The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-12-24
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE
Personal EXPLANATION.


Personal EXPLANATION.
Mr. BARCLAY MARTIN begged and obtained the
indulgence O the House whilst he corrected an error in
the report of his remarks the other day in the National
heiigencsr lie incorrectly represented as having
made reference to Mr.. PETIT, which he regarded as
doing injustice TO that gentleman, who not in the
House al the time; and the reference was 10 another
member.
Mr. NORRIS asked the unanimous consent of the
House to introduce bill for the settlement OF the claims
OF New Hampshire against the United States.
Mr. COLLAMER objected
ADMISSION Of IOWA INTO THE UNION.
message was received from the Senate announcing
hat said house had passed the bill TO admit the State OF
Iowa into the Union
TERMINATION OF DEBATE.
The SPEAKER stated the first business in order TO be
the resolution submitted yesterday by the gentleman
from Pennsylvania MIR. {. J. lNGERsOLLl proposing to
terminate the debate upon the resolutions referring the
Presidents message at o'clock, p m, on this day. and
the amendment submitted thereto by the gentleman from
Georgia mir s. JoSEsl fixing the time Is minutes past
IL O'Clock, NJ instead OF O'clock, ?. IN.
motion was made to postpone the further consdera
ton OF the resolution until tomorrow. The question
upon which being put no quorum voted.
Tellers being demanded and ordered, Messrs BAR
RINGER and CODB appointed.
The teers reported 81 in the affirmative, and 80 in The
negative. SO the motion was adopted.
SUSPENSION OF RULES.
Mr. ROBERT SMITH moved that the rules be sus
pended in order to allow the States to be called for pc
ttions and resolutions not giving rise 10 debate and Civ
ing opportunity to submit notices of bills which mo-
ton was lost, only IS voting in the affirmative.
On motion of Mr.. RATHBuN the House resolved it.
self into Committee OF the Whole on the state OF the
Union, (blr BOYD in the Chair.)
THE WAR WIN MEXICO
The CHAIRMAN stated the business pending to be
the resolutions submitted by the gentleman from Penn
syvana mir BRoDHEADl referring the Presidents
sage To the several standing committees.
Mr. GORDON then addressed the committee He said
that he had sought the floor in that stage of the debate
more for the purpose OF making candid avowa OF his
opinions in regard to the and the questions connected
with it, than with the view OF entering upon any cabo-
rate argument the various points raised during the dis
Before proceeding, however, 10 that candid ex-
preston OF his opinions he begged leave to pay his re-
spects 10 the opposition party. They found the wing
party Of the country opposed 10 the prosecution of the
war in which the nation was now engaged against Mex
leo The orators and scrhes OF that party that House
and through the press denounced that war unjust and
aggressive
Mr., J. r. INGERSOLL, Permit me to make one re-
mark have always considered myself sea3fast al
hcrent Of the whiy party and | speak not only my own
Mr. GORDON. cannot allow the gentleman to make
a speech-(cries OF go on")
NIr. INGERSOLL-bu also the sentiments of-(cres
Of "order.")
The CHAIRMAN. Does the gentleman from New
York yield the floor!
Nj GORDON. Oh yes, certainly.
Mr. lNGERSoLL, say, then; that the wing party is
lC5es Of ,S00dI-',Eou back out at lastHO
exception to the general rule which have laid down.
Mi POLLOCK. Mr. Chairman, i
Mr.. GORDON. really cannot yield the floor
Mr. POLLOCk-Csul insisting 10 be heard)- Ionly-
The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from New York
has the floor.
Mir GORDON proceeded He repeated that the oppo
ston party generally that floor and throughout the
country were opposed to the prosecution of the in
which the nation was al that moment engaged. Those
that were not IN that category would day find their
position not very comfortable. They were engaged in
war with Mexico. Their army was in the enemy's
country winning battles and conquerng provinces Their
navy was at sea blockading the ports of Mexico and
sweeping her commerce-f commerce she had--fom the
The attention of the governments of Europe was
directed to that war, They were watching its progress
and anNiousy specializing on Its results.
Mr.. W. HUNT | beg to call the attention OF my col
league
Mr.. GORDON. cannot yield to these interruptions.
MIR. w HUNT still insisted on being heard.
The CHAIRMAN reminded the gentleman that the
member from New York had not yielded the floor.
Mr.. GORDON proceeded. The cabinets OF the Old
probable results of the only the results were
likely TO affect the business, and commerce. and the
tons OF the EARTH but they would bear upon the gene
raj progress and well -beIng OF free institutions amongst
men Such was the interesting crisis in their foreign
auons-such the interesting position OF the great
Of human liberty, itsef-when party in the United
States, represented on that floor found setting itself
up IN opposition to the war, and denouncing it with
the utmost vehemence aggressive and unjust the
part OF the United States. How did it happen,
he asked, that in every war in which the country
had been engaged from the revolution down, that
party had been opposed to the in which the country
happened to be engaged for the time being This
Of conduct had been uniformly pursued by that party
not only when the government engaged prosecuting
war, but even when, any OCCASION the foreign
ations of the United States assumed a threatening as
pect, the party found in the same attitude OF
hostility to their government. The Creek war-he
Seminole Wharf.-The Black Hawk war-every Indian war,
and every conflict with civilized nations, either in the
field or in the cabinet ha found resolute opponents in
that party. What was the cause OF such state of
things There must surely be some weighty al
The bottom of all that opposition. He utterly at
loss to explain otherwise the uniform result to which he
hal alluded He could hardly ascribe to the proseCu-
hon OF a game of party politics. He inclined
70 believe that the opposition animated by desire
This country now happily existed If he were mistaken
ii the opposition had other design than to carry on
paltry game OF party politics, they would be entitled to
Just about as much credit the gentleman who
played cards on Sunday. "a Taught The gentleman
rom Tennessee Mr.. GENTRY had used the following
language in his speech the other day: But the first
question Mr. g. desired TO ask was How did this war
come into existence? By whom had it been nader" How
he prosecuted, and how il might result, were
questions of no Importance, it seemed. 1t of
know how the war had begun-whether it begun by
he President of the United States, usupng authority, or
BY the Congress of the United States having power TO
leclare He (Mr. g. would answer the gentleman
hat the begun by neither the Congress of the
United States nor the Executive, but by Mexico herself
The gentleman from Tennessee himself had borne
testimony before the world to that very fact of the
OF the war by Mexico. On the 18th of
May last, bill passed in which it declared
hat this begun by the act OF Mexico, and
voting supplies for its prosecution. Did not the gentle
man vote for that BILL preamble and all Certainly he
fourteen voting against it; and il passed the Senate al
most by unanimous vote-he believed there were but