The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-12-01
WEDNESDAY, NIGHT, DEC. 1, 1877.


of the United States.
Some months ago, when the wings in and out of Con.
ess assumed the position that our armies ought at once
be withdrawn in failure and discontinue to the east
bank of the Rio Grande we proclaimed to the country
that the wing party, in taking this ground before our
enemies and before the world had made itself the party
Of OUR NATIONAL HUMILIATION AND DISGRACE. If any
doubt of this could then exist it is removed by Mr.
Claws recent speech and resolutions which charge upon
the people Of this country tie aroeious guilt and dis
honor Of an unnecessary scar Of offensive aggres
SION produced by their President. and recognised ana
made national by their Congress solemnly uoiiag
IN us recognition, Nth great unanimity, a palpa
Die talsehood! If this deliberate accusation put forth
in terms by Mr.. Clay in behalf of his party, be true
and can be sustained by the sufrages OF the Ameri
people, then must every American citizen hang his
head in shame the acknowledged degradation and
Jamy Of his country, IT, on the other hand the accu-
aton be false and at war with the settled conviction of
this nation what terms can adequately describe the un
peakable political turptude of those party leaders who
for the worst purposes OF faction, have put forth and
sanctioned the caumnous charge, and are now rallyng
their followers to sustain il by their voesand that too
while the still continues and infatuated public
enemy makes this very accusation his petex for prolong
ing all its evils and horrorsi
Holding this issue, raised by Mr.. Clay between the
two parties to be thus ua in its character we deem ii
our duty to keep before readers the entire argument
upon which Mr. Clay susans his charge against his gov
eminent and country. 1t is as follows:
But Notwithstanding state of virtual war necessarily
resulted from the fact of of of the beligerent
the United Sates actual hosties haze been prob
- L,.~
Genera Taylor had been permitted remain where his
good prompted him to believe he ought to re-
main, at the point of Corpus Christi, and negotiation
had been opened cih erico spirit of anity and
conation, war possibly might hare been prevented But
instead of this pacific and moderate course, ,chst Mr.
SdA ceading his vay Merico ch his diplomatic
credentials, Gen Taylor ordered transport his can
and to plant hem in warlike attitude, opposite to
the bank of the Rio Bravo, within the
very disputed territory the adjustment of which was to be
the object of MIR Slide's mission What else could have
uanspired but conflict of arms
Ii is difficult to understand how Mr. Clay could have
been prevailed to rest his caumnious accusation
hat our government produced the war by refusing to
open negotiations with Mexico in spirit of amity and
conciliaton We have already shown, by the record,
that from the 10th of March, 1885, when the adminisa-
lion, then just placed in power, addressed its first official
note 10 the Mexican minister at Washington, giving him
he of the President that our mos strenuous
Efforts shall be devoted to the amicabe adjustment of
very cause of complaint between the two governments
md to the cultivation of the kndest and most friendly
relations between the sister republication this time
Town the 18th of March, 1916, when the final repulse
}, Mr. Sldel by the administration of Paroles was off
Tally communicated to him in note OF that date affirm
that III r,do ,c
lon Of Texas had been from the first "a case of war;
,uting all further negotiation out of the question during
his period of an entire year, government had been
most seduously engaged in persuadng Mexico not ac
ep but only to hear propositions for peaceful ad
usment of all difficulties between the twonatons The
fort was utterly frutless Mexico-even after having
oemny promised to receive our minister with full pow
to settle the matters in dispute not be prevail
on either to propose any terms herself or to hear any
ropostons of ours The President, in his annual
age of December sth, 1916, summed up the case with
he most conclusive force and with the most exact TRUTH
ghen he sad 81 am not aware that modern history pre-
refsed even to hear propositions from another for ter
mating eristins difficulties betpeen them" Indeed, so
holly absurd is this position of Mr. Clay, that our govern
ent was unwilling to negotiate ina conciliaory spirit, that
this very speech he avows--inaccurately indeed, but
it'll what degree of accuracy is not the question
himself avows, in terms that in last unsuccessful
equations, opened by Mr. Tris when the city of Mex
% was at our mercy, "the Executive properly waived
ny demand of indemnity for the expenses of the war
nd the rupture OF that negotiation produced by our
insisting upon cesson from Mexico of the
rip OF mostly barren land between the Nueces and the
10 Bravo, and New Mexico, which Mexico refused to
AXE" And yet, while enormously avowing that ,pe
rs quitoatmed all indemnity for The tcar in negotiation
hlch by eighteen months OF hard fighting we at last
rced Mexico to open with to save her capital, Mr.
lay IN the speech hurls in the face of his country
ne iouest national reproach and shame, and offers for
roof his assertion that produced the By refusing
lay, then, regard what he is pleased to consider our
utea'ms Of indemnity for the sufficient evidence
coneatatory SPIRIT in negotiations7 He seems
OF to be satisfied with contradctng the most notorious
acts OF public record, in attempting sustain his calum
'ous charges against his country; he must even 90 the
lihonal length OF contradicting himself!
But Mr. Clay, in the above passage of his Speech cites
General Iaylors "gool sense" disappearing of the |
ler OF the 18th of January, directing him to advance to
he Rio Grande if General Taylor had regarded that
'ler Tor his advance step part likely TO IN
gefe ict negotiations to break them Off II is in
as point OF view alone that Mr. Clay has permitted him
I'll 10 aihrm the gross and glazing untruh that the
uer TO Gen. Taylor issued before Mr. Slide reach
Mexco-when, in fact, Mr. Slide had been in Mexico
Ill lceeks before the order xras ssuoJ Nou so Ga,