Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1847-02-11

"
IL THE Z. s. SENATE, JAN. %, 1547.
Mr.. BENTON asked the indulgence Of the Senate
to make an exposition of the circumstances under
which the President had proposed the appointment of
lieutenant general to command the army in Mexico
and with which appointment his name had become
connected. Ii had been intimated, he said, the
floor Of the Senate-hypotheticaly to be sure, but
not the less ntellgiby and forcibly that
that there might be Interior and covert design in
the proposition-nothing less than design on the
part Of the President to appoint his The
Senator from North Carolina, Mr.. BADGER, in his
speech on the Lieutenant general bill had INDUCED in
that hypothesis; and supposltion could be
untounded or more injurious to the President or to
the public service, or could descend from higher
source; and as he (Mr. BENToN) happened to be in
possession of all the facts necessary the vindcaon
Of the President, he desired to make an exposition
which would show the supposon to be unfounded
and would the Presidents character and the pub
lie service from the injury they would suffer if the
ntmation allowed to go out unconrad icted from
the floor OF the Senate. He asked leave, for the
bill for the lieutenant general laid upon the table,
and he would not have it taken up, (and would not
speak TO 1t If 1t was) and as he did not choose to
commit the irregularity of hanging speech on some
irrelevant BILL he throw himself upon the indul
gence of the Senate for leave to make the exposition
Of facts which the required and which the init
motions of the Senator from North Carolina rendered
necessary. Leave was given, and Mr. Benton pro-
ceeded: | feel myself called upon by the remarks of
the Senator from North Carolina Mr.. Badger1 to
vndicate the President from the unconstitutional and
dangerous design which the hypothetical observations
of that Senator would attribute him and shall do
in the simplest form of narrative, repeating the
Senate all that has taken place between the President
and myself in relation to this appointment, and there
by enabling the Senate and the people to Judge OF the
justice of the accusation. 1t the beginning of
the month of September last, and in the moment that
about setting out to the west that the President
sent for me, and informed me that he had done
for the purpose of offering me high appointment
He named it. 1t the mission to France, then
becoming vacant by the return of the gentleman r.
King of Alabama,) so long ornament to this cham
Der. / declined the appointment, and for reasons
which had induced me to decline high appointments
from Presidents Jackson and Van Buren,. Mr.. Polk
kind enough to ask to take time to consider;
but answered him that there need for time,
that the answer would still be the same, after any
length of considerations and so, with thanks for the
honor he had done me, the appointment to the French
mission was de6nitvely declined. This was the be-
ginning Of September last that at that time, 1t Is
certain that the President could have had such de-
sign as has been attributed TO him by the Senator
from North Carolina-no design to make me his sue
cessor by virtue of military feats 10 be performed on
the low lands or the table land of the republic of
Mexico. On the contrary fertile imagination-such
as the Senator from North Carolina happily pos
sesses-mght have seen thought he saw, In this
proposed appointment sort of political deportation
something like exiting and burying in foreign
court-for purpose the very reverse of what the
Senator from North Carolina has supposed. say an
inventive Imagination might have seen, or thought 1t
saw all this Possessing no such Imagination, saw
no such thing. And taking the offer In the sense in
which it was made, emlnenty honorable in itself,
and signal evidence of the Presidents confidence In
me, and good will for me, made him my thanks for
it privately, l now do publicly; and the affair was
dropped. This, | repeat, was at the beginning OF
September las.-only three months before the meeting
of Congress SO that, at that time, 1t is quite clear
the President had such momentous and fearful de-
sign the Senator from North Carolina has attributed
to him. Up to that time-up to the first day of Sep
TENDER, in the year 1S46-the republic safe
Immediately after refusing the mission to France
went off to the west, was gone until the month OF
November, and had no communication of any kind,
direct indirect, nor upon any subect whatever,
with President Polk. This makes all safe again for
two months | returned to this city IN Noyem-
Der, where my family was, and where Congress was
soon to meet. The day after my arrival called upon
the President; and here we approach the dangerous
ground For in that first interview he actually ask
ed me my opinion about the future mode of conduct
ing the Mexican war. For reasons not proper now
to be stated but of the validity of which the country
will some day have an opportunity of Judging; the
President fit to ask me my opinion upon the fu-
ture mode of conduc ing the war. This request did
not strike me as being anything strange or unreason
able-ether unbecoming in him TO make, for me to
comply with. In my Senatorial capacity was his
constitutional adviser on many great questions, those
of peace and war inclusive. In my political capacity
was the supporter of his administration ard ready
TO give him my opinion any subject. As chairman
of the Senate's Committee Military Affairs, and
accustomed, in that character, to communicate on
military subjects with all administrations for about
quarter Of century last past, saw nothing in the
nature of the request he had made TO mpcate either
of US. He asked me for my opinion to the future
mode Of conducting the war. | gave ii to him, first
speech, face to face, and afterwards IN writing.
And here it is [holding up roll of paper,l for
chose to retain the original for myself while sending
a copy to him. Here it is and at the proper time
the public shall it, but not now; for do rot be-
long the school that makes publication of plans of
campaigns-even rejected plans-in time of war; The
President approved the plan and it so happened that
the nature OF the plan required head to the army
head to the whole body-to unite and combine the
whole into harmonious and consistent movement.
II so happened, also, that enough was known of the
ideas OF the two highest rank of the officers OF the
army to know that their plans different and it
Is a maxim Of fundamental observance in that no
general is to be required to execute plan which he
disapproves. A new commander became indspensa-
BILE; and as any new major general would be subor-
dinate to all in commission, the solution of the
difficulty lay in the creation of rank, superior
to that Of major general, and inferior to the constltu-
tlonal COMMANDMENTS The creation of the rank
of lieutenant general, had been done in the year
1795 at the time Of the expected war with France,
the solution of the difficulty. This rank appear
ed to be the natural and regular derivation from the
Presidents political and military character, and
the proper connecting link between him and the army
As President, he both the civil head of the gov
eminent and the military head of the army. He was
commander-in-che of the army and navy, and of the
militia or volunteers in service. They were all then
in service, and in foreign country. He could moi