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

uncuon' tlOsullues, such as ueleisFo oPeio'""si
did not amount TO war Reprsss were not war UNI
less general Measures of defence were not war.
However, he did not make these remarks with q
view 10 PREJUDICE this great question whether there
was or was not war All he desired, he had said
gain and again, 10 obtain time for elaboration
on tina, question, and the man who voted with him
did not affirm that there was not war. In order TO
ascertain the sense Of the Senate he would move TO
strike out the words prosecute said war to
speedy and successful ISSUE" and make It read
THAT for the purpose Of enabling the government OF
the United States TO repe the invasion the President
Is hereby" &c. fthat motion successful, ne
would follow It up by another, 80 as to make the
Several SENATORS. "Move to strike out the pre-
amble."
Mr. CLAYTON The President says that is not
IN order.
Mr.. CALHOUN asked a second reading Of the
amendment.
MIR. BREEsE called for the yeas and nays; the
call was seconded and they were ordered.
The question was about to he taken on the
amendment, when
Mr.. CALHOUN rose and said that he now APP
Deaed to the Senate if there a man who could
believe upon the only document which they had
how authentic he knew not-that there existed war
between The TWO countries War must be made by
the sovereign authority. The President Of Mexico
could nat make war. IL could only be done by the
TWO countries Even If the two Presidents had de-
cIared war, the nations could disayow the act; and
he called on the Senate TO reflect upon the position
IN which they would be placed in case they made
declaration of war, and in due course OF time there
should come "A dlsavowal on the part of Mexico
lie would much rather that the senator from Della
Ware had divided his motion, and made the propo-
slton first on striking out and 80 put II to the
country and 70 the Of truth entertained by
every ~, mN'r Of The body.
Mr.. not ION then rose and said, that he did
not r M the of the Senate; nut
ne rose sIuply for The purpose OF expressing ms
apprrOcis ~ relation To their position with
rrgtrl {, Mpxco. lie contended that they were
actually IN stale Of war; that war had virtually
EXISTED Tor ten years between Mexico and Texas;
'hr TrNur had been annexed IN the face OF decla-
.irpu @. the part OF Mexico that she would re.
gu-I II a, an oct Of war The United States IN an
n.,vIng Texas had assumed the responsibility tina
tcvo,ycI Jpou Texas antecodent TO that event u
..es rrIy JOB 1crordance with the Iong-cOntnued
declarations Of Mexico that the recent outrages had
been crumIDr,I upon the troops OF the United
: ,as. and upon that territory from which Mexico
bad ms ,nuy ordered the citizens Of Texas as IN
3 rlrr5 nud rebels. The United States, he argued,
uOw occupied towards Mexico precisely the same
attitude winch the State of Texas had maintained
for the last years. On his conscience he could
IJ, resist the conviction that war actually existed
lie then wen, to point out the folly and danger
Of deluy,ng proper action ull the question Us to
formal de-, larllon of should be decided. lha'
might be discussed for months IN that chamber,
whilst thcr troops, exposed TO all the rlgors OF
southern climate, were doomed TO inactivity, and
daily wasting away. He eoquenty commended
that Mexico should be chastsed at once for her out
RACES and nsOlencC and showed that Mexico had no
right 70 the territory this side of the Rio Grande-
that she held no post on it-and that the invasion
was evidently sanctioned by the Mexican govern
ment-R government against whose dlshonorabe
course and habual deception, he warned the Senate.
IL al not I'd tho Mexiran O
systematic political organization at all. Were they
t. wait for the action of that government as
though 1t were regularly constituted? Not at all.
The Mexican people were kind, generous, and
hospItaOc, but they were ruled with rod Of iron
Iv a set Of lyrants, brlgands, usurpers, and land
pirates. THIS people, If left to themselves, would
never desire nor 20 to war with this country. The
men that brought into the field against the Uni
ted States would rather stay at home, and was no
they but thelr drivers, who had offered insult to
American citizens, and indlgnity to the American
lag. The MeXicans, them had committed aggres-
SION under order of their rulers, and, he would ask
II IT, yhad not produced state of things in which war
la perfectly existing il would be after its de-
.r,ton by that honorable body The declaration
Eexas Of war was clear and emphatic, and her
acton was correspondents and the question now was,
whether thc Senate Of the United States would sus-
tain them. He did not wish to waste the time of
the Senate but he could not omit giving his opEion
that war existed. He would vote for the bill.
Mr., MANGUM arose and said, the evidence
given 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
Ivy senator's, in the debates which occurred in the
second session Of the Congress of the United States;
and it seemed not to be the idea of those who held
political power in this country now 1t would be
reCoIIected well, that in the discussions on the Texas
question, there was nothing which seemed in the
opinion of that body as much to be
pudated and stunned, as the most distant posslbii
~ Of this country being involved in war through
annexation And he apprehended, it was not the
opinion Of the Mexican government. He thought
the proclamation which had been translated by the
honorable senator from Missouri Mr.. BENTON Was
conclusive on the point. Did not the head Of the
Mexican government assume that there was peace
between the two countries lie disclaimed the
power Of the executive head to put Mexico
into state Of war with the United States,
ard refers to the assembling of Congress as that
period when war was to be declared. With the
v"ws of the Senate, then, he had offered those Of
the Mexican government, to which might be added
the opnlcns Of the 'his hest political characters in
ia" nation, that war had not existed by virtue OF
tAo-c acts Of hostility committed on the Rio Grandr
The question. then, was reduced TO the inquiry,
whether, from the existence of that state of hostll
,ucs, ms far they had evidence Of it, they
a. admit the existence Of state Of war. There
was no need Of repeating that war was the emana-
ton Of the will Of the sovereign power. He would
thank the chairman of the Committee on Foreign
Relations to say what document for he, OF course,
had read them ally was the evidence contained thai
the sovereign power of Mexico had assented to
state IT wnr. If there was any such evidence,
he Mr.. VI was uniformed Of it. But he had
arisen for hrpurPosc of asking his friend from Della
ware to Withdraw his motion to strike out and in
scrt, because IN that form the question indivi-
sible; bat if il drawn in the form ito strike
out, the modification might be in any form to suit
thr sense Of the Senate. And he was frank enough
90 gay, thar although utterly repugnant to the
Thought f considering the country in state of war,
yet he Wa prepared, if it were thought expedient,
that the Exec i've should determine the question:;
and If MoNI"n should make no denial by the Mex
Iran government Of state Of war--that the Ex-
ncuuvc should art in that state Of things, and not
roUhne tie American troops the left bank of the
n" Grlrde. ne knew the inefficieney Of an army
'odor such circumstances. But suppose there should
uc Il d,"lvowal Of what has occurred by the Mex
l"on government IN what a predicament should
ihov pInr" themselves by recognising the existence
of wnr roV, which would be to all intents and pur-
poses declaration Of war. But if such state of
things ne the want Of a dlsavowal by Mexico or q