The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1847-03-06
CONGRESSIONAL.
MIR. CALHOUN'S SPEECH
In the Senate. in reply 10 Mr.. Benton's attack
on the Three Million Bill, delivered
Wednesday, February 81, 1877.
Mr.. Benton having concluded :

Mr. Calhoun rose and said: One thing. Mr..
President at least, may be inferred from the IN.
provoked attack of the senator, and the great So
licude he evinced TO trace the authorship of the
war to me-and Tint is that the war is unpopular
There can be no mistake. He felt that the tide
ct public sentiment had turned against it, and
hence the anxiety exhibited to place its response
bllty on my shoulders. and take it from those on
whom IL ought justly TO rest. Had he supposed
the oppose-had he believed the war was unne-
cessary and unavoidable, and that It's terminat ton
would be successful-I am the last man TO whom
he would attribute any agency in causing it,
| am gratiied that the senator has furnished this
evidence. Ii affords reasonable hope, that those
who are responsible for it, will exert themselves,
and hope with success, to bring it TO a speedy
termination.
He traces the authorship TO me, because, as he
asserts, am the real author of the annexation of
Texas, and that annexation Is the real cause of
the war. trust, MIR. President, there will be
no dispute hereafter as to who is the real author
| of annexation. Less than twelve months since,
had many competitors for that honor the official
organ here claimed, il my memory serves me, a
large share for Mr.. Polk and his administration,
and not less than half dozen competitors from
other quarters claimed to be the real authors
But now. since the war has become unpopular
they all seem to agree that |, in reality, am the
| author of annexation. | will not put the honor
claim to be The author of that great event-an
event which has so much extended the domains
of the Union, which has added so largely To it's
productive powers, which promises greatly to
extend its commerce, which has stimulated its
industry. and given security to our most exposed
frontier. take pride to myself as being the au-
thor of this great event.
But the senator objects that so conducted the
question of annexation as necessarily TO lead TO
hp
He rests ii on the ground that selected the re-
solution as il came from the House of Represen.
tatives, as the basis of the annexation, instead of
giving the Texan government the choice between
the House resolution and the amendment of the
Senate originally moved by the senator himself
He complained bitterly that the Senate resolu
ton passed at the very heel of the session, un-
der the expectation that it would be carried into
effect by the present administration. then Just
coming into power, and not by Mr.. Tyler's ad
minstration, then about 10 expire-had not been
adopted.
He seemed TO think that the then admins,ra
traiion had no right to act upon it, and that, un-
dertaking To do so, depriving its successor of
some of his rights He accused me of acting
with the greatest promptness. The fact is So
The resolution, if / recolect, was signed by the
late President about the first of March saw
the importance of acting promptly, and advised
the President To act without delay that he had
the constitutional right of doing so, and that /
deemed it necessary that he should act in order
effeclnally to secure the success of measure
which had originated with his administration
His cabinet was summoned the next day, and
concurred in the opinion. That night prepa red
the despatch for Mr.. Donelson, our charge in
Texas, and the next day, late in the evening of
the 3D. of March, it was forwarded to him. 1t
was my last official act of any Importance as Sec
retary of State.
| | selected the resolution Of the House in pre-
! ference TO the amendment of which the senator
from Missouri was the author, because | clearly
saw, not only that il was every way preferable,
but the only certain mode by which annexation
could be effected. My reasons for thinking so
were fully set forth in my DESPATCH which may
he found among the public documents accompany.
| ing The first annual message Of the present Exc
cuiiye. they will speak for themselves they
never have been conroyerted, and can never be
successfully. Indeed, | never considered the
senator's amendment as expressing the deliberate
sense either Of The Senate or House Of Represen
tadves II is we'll known that he, and few Of
his friends, had the power Of greatly embarrass.
! ing the passage Of the resolution of the House, if
not Of defeating them and that his amendment
was moved. not so much as an improvement Of
the resolutions, as TO crafty him and them
! That The course adopted did secure annexation.
and that was indispensable for that purpose. |
have high authority in my possession. That
Which all would admit TO be the highest, if
could with propriety introduce it and for this
prompt and decided act, if for nothing else,
might claim the authorship Of annexation.
Now. can anything be more absurd than the
assertion that the war with Mexico resulted from
selecting the House resolution, instead If the
amendment of the senaior7 He has ventured the
bold assertion, without the shadow Of an argu
ment 10 sustain it, What possible difference
could it make with Mexico, whether the annexa-
Iion was made upon oRe Or the oiher2 Why
should the one not be as offensive to her as the
oiber2 Indeed, doubt much whether, even To
Ibis DAY, the government Of Mexico knows
whether the resolution was passed with or with.
ont an alternative. Such is the baseless ground
on which he has charged me with being the an
thor Of the war. had heard, for several days