Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1847-07-02
DAVID FULTON, EDITOR.


vote of thanks to Gen. Taylor and his army
for their courage, skill, patriotism and good
conduct in the battles of Palo Alto, Resaca de
la Palma and Monterey; second, Gold Me-
dal TO Gen. Taylor; third, that the victories
were acquired in just, holy and righteous
cause.
During the discussion of the resolution,
the following proviso was offered, which, to-
gether with the resolutions, was adopted by a
vote of 1O3 to 60:
Sex Provided, That nothing herein contained
shall be construed into an appreciation of the
terms of the capitulation of Monterey"
"The head and front-the length and
breadth of the censure has this extent-no
more. Everybody remembers that, when the
news of the capitulation of Monterey reached
this country, a universal feeling of surprise
was manifested at the liberal character of the
terms conceded to the Mexican forces 1t ex-
cited establishment, that defeated army OF
10 900 men were allowed to retire with arms
| in their hands, and without conditions; and
the reasons and motives that prompted and
justified these terms were for a long period,
even down to the time of the discussion in
Congress, involved in mystery. No one tho't
of censuring the Gen'l, however, in the ex-
preston of this feeling, which was as gener-
al as was the admiration of his skill and gal
lantry 1t was simply a feeling of surprise.
growing out of the circumstances under which
the capitulation was granted. 1t was not
doubted but there were good and sufficient
reasons for the act, but those reasons had not
been fully presented to the country, and the
proviso went merely to the Withholding any
opinion, pro or con, on the terms of the ca
pitulation A sharp-sighted New England
Wing, however, who denounced the war a:
infamous, thought an occasion could be made
of the proviso to constitute the Wing party
the special guardian of Gen. Taylor's fame
and thus acquire some amount of party CAPT
tall He therefore raised the shout of censure
and after the resolutions had been adopted
another Wing, Mr. Cooke of Tennessee, mo
we'd to amend their title by striking from it tn
word Thanks and substituting 'censure.'-
The amendment received the support of tn
Wings generally, but it was promptly killed
every Democrat in the House voting against it
It is true that two Democratic members of tn
House, Thompson of Mississippi, and Flick
lin of Illinois, condemned the capitulation, Blu
they met with no sympathy from the House
and It would be as unreasonable and unjust It
hold the Democratic party responsible for thei
vagaries, as to charge the Wing party will
the insane rawlings of Giddings or the mora
treason of Hudson.
"The vote to strike out thanks and inser
censure, was Wing vote. The Democrats
vote was a vote of thanks, and the resolution
were got up and carried through, in spirit O
grateful acknowledgement for the brilliant ser
vices of the hero of Monterey and his gallan
army Let US look at the vote taken alto
gether: 1st, they voted thanks; I'd, they vo
ted medal; Sd, that the victories were &C
quired in a just and righteous cause; 4th
they voted that they passed no opinions on tn
one act of which they knew nothing; fifth
they voted that by that act they meant III
censure. This is the true version of the &C
ton of the House of Representatives, whic1
party malignanty has endeavored to pervel
into feeling of hostility of Gen. Taylor.
For ourselves, we regret that the provis
was introduced-we thought it in bad taste
and were glad that the Senate struck it out
not that it amounted to much one way or tn
other, but that it furnished an excuse for
vast amount of party misrepresentation.
Mobile Register.