The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-12-16

had poured out upon ulosc VIM
T and thew thought they would sneak out Oh me con
seousnces BY voting for the war; and now tla liieS
,bddngh they had made little head way, they alemptsu
70 crawl out OF the responsibility BY heaplng All on me
pp;dsntl II would not do Ii might be very ialr
Marty movement but how did II look IN the eyes Oh non
ppi men and OF the world Suppose the opponents oil
the war succeeded IN proving tha lne AlheI
and executive had commenced and carried on an urghte-
ons and unholy war against negborlhg republic
Wbat Kind OF attitude would the country assume in the
Ewes The world Did they want to disgrace Their coun-
eye eye The fact was he Ar did not believe that gem
tsmen were as patriotic they pretended to be; IN
other words, he did not believe that they really regarded
the war wrong. They knew better; Inc evidences
were clear and conclusive, and poweruj and he would
moi he guilty of the egTegious folly OF attempting to
make out the case clearly than II had been made
Out already. All knew that the war had been forced
ment had borne insults and outrages from Mexico longer
than would ever have been submitted TO from any other
government nation. Had England or rance, or any
other respectable government treated them with such
conhmey as had been manifested BY the Mexican gov
ernment long since the honor OF the country would
have been yndcated But Mexlco was feeble govern
ment distracted and rent by internal feuds and dissen-
s;ons, besides il Appropriated TO republican form,
and excited their sympathles. Hence II was that the
United States government bore WIN It's insults and out
rages till fobearance ceased to be virtue; Mexico
TOOK advantage of that forbearance, and made an on
sIaught on the American people on their own soil The
United States was thus driven 10 me wal; National
dshonor. or a prompt punishment OF the offender,
The only alternative But all that gentlemen knew well
enough He would tell what was the secret; he would
speak plain The American people knew that the gen
tiemen opposite believed that the war was right, but
Wishing 10 get the government into their own hands, they
endeayored 10 make il the point OF attack on
the President of the United States. That was the
whole secret OF their opposition. Wherefore II
that they denounced IN the present chief magistrate
what they would be very ready to Justify and applaud in
President OF their own choice Was that not the fact
Whatwas the complaint against the President OF the
United States' What was the grlevous charge against
him? A usurpaton OF power! WelE he (Dlr NJ would
let out a secret that head. The truth was, that the
~ fhax
and success than the gentlemen opposite expected He
yenred 10 say that il the President had failed TO prose-
cute the war with yigof he had conducted in such
manner as would have lost territory instead OF gaining
IT, the gentlemen opposite would have been in much bet
Ter humor that day. IA taught But what was the
President to dol Did not Congress direct him to carry
on the war; Did not Congress put men and munitions oil
war in his hands, and order him TO carry the
their Executive What was he, then, to dol Did they
complain that he had taken possession OF California and
New Mexico! No But they complained that the Pres
dent held to the terroyl Did they want him. then
10 oyerun and desert the country fast as he gained
possession Of it, Were they willing to have this war
carried on but unwilling that the provinces thus acquired
should be retained' II was all patry bubble. The
smallest scker for constitutional right could hardly be
excused in fastening the miserable point that gentle
men attempted make The President had assumed no
authority beyond that granted by the constitution OF the
United States. He (Alr n had been surprised 10 OBJ
serve member representing slave district Mr. GEN
TRY attempting to cast irebrand into the discussion
That gentleman had said that II was all very we'll
let them keep the territory, but when they got it they
would go qurelling about il like two dogs over their
prev What put that into his head The wish was
father to the thought! That gentleman imagined that
the great democratic party would not be stopped in its
career unless he flung that eband in their midst before
the time came. But the gentleman reckoned without
his host lie did not understand the great bond OF Sc
curity which kept the democratic party together Judg
ing Of the OF division which operated so poten
tally in his party, the gentleman supposed that
such a contemplate thing that would disturb the
harmony Of the great democratic party But that party
held together BY the great principles OF freedom and
10
tleman that there who wished TO break up the
Union Did he desire such state of things Such
desire wherever entertained was far from contamination
and why! All the politicians, whig and democratic,
might unite in that effort, but they would fail The peo
pie knew the value of the Union and he who raised
against it parricidal hand would be overwhelmed by
the Indignation of the people He (Mr. k.) not GO
ing TO vndcae everything that had been said or done
by the President. He cared for the President
Individually than he did for any other person who had
treated him genteelly and who entitled to respect
But he al the head of the executive of the nation,
and he (Mr NJ hoped that he would be preserved
from the modification to himself of denouncing such an
exalted officer Of the government rs iar-as an indl-
vdual in whom no confidence was to be placed, and
whose words were not to be believed He would say
this however, that If the President of the United States
had neglected to have moved forward the army IN view
OF the circumstances which surrounded them when the
advance OF the troops ordered to the left bank of
the Rio Grande, he would have regarded that officer OF
the government as liable to impeachment; and he be-
eved that he would have been mpeached by the oppo-
ston The truth was they had adopted Texas into the
Union: twas a Legislative act and he tMr. k) was
going out of the way to argue that question over
again. II was settled by the American people. BY their
legislative act, they admitted Texas into the Union 1t
also true that her boundaries were not very
clearly defined Not having had any political connexon
with Texas the government OF the United States did not
know exactly what those boundaries were, and 1T
served to itself the right OF an investigation OF the whole
matter Texas magnanimously gave that right What did
the Executive then do' In pursuance OF the agreement
to which he had just alluded the Executive of the Uni
ted States proposed settlement OF the open boundary
question with Mexico by negotiation. Mexico refused
to receive their minister, and in various ways declared
that she intended to settle the matter by the sword, and
designed to conquer Texas 1t said that the Pres
dent should have stopped at the Nueces-that that was
the boundary Now, did any Of the acts Of Texas re-
cognise that as the boundary Not one. What right,
them had the Executive to step there twas true, to
be sure, thaa very distinguished senator Mr. BENToN
took that view of the boundary but his opinion would
hardly have been taken justification of the Execu-
on had he recognised that the boundary and failed IN
the full discharge of his duty The Executive was bound
10 regard the acts of Texas herself prd ace evidence
Of the boundary. So much that point But the re-
he MR. X wished to address few words. They had
great regard for Mexican blood. Well let them allow
him to say that he entertained great horror as they
did OF and bloodshed He raised amongst that
good old secthe Quakers; but he confessed he never
could 20 the non-resstance doctrine chap once, IN
his schooboy days. tried his faith in the maxim Of CIV
ing his cheek the sniter, but he inclined to be-
eve that he (Mr. Ky whipped him out OF any desire to
repeat that experiment. IA laughl Who-who, he
asked were, indeed responsible for the blood which had
been shed in this war; These religious gentlemen were
the men! II was their speeches-ther eyhorations--
their denuncatons professions OF the opposition
OF the American people TO the maintenance OF the Texan
boundary against Mexico, which had induced that
miserable and besoel nation 10 suppose thai war Tor
the vmdcaton of the honor Of the United States and for