Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1847-02-11


sonaly, would take concern in it. l only asked
the President to make known the name intended for
the place to the members Of Congress- that all obec
tons to the officer well the office, should be
open to full inquiry. | forbade my friends to say
word on my account. | would not say word for
my SELF l would not even obviae prominent objec-
ton by reminding any that, in 1912, | was the
military superior Of every general now in the service,
and had right TO have commanded the whole of them
If we had CHANGED to serve together. | was then
colonel in the service of the United States commits
stoned by President Madison under law of Congress,
and led regiment of my own raising from Tennes-
see to the lower Mississippi, under General Jackson,
to meet the British then expected at New Orleans but
who did not come till 1914. L was then OF rank,
and In a position, to have commanded, If we had
met, every general service. Even in the reg
uar army, in 1913, was lieutenant colonel while
most Of the present generals company officers,
and only one of them of the rank of colonel. Yet
scorned to mention these things to bosom friends,
while the was depending, and only do it now
for the purpose of rescuing the President from the
supposed breach of military decorum which the ap-
pointmen of citizen from civil life myself being
that citzen) to the command of the army Finally,
and to conclude the vindicatlon of the President IN
this particular, say that Mr.. Polk Is not the first
President who proposed to give me the command of
the army against Mexico-ihat Gen. Jackson himself
proposed ii in 1886, when our affairs with that
try looked warlike and that then, now, agreed
to take it, And here, Mr.. President, having fulfilled
my task of vndicating the Chief Magistrate of the
Union from the design, alphabetically imputed to
him, OF wishing to appoint his successor, IN my per-
son. and by means of this Lieutenant generalship,
might close my remarks: but my name has been
coupled with this business, and as have remained
SILENT and left my seat, while the measure was
depending must now take leave, with the kind In
diligence of the Senate, to proceed step further and
to say word on my account; and to show that
nd not rrt NV nd n nc
the offer OF the President; and that there might have
been cases in which | would not have accepted the
Office of Lieutenant general if it had been
ted. l have already said that | will not now show
what my own plan was but | can say Of 1t that 1t
was plan which looked to q result, and promised
issue, and that briefly; and that would have had
nothing to do with any plan of any other kind no
thing to do with any plan that contemplated a long
and moderate war, a of mastery inactivity,
of retreat upon the Rio Grande, or Of defending a
line, of attack upon the idle and solitary castle OF
San Juan of Uloa-especially at the commencement
OF the for the black vomit In no one OF these
would have been lieutenant general, captain
general, major general colonel general, or any
other sort of general that ever was heard Of know
very well that the President had no idea of any one
these most amable plans; but there is way to give
him an idea of them, and even to force them upon
him. and that would be, by the simple process of de-
nyng him the means of doing anything else. shall
not state my plan; but will say of 1t that, besides
intending result, it proposed to carry on the war,
while there was war, according TO the usage of all
nations in the of invasive war-the invaders to
be paid and subsisted by the invaded. Contributions
regularly levied-duties regularly collected-would
accomplish these Objects and leave the United States
Free nearly free, from the expenses of the war.
can say, further, that my plan was not limited to
mere military view of the subject; that IT cOmpre-
hended union Of policy and of arms-the olive branch
to 60 with the sword; ministers to treat, as well as
an army to fight. A diplomatic mission, nationally
constituted both in a geographical and in political
sense was to attend the headquarters; and, while the
ministers stood ready to negotiate at every step, the
army 10 take organization and an attitude to
give emphasis to negotiation. And this combination
of arms and of policy was not mere guess-work, the
the idle conception OF fancy; but the result OF a
knowledge of tie state of parties in Mexco-a peace
party, for honorable peace; war party, Tor endless
war-as LUMINOSITY shown by the Senator
from New York Mr.. Dix few days ago. My plan
adapted to both of these partles-honorabep peace
for one the sword for the other. The military part
of the plan has fallen to the ground; the diplomatic
part falls with it and 1t devolves upon those who
have frustrated the plan of the President to present
him better. / counted much on the efficacy Of the
diplomatic part of this plan for great prevail
in Mexico with regard to designs and feelings
towards them, and which nothing but authentic
mission could remove The war party is incessant
in its calumnes against U.S. arfully contrved to ope
rate every class Of the people, and to render peace
impossible. 1t has falSehoOd for every class. To the
religious orders the war is represented a of
rellgIon-the Protestant against the Cathoic-and q
war of sacrilege-the spoliation Of the churches To
the Creole Spanards and the Indians of mixed blood
they present it as of races-the Anglo-Saxon
against the Spanish American-and the sublugation
the latter intended. To the unmixed Indian race,
(nearly onehaf of the whole population, and the sole
resource of the army for its rank and e it is pre-
scented a war Of extinction, or of slavery-their
race to be extirpated, like so many tribes in our
North America or, to be carried into slavery to work
the fields of their masters, like the slaves brought
from Africa And to ALL it is presented as war of
ambition and of conquest, in which there no peace
for Mexico but in the degradation of her citizens and
the loss of her independence. A mission, such
proposed would automatically contradict all these cal
umnies and show the deceived people Of Mexico that
just and honorable peace is all that we want; and
that, far from wishing her degradation, both policy
and interest unite in making wish TO see her pros
porous, happy, and independent. She is republic
our neighbor-who did US the honor to copy our form
of government, and had great commerce with u.s.
The injuries of which complain were the work OF
few, while the great majority of the people have
done no harm, are willing to do US justice, and
recprocate the wish for that close connexon political
and commercial, between the two republics which Is
necessary to their prosperity to the stability Of
the republican system in all the Spanish American
States and to the complete independence of the New
World from the Old. | counted much on the efficacy
of the diplomatic part of the plan and less the
military part, if the other failed OF this can say
nothing but that it was not framed in total ignorance
of Mexican character, Mexican country, and Mexican
resources. Forty years ago studied Humboldt, and
did not overlook his chapter on the military defences
of the country, and especially his imposing develop
ment Of the great elements of defence with which
Nature had endowed her; the dangers of the coas
when the north wind blowing-the black vomi
when it was not-and the deep defles of volcanic
monntains. Tie nlan nav have been family. but i