The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1847-01-16
Speech ofCol. Baker, ofIllinois.

The jury were unable to agree, and wer
ischarged.-RecOrd, Lrdsbwgh.
Speech ofCol. Baker, ofIllinois
The following extract of Speech, deliver
ed on the floor Of the House of Representa-
tiyes ofCongress, by member from Illinois
who had served as volunteer in the Arm.
in Mexico, will be read with interest, as Civ
ing description ofthe hardships and priva
lions TO which our troops in tliat countr,
have been subjected;
Then there was another thing which ought Il
be well considered. Whatever the ahvcDc'
of our forces, il was to he made during thu
coming winter the reasons must be obvious
Less than six months ago Congress had SEM
into The field as many as twenty six regiments
of volunteers, all burning with the most exal-
ted hopes, and ready to peril their all, health
reputation, life itself, not in defensive, but
in an invasive war; war not undertaken 10
defend their own homes and firesides, but for
the glory ofthc American name and arms.
Alas! how many ofthese fine young men, who
had never seen battle, never had cast their
stern glance OF the countenance of an enc
my, were now sleeping their last sleep on
the hanks ofthe Rio Grande!
Whatever is 10 be done must be done this
Winter. How many ofthe thousands who
rushed TO the aid of their country, now sleep
the sleep of death on the Rio Grande. his
regiment, over one hundred young men are
dead, and two or three hundred have return
ed from the banks ofthat doleful river, skele-
tons to be recovered by the kindness of
friends. He was requested by his brave fell
low soldiers TO state their case here, but as a
representative of the People here, he would
say that il would be cold blooded cruelty to
ask these men TO stand summer campaign
beneath the Mexican sun. He asked not by
whom the war was commemorative would
say that more supplies and more men are
wanted. If this is not done, he would say,
il he dared TO make prophecy, that This ,Car
tcM be the ruin of this country! Mexico has
eight millions ofpeople; a country more easi-
ly defended than any other country. The
climate fights for them; their men live and
are healthy on food on which ours die; their
horses live on what kills ours. find their f,1t-
ant General has been permitted to take their head.
The soldiers now in Mexico desire fight;
they are painting for battle and Logging to strike
one blow in the face ofthe foe before their
twelve months expire. He described the
wants of the soldiers. They want more pay.
Their rations are high. He had seen young
man of good education and of life pay fifty
cents for pound of poor cheese TO keep his
life in him.
The volunteers who storrned Monterey can
storm anything. The troops who endured
the hardshps ofthe Rio Grande can endure
anything.
He addressed himself to no party. lie
knew the wings too well TO believe one word
of the charges made here against them. He
referred TO those who were leading in tile
three battles in Mexico. He then referred to
the sons ofWEBsTERa and CALHOUN and Carr
place of believing that because
there are some who do not believe in the JUS
tice ot'the war they are therefore not patriots,
he believed exactly the contrary. 1t was
higher exhibition of patriotism TO fight for
their country in a war brought on against
their warning and expostulation. Hector in
the war ofTroy did not concur in supposing
the cuuse ofthe war just; but did he show any
lack ofpatriotism when the battle came? No;
aud the Wings have been, and will be Hectors
in the fight.
He believed that unless Peace was con-
quered in the city of Mexico in less than four
months, the day of peace was far distant"
How Factory INJURIES THE FARMER
The free traders are ever telling the farmer
how much he would be improved were the
factories stopped. We extract the following
facts from Hunts Magazine. They relate to
Duchess County, New York, county that
since 1874 has had within its limits factory,
that 'oest to the farmer The principles here
involved hold good for any other nanufac-
turing town in the State.
"First let us see the effect of factories at
Dishkill IN reducing the tares Of tie to,0n. The
Niattenwan factory on the creek, in 1910, |
employed 300 persons, who consumed the
produce of the farmers, and paid in taxes
rom 1923, to 1874, Sixteen years) S33, O29-
I9, or an average of $4,000 per year, or the n
mount paid by 80 farmers FOO acres, $4,000, |
8 just so much money given to the support
'fthe town, without taking anything from the |
means the farmer"
The same company, in lS43, bought ofthe |
agricultural produce ofthe county, $74,694,-
'6, and of the produce of other domestic in
iustry out ofthe county, $120, $40, or $685.
)60, 30 worth of agricultural products. or
articles, that in their product
on gave support to agriculture in other parts
If the country. Now we should like to have
free tradertell us how much more the farm
RS would have got for this $74, 664,86 worth
# produce, and how much better off the farm
RS would have been, had the company not
'aid tax equal to that levied on IS farms of
me hundred acres each.
SPECIE. The dreaded Specie cia,es' com
nenced depredations in State street this
morning witha vengeance. There was a
niger in every bank, and the amount of spe-
ie clawed out must have been very consider
bic. Hereafter all custom house duties,
other government dues, must be
anded over in Benton mint drops or Uncle
'am's Treasury rags. Wo to the poor fell
NV that can't get neither.-Boston Trnreuer.