The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1847-01-02

lie held that The President had a right tc
speak to the American people; and, in doinc
80, II was both his righI and his duty 10 de.
nounce those who were engaged in an un.
holy effor! 10 balk and 10 ihwarI the effort,
OF their country when engaged in war
Gentlemen denounced The Presden, on mi,
floor in The manner the House had witness,
ed. II he denounced their conduct in turn,
a fair Issue was made up between the parlie,
of which the world would Judge for them.
selves. If gentlemen had right 10 charge
improper and unworthy motives upon the
Administration, surely The Administration
had the same right on its part. Why
should the power of speech and Of Tho press
belong only to those vino libeled their owr
Government He had not understood tn
rights and duties Of American representatives.
in that light.
1t was sometimes said we were q greal
people, and great Congress; but what
were we doingl Here was The second week
Of the second session, and after we, the irs
session OF This same Congress, passed a vote
declaring the war, here we we're crilcisinp
and denouncing our own President for car
'rying out that declaration; and all this in the
face Of our enemy. The oldfashioned wsy
Of proceeding war, when men thought war
was wrong, 10 vote boldly and openly a.
gsihsI it. and 10 continue 10 denounce i. all
through, as was done by some in our las,
war. True, they had had their epilapb
written by the finger of public scorn; yet
they were al least entitled 10 the praise Of
honesty and consistency. How did ;hey
stand in comparison with men who frs, vo-
Ied for a war, and then denounced il as un-
holy! A man might be honest, and still
vote against war in which his country
was engaged; but 'he man who first voted
for war, and then denounced oil who car
led ii on, was a knsYe. What, were We
'ecome so thoroughly degraded that NJ
we're afraid to lake the responsibility Of oUI
'wn acts! Were gentlemen willing first It
sneak into wa, and then 10 sneak ouI of
u
BnI the gentleman had said that Congress
rad been constrained 10 vote lie, or TO
'aCrfce Taylor and his brave IiIIle army,
Did not the gentleman, when he gave thai
vote, know perfectly that before that slmt
General Taylor had either exiricaled him,
self, or was beyond the reach Of what lha
vote would do for him! Certainly he did,
and therefore, Mr., X. sat down all he said
on that subject as what western people cali
ed chshmaclaVsr.
Did gentlemen, when they voted TO give
The Presden. ten millions Of dollars and
ffIy thousand mer, expect that was to lib
crate Taylor from his danger' No, not a;
Ill. No; il was HE old leaven that was a,
work. Gentlemen wets against their ma
nations war but they had before their
eyes the dread Of The denuncolions Of a
vrluOus people, and therefore lhey dared
not vote against it but now they wanted 10
crawl out from under The weight OF their
own vote declaring The war and providing
for it, and ley all the blame upon The PresI.
dent.
This might be all very fair and very hon
orsble but how would gentlemen IOok,sups
posing they could succeed in convincing
mankind sbaI our country was engaged il
an unjust war! DID they want to disgrace
Iheit country! Did they want what they
said believed abrOadl No; he did not think
they ~ere as unpalrlotiC as they affected TO
be. They did not, in their hearts, believe
this war 10 be wrong. They knew the
war had been forced upon US. They well
knew that # England had pursued such a
course toward us, or anything like it, we
should have declared wal long long ago
But Mexico was our neighbol, and her gov
ernmenI approxlmalrd al least to a republic
and she had much Of our sympa,hes os hav.
ing once tesiS'ed the tyranny Of he mother
country. But Mexico had taken advantage
Of this feeling on our part, and had made an
onslaught upon our people. They had
driven us to the wall; they had driven US to
The necessity OF vindcaling our national
dignity. But Mr. X. would tell them whot