The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-12-15

pointed Messrs PEARcE, CHALMERS, and LEWIS sand
eo MN Gp 81 Rs paS n. aoor and smoke
lows: According TO an ancient custom OF this House,
which he rejoiced to see had been resumed for few
tuniy Of making remarks ON the message now un
der consideration In doing, he regretted that
gentleman capable of doing justice To the subject
debate When Congress assemblsd two " wears ars the
country was prosperous, and he might say happy All
the departments OF industry agriculture anuactures,
and commerce--received their Just reward Peace-a
profound peace-pevaded the land and all bid fair for
rapid progress in that glorious destiny TO the fument OF
which The founders OF the republic looked forward with
so much exalted pleasure. AT that PERIOD however,
change In the policy Of the nation took place The party
then IN power became impressed with an nordinate de-
sire to extend the territory Of the nation then
said TO extend the OF freedom. The other party
Of their efforts tprevaed What had been the result Of
that change Of policy Jet the events Of the last two years
proclaim They were now engaged in war, against
which the national sentiment revoed Go where they
would, this the allengrossing subject OF con-
yersatop. Al the resde and around the social circle
in the debating cubsin the post coach--n the rail-
road car--in the steamboat---in the county con-
yentons--in the pulpit-in the State egsatlres--in
ing topic OF conversation and discussion. To il
the attention OF the people turned, and the
message under consideration showed that the
uye OF the nation was solemny and seriously impressed
with the important subject which weighed upon
him and upon those who had brought the nation into
the present state OF war He affirmed that the message
L
should always mark the messages OF the Chief Magis-
trate II was exactly such defence as the President
would make were he upon trial on Impeachment. The
same distortion OF factsthe misrepresentation OF
the truthhe same sophstry characterized il as would
characterize his defence on trial. He would not stop to
comment upon that portion of the document which sg-
matzed all who differed from the President with regard
to the guilty OF treason Ample Justice had been
done to that BY his friend from Massachusetts, [Mr
WIHTHRoP Who was the true friend OF the government
He who would preserve the nation in the path of JUS
tce and honesty He was no friend OF that government
who would degrade her in the eyes Of the civilized
world and involve her in foreign OF conquestno
friend who would seek, by the force of physical power,
to wres from sister republic portion of her territory
and appropriate to their use and benefit That
his (Mr G's) might be the task to seek to main
tain the national honor and justice he earnestly prayed
He despised the patry anathema Of those who stigma.
naed oppSsaon TO an n,qu,ous war as extending sd
manded at the hands of the Executive an an
swTer to its ineTogatories 50 often propounded from
the United States sent into the heart OF sister
republics That the question which the people put
TO the Executive. What good was to result from the
vast expenditure OF blood and treasures The President
had brought forward his defence against the accusing
voice Of the country. What had he said He had
asserted that Mexico had commenced hostlites That,
he (Mr. CD denied emphahcally. The assertion
unfounded in fact. -where-how--at what point
Of the American soil did the invasion OF Mexico take place.
Would any friend of the administration stand up in
his place. and sustain the assertion of the President that
Mexico had commenced hostlities He would pause for
reply. lie would Afford any gentleman opportunity
OF making that defence OF the Executive No gentle
man, il seemed, prepared to sustain the Executive
The President alike unsustaned by truth, and by
his adherens in the House. But the President went
and attempted to sustain his declaration by other state
ments equally unfounded. He said:
'The Texas which was coded to Spain by the Florida
die State Of Texas between the Nueces and the Rio Gande
The republic of Texas always claimed this river her
in May 1886 recognised as such BY the constitution
which Texas adopted in March, 1896 senatorial and repre-
Nueccs The Congress of Texas the nineteenth of De-
cember 1886 passed An define the boundaries of the
from It's mouth its source be their boundary, and by
the said they extended their civil and political jufsdic
of more than nine years, which interviewed between the
adoption of her constitution and her annexation
the States Of Union Texas asserted and exercised
of sovereignty and jurisdiction the territory and
west Of the Nueee She organized and defined
established of justice and extended her judicial sys
and collected duties and also post Offices and post roads,
in it. She established land office, and issued
residing it elected the Congress of the
republic and served as such before the of annexation
which gave their the terms of annexation the
United States, proposed by Congress- representa-
Of annexation itself This the Texas which, by the act
oor Congress Of the twentyninth Of December 1915,
admitted as one OF the States OF our Union"
Now, he (Mr. Co. denied that on that great desert
which receded north from the Rio Grande, any individual
had ever rendered obedience to Texan laws Texan u-
rlsdlcton had never been extended that and
therefore, when the President attempted say that by
extending the jurisdiction Of Texas west Of the Nueces
was equivalent to extending it to the Rio Grande he
was paming of upon the people statement which had
no existence in fact His colleague [Mr. ScHENcK] ex-
tored the other day from of the friends of the admin
straton an acknowledgment that Santa Fe was never
within the boundaries of Texas The President howey-
er, attempted to show that the Rio Grande was the true
western boundary of Texas Well, as he had said, his
colleague eytored acknowledgment from one of the
friends of the administration that that true or
rather that he himself dsclaimed it.
Mr.. PlILSBURY. made no such admission
Mr.. GIDDINGS had not referred to that gentleman
He had reference to the gentleman seated near him.
Mr. STANToNl But he now proposed question to that
gentleman, the gentleman from Texas any other friend
Of the administration He would ask him whether he re-
garded Santa Fe part OF the territory of Texas of
New Mexico! Would he, or any other member of the
House. stand up and declare that his belief Santa Fe
was within the boundaries of Texas The President as
belonged to New Mexico; which statement was the peo
pie to believer One of the assertions must be false
Both could not be true Here there direct
contradiction. II it belonged to Texas, why was an
army sent to conquer it Z II it belonged to Mexico
why were the military officers directed to establish there
government That had been well commented upon by
his colleague from the Dayton district, [Mr ScHENcK
Was not that gross contradiction in itself enough
denim the messagei Why, the message was a defence
of law in any county court in Ohio. He pursued this
strain OF remark for some length and then he to
say that there another assertion in the message equal
ly unfounded. That the declaration that this was
defensive war. How the United States defended
by the war; Where had attack been made upon the
country which the repeedi He called the friends of
the President to answer these questions Did the army
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