Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-03-04


Now, Mr.. President, wish to know II | am re-
quired to act on such opinions OF the chairman
of the Committee on Foreign Relations, formed
ubon facts which he refuses to disclose to me ?
| No; | must know the facts before can form my
judgment.
But am to take it for granted that there must
be some prospect of an end to this dreadful war
for it is dreadful war, being, as believe IN
my conscience it is, an unjust war. Is 1t posi-
Bile that for three millions you can purchase
peace of Mexico? How? BY the purchase OF
California? Mr.. President, l know not what
facts the chairman Of the Committee OF Foreign
Affairs may have had access to-. l know not
what secret agents have been whispering INTO
the ears of the authorities of Mexico; but of one
thing am certain, that by cession of Culfor-
MIA and New Mexico, you can never purchase a
peace with Mexico.
You may wrest provinces from Mexico by war
You may hold them oy the right of the stron-
gest-you may rob her, but treaty Of peace to
that effect with the people of Mexico, legitim-
ately had, you never will have! thank God
that it is so, as well for the sake of the Mexican
peope-for unlike the Senator from Alabama,
(Mr. Bagby) do not value the life Of a citizen
of the United States above the lives OF an hun
dred thousand Mexican women and children
a rather cold sort of philanthropy, in my judg-
ment--for the sake of Mexico, then, ! rejoice
that it is an m2ossibility that you can obtain by
treaty from her those territories in the existing
state Of things But how is ii? What do you
mean?
Here comes the Senator from Michigan and the
Senator from Missouri, at the head of the Com
mittee Of Military Affairs, and demond ofus thir-
ty millions of money and ten thousand regular
troops-to do what ?-to conquer peace Of those
obstinate Cells, who will not give it till we beat
them still farther. We are told that that is the
way to do it. There is very curious and sad
commixture of things on the other side of the
Chamber Scarcely have these military gentle
Inen-their instruments all bullets and gunpow-
der--made their demands, when up comes the
Senator from Arkansas, Mr.. Seyier,) with three
millions of dollars in his hat-notning warllke a.
bout hlm-(a laugh the trumpet of war Is taken
from his lips, and he comes in soft and gentle
measure and says to the poor Colt, " In Gods
name, since you don't want to be killed and
slaughtered, let us lay aside the spear Of Achilles
there is the olive of Minerva IN the shape OF
American dollars, according to our Yankee FASH
ion!' "a augh.)
don't understand this. IF we are to vindicate
our rights by batles-n bloody fields of war
let us do it. If that is not the plan, why then
let us call back our armies into our own terrific
rles and propose treaty with Mexico based up.
on the proposition that money is better for her
and land is better for u.s. But what is it you ask !?
YOU have now taken from Mexico one lourh of
her territory, and you now propose u run line
comprehending about another third, and for what
ask, Mr. President for what? What has Mex
leo got from you, for parting with two-hirds Of
her domain? She has given you ample redress
for every injury of which you have complained
She has submitted 10 the award OF your Commits
soners, and up to the time of the rupture with
Texas faithfully paid it.
In return, up comes your Anglo.Saxon gentle
man, with the New Testament IN one hand and
!, bill OF rights in the other-your evangelical Col
onel and practising divine, Don Walter Col
ton, who yields Chrsts sermon on the mount, quits
the New Testament, and betakes him to Black
stone, Is elected Justice of the Peace, takes pos
session OF California, aud instead ofteaching the
way OF repentance and plan of atonement to the
miserable heather, holds one of Colts pistols to
t his ear, and says" Take trial by jIry, or"
The remainder of this sentence was lost in the
/ general burst of laughter which here broke forth
:. from all parts of the Chamber.
!, What is the territory, Mr.. President, which
! you propose to wrest from Mexico? 1t is conse-
g Grated to the heart of the Mexican by many a
well-fought battle with his old Castilllan MASTER
y Ills Bunker Hills, Saratogas, and Yorktowns are
/ there The Mexican can say, "There bled fol
: liberty! and shall surrender that consccrated
: home of my affections to the Ang o-SaXon inva-
: ders? What do they want with II? They have
= Texas already. They have possessed themselves
VI UclNceH tllc LNucCcS anu tiS ie'N
, Grande. What else do they want? To what
shall point my children as memorials Of that IN
! dependence which bequeath to them when those
e battle fields shall have passed from my posses
son?"
n Oh! had one come and demanded Bunker Hill
It Of the people of Massachusetts, Eng'and's
e lion, rampant on his field Of gold, ever showed
: himself there, is there man over thirteen or I'M
e der ninety, who would not have been there to
U -ic a m that
s would not have ran red with blood-is there a
' field of conflict but would have been filled high
j with the buried bones of slaughtered Americans
before these consecrated battle fields of liberty
4 should have been wresed from us? But thi:
same American goes on into a sister Republic
}, and says to poor, weak Mexico, "Give up YOU
Y terrtory--you are unworthy TO possess it, have
n got half already all ask of you is to give W
} the otherw Oh, England might as well, in the
: circumstances have described, have come ant
demanded of US Give up the Atlantic slope
t give up this trfling territory from the Allegheny
|, Mountains to the sea ; it is only from Name Il
! st. Marys- only about one third of your repub
n lie, and we have the least interesting portion o
y it," What would be the response Why, the,
S would say, must we give this up to John Bull
S Why? ale wants ROOM" The Senator from
u Michigan says he must have this. Why, my
y worthy Christian brother, on what principle o
IL WdilI IOOill Va IduSn'l
81 Why, with twenty millions of people you hav
J. only about hundred millions of acres of land
ID inviting settlement by every conceivable argu
III mcnt-bringing them down to a quarter of a dol
Of lar an acre, and allowing every man to squa
is where he peasos. But the Senator from Mich
I'd gan says VIC will be two hundred millions in
I'd few years, and we want room. If | were
d, Mexican would tell you, Have you not ROOF
ie in your own country to bury your dead men?
you come into mine, we will welcome you wit
lg bloody hands and hospltable grave"
x Why, says the Chairman of this Committee
70 Foreign Relations, it is the most reasonable thin
ne in the world We ought to have the Bay of Sa
g. Francisco. Why? Because it is the best hal
ne Dor in the Pacific 1t has been my fortune, NJ
G. President, to have practised good deal ncrim
I'd nal courts in the course of my life, but | neve
1t yet heard thief, arralgned for stealing horse
n plead that it was the best horse he could find i
ur the country! We want California. What for
nd Why, says the Senator from Michigan, we wi
n have it, and the Senator from South Carolina =
lie with very mistaken view, think, alike Of dut
Id and of pollcy-says, you can't keep our peopl
a from going in there l don't desire to prever
On them Let them go and seek their happiness
ut whatever country or cline it pleases them.
All ask is that they 90 there on their own n
r. sponsbity, and not require of me to convey the
p Eagle banner into whatever field of plumber the
t. may choose to enter in their foreign maraudin