessity, the urgency the instant need L
there was Of providing for the defence of the coun
try, After that came the great question Of poit
ical reasons for placing the army where il was By
| the time that came up, these documents would be
printed senators would have time to reflect and come
to such conclusions as the state Of facts justified But
ne had arisen merely to say, he regretted to hear
| the COOL cautious, and deliberate senator from Dels
ware Mr.. CLArToNl falling into the error, as b,
(Mr Az conceived it to have been, of pronouncing
Judgment against his country, before il was heard
before its own or any other tribunal. Armies had
been marched before without consulting Congress
and he remembered remarkable instance, in which
part OF the army Of the United States was ordered
to change position, and take up another near seen.
that was about to be transacted in Rhode Island; and
II was not then thought necessary that the Senate
should the Exscusive fes-its reasons for do
ing So No; there then great political struggle
going on. The President thought he had reasons to
anticipate breach Of the public peace, and viola.
ton of public order; and without consulting the SEN
ate or House of Representatives, he ordered deacr
ments of the army to march and take up their posi-
ton. That was to repel an Invasion by Americans,
not by Mexicans--an invasion Of Americans on ar
bitrary institutions. There was no call made in the
Senate House of Renrc ix1.u;Ea min