Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1847-01-21

his nxperience II tins was The laet in.k me in.n
: wlo bad BIZ quarrel tustv cousd stand before me
word ana confend thAt be Wa three times armed
ke was ! match lor ibrec nsn who knew that
.,..r cn.,relI was snEast. There &as no fact
,rgrc tue Il, Holy WriEilnn fhi.- The personal
ezperiepcs Of rvefy Hzlb around him would attest
+ :. II ja.sice smile up1ss u. we ss.Da Cd
II p1.ropiy Il truth, 1uff tef teiee
n nsiasd alai~f iss. I,xn ssi.k ainiling tpEfif
AssI palrirsl arm, nc fsrr iile Go. "
sissald iiley, then be tod that those who. upon
thai ,or or where, limited their ski and abili
ties 10 prose to sise sFE that their country ene
.sies were engaged III an unjust war to array the
cause III their enemies IN the saeFed gzrb Of JUS
tice-tsy aing ar0nnd il The halo or Abe pure light
u ira;-;o invest il with the triple armor Of her
strsngth--.hon.d they be told that these men did
not lend said and com gsrt" 10 their coantrys enc
uises9 s. ouid they besiQ.d that such conduct as
ii Q sas net well calculated 70 dampen the zeal
a, d chill the areo heir coaaiTyis defenders
Sd rid they 10 70 that The speeches WHICH had
be uttered ID that House would u 1 be read in
Tie Mexican sm,,l And should the President Of
TIC United States be denounced because he had
expressed his opinion thai such conduct on the
part Of the people Of the nation was calculated to
aid and encourage the enemyl But be must
pause there loI one moment for the purpose Of
superior discretion which he had shown-they all
knew that discretion VAS the better part Of yalor
--he would congratulate him that be had shown
himself more discreet than some Of bis colleagues
and compeers upon that 6oor--ior he, having
armed the Mezicans three times--baving invested
them with the impenetSsble arms Of iustice--hay-
nq proved 10 lis own satisfaction that their cause
was inst, he very wisels-yery discreetly backed
out from any further battle, leaving all that had
been taken from them,i including the whole Of
Texas Bat many Of lbs friends were not quite
50 discreet. Much more chivalrous souls they
did not deem the paltry Mexicans worthy of.their
notice till they had three times armed them BY
lending them tile panoplg OF justice. They could
not i'r1w the sword in defence Of their own coun
Try Till they had produced to the world that they
were engaged in an unjust, an unholy cause
But for the world-for the whole worid-they
would not be considered as giving aid and encour-
agcment 10 the enemy; and they had even de-
nolnced the President because his opinion was
that this triple armor did lend 1aid and comfort"
to the enemy. But having taken this broad and
bold position, that the war was unjust and should
be continued no farther, he was really in hopes
that the gentleman from Ohio wonld have conde-
seconded to furnish them with some few proofs
going to sustain the broad position which he had
taken. lie (Mr. b. was not little astonished,
toS be informed that when he came TO write out his
speech he would thenquote authoritier. Now, he
was foolish enough TO suppose that il was some
times customary FOR gentlemen TO speak to the
committee with The hope Of influencing their leg
islation. He did not know that the gentleman
was speaking for the whole world, and for Mexico
in particular and that bis arguments and quota
tons in support Of them were meant for those who
read and not for those who were. permitted to
hear his speech. But he would examine some of
the positions taken by that gentleman, and by all
others on his side; for oqe speech would stand for
all Il had been sail aud reiterated that they
were much more ready 10 engage in battle with
Mexico than with their much more powerful ri
val--Great Britain. Bit what was the fact in
the case? How long did they forbear with that
most unreasonable, treaeherous country? How
long did they tender TO her the olive branch p
How long, in the spirit Of sisterly friendship did
they implore her to remain friends with them -
How long did they strive 10 obtain their just rights
without resorting to violSnce? When torn, dis
tracted, hnbecile, she found herself unable to
contend with the gallant sons Of Texas, reused to
madness by her own high acts Of tyranny and OPP
preston towards them. gould they not, then, with
the utmost ease have maae the quarrel Of Texas
their quarrel, and their quarrel hers O. Did they
do tl Did not this government, on the contrary,
positively refuse TO interfere in the matter -
Were not their laws on the subject in force -
Were not citizens prohibited from interfering
with the affairs OF TexasR And il many Of them
did rush 10 the standard Of Texas, it was not be-
cause this government winked at it, or in any
manner encouraged them. 1t was because il was
utterly impossible for the vigilance Of the laws 10
prevent it. II was because the sympathy of the
American people, with the cause Of freedom, was
beyond the control of laws eBut they could find
il very easy to settle matters with Great Britain
Il was much harder to go,to war with her. Was
there any force in that charge? Did Got the gen.
tleulan know thatit was untounded? When had
Great Britain ever dared u practise towards them
with ithpun,y such wrongs, insults, and outrages
as they had borne FROM Mexico2 When had
they ever refused to treat with them? When
had they yentured in the most unustifable man
ner 10 refuse TO receive tleir minister, sent on a
mission Of peace When was she ever suffered,
70 far as they were concerned, TO trample with
inpunity upon the laws Of nations, and 10 set at
defiance every rule Of civil authority for the gov
srnment Of the conduct osone nation with ano-
-her2 No; it was well kpown that If Great Bri-
ain, or the whole combiaed powers Of Europe,
iad dared to practice upon1a titlre of the wrongs
which they had suffered frbm Mexico the indig-
nation of an ontra sed people would net have been
'mothered half so long. But they were asked
lYer anil over again, whose territory was il that
was the cause Of this war7s Whose territory was
/, which extended from the Nueces 10 the r o
Br,vol Il had been proved over and over again
hat il b, longed TO them. The gentleman from
Ohio had prefer ded to quote authority on the sub
ect. lie could quote authority, too, IL any was
,ecessary. lie cou,d refer to such names as
MARSHALL, Madison, and piokney--all whose opin-
ons were recorded, an all Of whom understood
he question as web as the gentleman from Ohio
They insisted that i was theirs. tie knew, more
over, that Texas had ALWAYS claimed IT, He knew,
moreover, that Mexico had acknowledged the In,
dependence ,ot Texas. That is, Santa Anna,
whea.a prisoner Of war, did 50; Mexico never
bnf Santa Anna Al thar time Vas Mexco-San;a
Anna was the State Santa Anna Was the military
us1rper who overthrow the military government
and established his own govemment in Mexico.
Il wasa mere sibierfnge, then, TO say thai Next
70 id not acknowledge it.
But TOR the sake Enlargement, in proving that the
country was engaged in inst war, he cared not
Dnes straw wlssEor that disputed territory was
heirs Or Mrxico's. So farla right and wrong
were concerned, th4tEenestion was not worth
chew OF tobacco. Il was utterly worthless. For
hey knew that Mexico haddeciarel the annexa-
bon 81 fexes u be the cause OF the war. The
Mexicans had Sworn vengeance on that ground
,lone, and the question Of boundary was entirely
| remote one. But there was another question
which had caled forth much debate. Was this
o be . war Of G nqnestl lie answered, YES
rns;ng in heaven, and on Tic yalor Of their arms.