The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-02-23


Tor one year, yet was merely practice and was not re-
CURED BY any constitutional restriction And with seven
years Parliament, he asked, il the people OF England
would be safer II their appropriations restricted TO
yearif they would beeaer'than the American people
with biennial Congress, with appropriations which
not 10 extend beyond year-in which case the
appropriations must every wear be submitted to the discus
sions OF the people Here the honorable gentleman
caused the clerk read passage from the 4ls No OF
the Federas in support of his position He also read
several extracts from the Madison Papers, pages
49i and i95, upon the point IN question These papers,
he argued gave power, mem con TO make appropriations
for two years, without any reference whatever TO the
length OF time that they were in session, and human
ingenuity could curta the period 80 that the bill was
for two years from that day. II would be strictly within
the limits OF the constitutions but as he had attempted to
show, II made the appropriation for year only but
the gentleman from Massachusetts had SAID That the
| bill making those annual appropriations to continue
! till 1885, would have the effect of empowering
the President 10 go on with his schemes OF
conquest, laying waste territory, pllaglng 1t, &c
Well, 1t was true that the appropriations would enable
the President TO prosecute the war; and he would ask
whether any gentleman there elsewhere was prepared
TO maintain that the legislative power could interfere at
| all in the prosecution OF the Now, after war had
been declared and the Executive had been author
lied TO carry on the Executive, and the Executive
alone, intrrsted with the power to conduct 1t; and
any attempt the part OF Congress TO designate the mode
IN which should be conducted-the manner IN which
the army should be empoyed-whai portion OF the enc
mys country 10 be oyerrun, 10 what position the
army should be Withdrawn, usurpaton OF Exc
cutve power-an encroachment upon the power oil the
President and upon the constitutional authority Would
gentlemen, them do the injustice TO hold the President
responsible Tor the and glory OF their arms war;
and then undertake TO control the Executive power Tins
was no question II was agitated IN the convention
which framed the constitution, whether Congress should
have power to make war and that was the ground which
was originally taken by the trainers OF the constitution;
but afterwards decided that the President alone
should be inlrusted with the prosecution of the
Congress, then, had power only declare and to
furnish supplies. The President, communicating chief
OF the army and navy, 10 prosecute the war IN ac
cordance with constitutional authority, and IN accord
with the established and principles OF inter-
national law Again: he would beg leave to refer the
gentleman TO the third volume OF the Madison Papers,
page 35l, showing the contest which arose at that time
on this point Here Mr. d. read the passage to which
he aluded This, he contended, showed concluslYely
that the province to declare vested solely IN
Congress, and that after It's declaration the prosecution
OF it ntrused solely 10 the Executive. He, COM
mander chief vested with that authority and was
responsbe 10 the country for the manner IN winch he
conducted IT, And the pretence OF not acquiring territory
and every other preence but preeX Tor interfering
with the legitimate functions OF the presdent-an attempt
TO interfere with his proper rghan interference which
would impede the progress OF their armies and delay the
termination OF the And let him remark, the very same
gentleman who had thus endeavored to interfere egsla
lively with the proper functions OF the Executive would
be the first to out and take SIDES against MN Tor
any misfortune which might chance 10 occurs the rst to
proclaim that he had not shown all due discretion and
sagacity arranging the army and prosecuting the war
So long, them the did exist, and so long as men
and money were TO be gwen Tor lis prosecutor they
to look TO the Executive alone for that prosecution
The President in his message the commencement oil the
session. had enumerated all the various causes OF grew
ance and complaint against MeXco-al those consdea-
tons which justified him the prosecution Of the war
Il perfectly proper that he should do So 1t was right
that he should detail 10 them, al the commencement OF
Congress- what their relations with MeXco--whaf
was the wrong OF which they compalned-and what was
the redress which they oughto seek and procure He did
not consider altogether and strlcy,whn their province
10 declare particularly how that ought TO be prosecutor
Just where the blow should be struck-what part OF the
enemys country should be overrunrom what parts the
army should Be withdrawn Those considerations pc, Pc
n va ntItp lie
people, however and speaking 10 the people OF his own
district he then ready 10 declare that the war ought 10
be prosecuted with renewed energy and vgorhaht no
hating or halfway measures would ever secure mem
peace with the people OF Mexico They must proceed 10
convince Mexico OF their ability to redress their grew
ances; they must go TO convince her OF their power
10 conquer-to subdue her. and if she should come
10 her Senses and be ready make peace they ought 70
be really to meet her in spirit OF magnanimy, and with
desire TO cement firmly the friendship which that peace
might establish. But, said gentlemen, they ought to
make with their appropriations declaration that they
did not mean 10 conquer or TO dismember Mexico Aye
that indeed wise policy Gentlemen would ap-
propriae millions upon millions support the soldiers
and couple with declaration that they did not mean TO
dismember the Mexican republic Why, IN what an at
titude gentlemen placed who maintained that posi-
ton They placed in the attitude OF sanchonlns
useessa proigate expenditure OF the PUBLIC money,
they were required to pass this any other bill Tor the
purpose OF supporting their army in the prosecution OF
the If they 10 declare to the army that they must
not conquer territory yet say that they could carry on the
war nowhere but in the enemys country. But as they
the AIeXcans would hold out-as they could not iofesee
under what necessity they might be TO prosecute the war
with the EXTREMIST rgor which was authorized by the
law of naonshow could they beforehand declare that
they did not mean To overrun the enemys coun-
try? How could they beforehand decare-what man
could tel-when the TO terminate They did not
know what distractions would be thrown IN their way
when the time came. They did not know, when the
peace should be negotiated, whether would be nego-
tated upon such terms would restore everything TO the
condition which they the commencement OF the
war, whether it would be negotiated upon the princi
pie OF ut posSeti. How then, could they beforehand
declare how the sh5uld be conducted, how ter
minated upon what terms and conditions peace
should be made? All these efforts in his view,
to make declarations TO that effect, transcended the
not be amiss-and he hal intended at earlier peri
Cd OF the session, il he had obtained the floor,
TO have gone fully into examination OF the declaration
OF and the rights and duties OF this government III
its prosecution. lie had some authority There was one
writer OF more modern time than Vatican eminent
professor OF law in the University of Gottlngen, Mar
tens-irom whom he would take the liberty to read.
There the honorable gentleman quoted Nartenss denl-
ton of the point OF law question &c. They
garded, then,-both nations-he republic of Mexico and
the United StateSas state of war, when each nation
and each member OF the community stood opposed 10 each
other in the light OF enemies. And although the Presl-
dent had decare-and, he believed sincerely declared
that he had conducted the in the performance with
what he regarded the strict letter OF his duty, and
though in the performance OF that duty he had led the ar
my OF the United States into the Mexican territory, yet
the President did the Rio Grande in pursuance
OF any object OF conquering that territory He had no
such design although il might be necessary before an
honorable peace should be secured yet there not
man in America that would not unite in the sentiment
that they had no desire to dsmemher the republic OF
Mexico or TO hold her territory by conquest. But they
could not foresee what TO be the final l5sue-they
divine what fniuht becomp their duty thu