Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1847-03-17

House of Representatives. 1t is well
known that he, and few Of bis friends
had the power Of greatly embarrassing the
passage of the Resolutions OF the House
if not Of defeating lhem; and that his
amendment was moved, not SO much a:
animprovement of the Resolutions. as !lG
crafty him and them. That the course
adopted did secure annexation, and that il
was indispensable for lha, purpose, have
high authority in my possession. Tliaa1t
which all would admit to be the highest,
if could withipropriety introduce it and
FOR this prompt and decided acl, il for moth
ing else, might claim the authorship OF
annexation.
Now, can any thing be more absurd
than the assertion that the war with Mex
leo resulted from from selecting the House
resolution, instead Of The amendment of
this Seuator? He has ventured the bold
assertion, without The shadow of an argu-
ment TO suslainl. What possible differ.
Eence could il make with Mexico, whether
the annexation was made upon one or the
other! Why should The one not he as
offensive TO her as the other ! Indeed,
doubt much whether, even to this day,
the Government of Mexico knows whether
The resolution was passed with or without
an alternative. Such is the baseless ground
on which he has charged me with being
the author OF the war. l had heard. for
several days past, that he hal prepared TO
make an elaborate attack on me. Same
Of ms friends asked, rather jesinsly. if |
did not expec, to be aunibilated. After
,heso givings out, aud such laborious pre-
paration, | did suppose the Senator would
make some show Of a formidable charge {;
but Of The attacks l have ever witness
ed in this or any other legislative body, |
have never known one SO empty and ri
Idiculous. Every one Of his charges is
founded either in gross error or partial
statement of facts,u on some forced and
absurd conclusion. maybegin with the
very FIRST thai he made. He had The as
surance 10 assert, in the presence of the
Senate, Iha, was the first TO ih,roduce
the question, who was The real aulho! or
cause Of this war Now. II appeal 10 ev.
IerySsnatOr, and every other individual
who was present ON the occasion; whether
Iihe Senator from Tennessee, lMr:s sd'ur-.
Enes did moi first chafgs me with being g,
lie author of ihis II al. aud @be her did
t4s.sS
Observation-Disclosures in the order
10 Gen. Taylor, 10 march from Corpus
Chrisli,. to take position on The Rio del
Norie? Ego further, and ask, is there "a
Senator here isuorant of the fact, that the
question Of WIN was the; author or cause
! OF ,hea war. had been long before elabo-.
lsrately discussed in this body-iUthe House
Of Representatives aud throughout the
whole country, from its declaration up To
that time. 10 the face of all this, the sem
.a,nr rises upin his place, after long aud
luxurious preparation, and asserts, that il
was who originated the enquiry, as to
| who was its author. '1his is a fair SAM
Pile of the accuracy Of the senator, in his
numerous allegations To show that was
the author Of the war. lmighl GO Oh and
take them Up one by one, aud sdow That
every one of his positions and deductions
is equuty unlounded 10 fact or fa'se in
conclusion. do not deem il necessary.
A large portion of his speech was bul the
stale repetition Of what he said in the ses.
sion of lS42--43. when the treaty which
] had concluded with Texas, was under
discussion in this body. All the docu-
men,s now brought forward were then
before The Senate. ahd he went over
the same topics very elaboralely, and with
much more power than on the present oc.
casion, withou, making any impression on
The country. The country was against
him then. aud still remains against him,
aud il is in vain that he undertakes 10 dis
,uro its settled conviction. Il will remain
ever unchanged. in spite of all that he can
do. Under this conviction, will nol
weary The >enale, by repellins assaults
then made and then repelled. The most
prominent oflhe charg orders given
By the administration to place fleet in
the Gulf of Mexico. and Il portion of the
army on the frontier of Texas-was re-
PEELED by my ;ihen colleague, (Mr. Me-
Duffie,) Of whom lie speaks SO highly on
this occasion. In repelling it, he said, that
if the orders to which the Senator then
and now objects, had not been issued. the
Executive would have been guilty Of great
iereec,ion Of duty. IL
The Florida treaty, forming anothersub.
jec, Of attack, 6gnred also on that occa-
sion, in connexion with aDnexalinn, and
what ne said now is but repetitioT what
he said theu. He then, as now, made me
Irresponsible for that treaty, althoughl was
but one Of six members Of MIR. Monroe's
cabinet, and the youngest of its members
responsible, without advancing part-
Gle of proof to show that | ever gave il
my support or appreciation. He rests the
charge on some disclaimer, as j, seems,
that The then Secretary Of Stale, (Mr.
Adams) has, a, some time, made, that ne
was not responsible for the treaty. The
senator may be right as to that; but how
can that, by any possibility, show that
was responsible? But | am prepared 10
take my full share OF responsibility as a
member of Mr.. nlonroe's cabinet, without
i having any particular agency in forming