Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-06-06

that this bill intended TO secure him IN the chlef COM
mand in the future prosecution OF this war; for one am
unwilling entrust this rough, but heroic soldier to the
discretion of President who deliberately and codly pre-
pared to sacrifice him upon contingency General Taylor
has for himself place equally above the ambitious
schemes the selfish show of magnanmity OF Mr.. Polk
and there let him repose on his own fresh auels He
commission Of major general from Mr. Polk to add Il
their greenness endurance He is entitled to command in
this war; and this right indicated by his two signal victo
the deathess which they have given him.
the single object Mr. Polk do him Justice let him recog
Mise the authority which his brevet commission of major genera
Of right gives him. If he desires major general with regu
lar commission to bear the standard Of country in th
Mexican war; let him look to the hero of Lundy's lane
Mr. BOYD inquired whether il was in order for him Il
an amendment the first section Of the bill and be-
ing informed that was, he accordingly moved the following
to in after the words " brigadier general: !"
$50 continue service long only their services shall
be required in connection with the militia and volunteers
Mr.. HENLEY said that he did not rise to make speech
He had long been utterly disguised with the whole system
speech making pracsed in that House but he had
few remarks to Offer with which he would not long dean
the committee Ii his purpose strike the whole
the first section Of this bill and he should the proper Time
propose amendment to that effect While he agreed with
the gentleman from Kentucky (r. DAvIs} in Of the
views he had expressed he be permitted far to ex
plain his position to say that though he should
with him against the appointment of these generals he
could single word of what he had stated his
reasons for such a
Mr. II. thought there necessity for appointing any
major generals any brgadie generals We had
enough Of both TO command troops enough gain the
most splendid victories If not the volunteer force which the
President authorized to accept would readily furnish
with all the additional officers which the service Night require
Then their services would terminate with the war; but if
put these general officers into commission and made them
portion Of the line of the army the Government would
rid of hem but they would be fastened the treasury
for the of their lives. Did the honorable chairman of the
Military Committee who reported this bill believe that the
country had any need of the services of these additional Off
in time peace Those which had while peace
nued were doing little nothing, and were gentlemen pre-
pared to give two major generals and four brgade gem
erals to help them in doing nothing For his own part he
believed that this Mexican already pretty much at
ends but If should turn out to be otherwise he still believed
that there could be necessity for these appointments
But while he thus far agreed with the gentleman from
Kentucky he utterly at loss conceive single pau-
sbe motive which that gentleman could possibly have for the
assault he had attempted to make upon the President He
declared with all honesty and sincerity, that he unable
to comprehend any possible ground motive for such
tack And, after all, what had he made of it He was vo-
lenty dissatisfied with the President. that plain hut for
what Because he had done nothing wrong to afford the
gentleman just grounds to him. The President it
seems had committed great offence because he had decar-
ed when the army thought to be in DANGER that General
Taylor had been clothed with authority make equisiton
on the Governors Of the neghborng Sates for militia
to his aid Was it not true, and had thereby the Pes
dent placed himself in position where the gentleman could
not justly assa him for the neglect of his duty Hence it
was that the gentleman was angry with him.
Mr. DAVIS here nterPosed to say that he had not blamed
the President for comforting General Taylor power call
militia his aid but for having him the number Of
troops which he had promised that he would send.
Mr.. HENLEY. Exactly. And what did all this amount
to- The President had promised to send Gen. Taylor four
thousand troops and because battle had happened the Rio
Gande than any expected and before the troops
had arrived there, the President guilty of breach Of
promise, and had been ready sacrifice his General The
President would please the gentleman from Kentucky
let him do what he woud and if the gentleman could found
open attack grounds msy these he needto
To he
jealous of his wife could make accusation of such
materials these Mr. III. party man, but when he
wanted to assa opponent he sought valid grounds
to do It than these He hoped he should be guilty Of
the folly of rashy commencing attack political adyer
sary without at least plausible pretext. Did that
gentleman know that previous to the seventh of last month";
we had been in the daily receipt of news from the army and
that neither the General body else had any expectation
that tight would have happened so soon Had not COL
orth arrived from the camp, having left it but the day be-
fore the action took place. and did not that officer declare here
openly that there not the least danger Supposng his
opinion right and attack had been made suppong
the enemy had remained the other side Of the river and the
President had sent large eocements the support Of Gen.
Taylor what SHOULD they have heard that from the gen
teman from Kentucky Would he have risen in his
place and proclaimed the House and the country the
reckless spirit IN which this Administration expended the pub
lie money when there the least necessity Tor
Would he not have told them how culpable il in Mr.
Polk to raise all these forces and send them Gen
Taylor when he in Of danger That Pre-
siden like that wholly unworthy Of the confidence Of the
American people, Such attack might have been made
with something of and decency than that which
the committee had just been listening.
Mr.. BRINKERHOFF here asked Mr.. HENLEY to yield
him the floor but
Mr. HENLEY refused, reminding him that he had once
before enreaed similar favor from Mr. who had per-
empory refused it, In House like that where there were
so many people, and SO few ways of paying debt the gen.
eman must really him if he ayaed himself Of this OPP
Portunity to square accounts. A laugh.
The gentleman from Kentucky the habit of rappng
his opponents pretty hard the knuckes but the pre-
sent OCCASION if there had been any point In his Speech
was wholly and entirely either above below Mr. HIS
pehenson He did frankly confess that he could neither
point in the speech motive for making it, But that might
probably be because the gentleman from Kentucky had
so far above Mr.. H 8 humble powers Of understanding.
The gentleman seemed jealous lest the laures Of General
Taylor should be transferred to the brow OF the President
Why had any attempted to pluck single leaf from the
wreath which that brave officer had earned Had any body
inmated such idea transferring the President the
credit Of Gen. Taylos victories Had Gen. Taylor chosen
the gentleman from Kentucky vindicae his honor Had
he constituted that gentleman the guardian Of his surels
Mr.. H. could not believe it, General Tayors fame needed
no guardian The glory of his victory needed
dictate it. His bravery and patriotism INDICATED themselves
Where them was the necessity that the gentleman from Ken
lucky should undertake be his defender when no man had
attacked him, thought OF such thing What possible
could he have for nnuaon base and ground
less as that the President enyous Of the weearned fame
OF his general No had he heard Of the victory than
he at brevetcd him major general What more could
he have done Did this look like envy Did this
II ne wished to transfer his auels the brow Of another
The more Mr. H. reflected upon the speech, the i'm
comprehensive did appear The motives Of the gentleman
bafed all attempts Of his TO understand them He hoped il
could not be that he wished TO get up feeling Of jealousy
between General Taylor and the President This general