The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-10-12
CITY OF WASHINGTON.
TUESDAY NIGHT, OCT. la, 1s47.
MIR. Webster and his late Mexican Speech,
Mt SpriuYfield.


at Springfield.
1t has been the custom of Mr.. Webster of ate upon
the eve of the assembling of Congress- issue his annu
al message to his followers setting forth his peculiar
views of public and policy, and indicating 10
them the course which they are expected to pursue
year ago, Philadelphia the scene of his operations
and his hearers the subjects of his late uear deity the
Bank of the United States Recently, he has delivered
himself of his annual datrbe against the administration,
at the federal convention Springfield, in his own State,
and to his own immediate followers and worshppers
How happens il that Mr. Webster deems ii his duty to
promulgate his views in this formal manner every year,
in advance OF the message of the President of the United
States In his aspirations for that high place, does he
committee great error of forgetting that he is Daniel Web
ster and of imagining himself to be the President, and,
therefore, bound by the constitution, OF which he affects
be par excellence the expounder, TO issue his annual
message upon public affairs Or does this idol of federal
ism, mstakng the incense OF his aerers for sober fact
ieude himself with the belief that he is agod and there
fore bound to vouchsae to us, citizens of the Uni
| ted States benighed and stupid mortals, the reve-
lations of his "godke" intellect that may perchance
learn how blind and abect are, and therefore trust
ourselves to his benecent guardianship and protection
Or, finally, is Mr. Webster obligated, consideration of
upon him by the manufacturers and merchants of Bos-
ton, to issue his annual pronunciamento against the
President of the United States, in the form of speech,
in which perversons of facts, clubbing sophisy, and
vulgar witticisms struggle for the mastery!
But we will not hunt farther for the motive. IT is
sufficient that we have the speech and to that agree
ably to the promise which we few days since made
to our readers, we will particularly turn our attention
.r, L,, haa,
consistent in his hostility to the cause of has own country
when engaged in quarrel or war with foreign ene-
NV and has never failed to "adhere" to the OF
the latter, giving all the "ad and comfort" in his
power, short of covert acts" it would a matter
of course be expected that in his late speech, the
Mexican war would be the topic of discussion, and
that the cause of his country would be mlsrep-
resented vilifed and condemned, and that OF Mex
leo paated, justified, and supported. And in this
expectation the reader will not be disappointed. The
speech is studied and elaborate attempt to convict
the government of his country OF all the wrong IN
voved in the and occasion of the present war with
Mexico; and equally studied and elaborate vindica-
ton and apology for the miserable and perfdous govern
ment of that country. Again we repeat, that such
course on the part of who began his political ca
ee by similar acts OF moral treason in the late war with
Englandwho was the tratorous apoogist of France in
controversy with that power in reference to the In
demnyand who to perfect his treason had but one step
more to take Gas John Quincy Adams justly sad) and
that to join the enemy-who has been the advocate
of every petty tribe of Indians whom became necessa
y chastise for their barbares inflicted on our frontier
settlements-and who bartered away portion of the
State of Maine to Great Britain, rival in commerce
and in power we say, that is not remarkable, nor UNI
Expected, that such man should side with Mexico
against his own country in the controversy between them
But while freely admit Mr.. Websers adherence to
the of our coutrys enemy and leave him to all the
applause or all the odium which his Mexican afipes
and predictions may to him, we feel bound to
pe the calumnous assaults which he has presumed TO
make against the President and the administration for the
course which the latter have deemed it their duty to pur
sue in reference to the contemplate naton-contempt
ble as he himself adms-whose and interests he
has so naturally taken under his and protection
And in doing what consider duty in this respect
we shall deal with the perversons and sophises of Mr.
Webster with the blunt severity which their eckessness
and audacity seem to merit and to justify We shall call
things by their right names, and do best sgmatise
Mr. Webster as he deserves to be stgmased for his mis-
representations his perversions of fact his sophisries
his caumnies upon the government of his country
and his tratoous adherence to the of his counys
enemy.
Mr. Webster commences by denouncing the war with
Mexico as unnecessary and "unus,fable' and be-
ing ga war founded on pretexts''a war of pretexts;
and he proceeds to state specifically what those spre-
| texts" are.
That we may do Mr.. Webster injustice, we will
quote his own language. He says:
hi all un[ou n1ad
which this has been justified in various modes and
various occasions. The President Of the United States
in his message of May, 1885, puts the upon the
fact the Mexican government have invaded the terri
tory of United States and shed American blood upon
American soil Now, in my Judgment, this is the
The President of the United States had ordered the army
of the United States early January, 1885,
yond what Mexico acknowledged be the boundary of
Texas and place itself upon the Rio Grande Arriving
there blood shed upon the left bank othe Rio Gande
United States but which Congress had recognised
Mexico ITSELF and was, the time, in the actual posses
sion of Mexico The favorable presentmen there
FORE is this. we having claim TO territory of which
party in possession, marched army into it
to take possession. Is that upon side1
opinion therefore, that the declaration in the message
the 18th of May, 1885, upon which the of Congress of
the 18th was basedthe declaration that existed by
the act of Mediterranean be made correctly by
evidence in point of fact. If so, it was pretext."
Thus the shedding Of American blood upon Ameri-
can soil" is, according to Mr.. Webster the first preext
on which the war with Mexico is sought to be justified