The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-02-03


could not have retained them as prisoners Of war And
they had the information OF General Taylor himself, that
those Mexican soldiers could have retreated from Mon
erey in night If the captulaon had not been made,
and they had fiji TO do w nth these facts staring
him in the face, what would the gentleman have had
Gen Taylor do Regardless OF the lives OF the Mexican
women and Children OF his troops, would they
have had hun continue TO storm and sack the ctyl For
what purpose should he do it, Why, Tor the additional
glory and honor he supposed OF having slain so many
hundreds OF Mexcans in single battleand for nothing
| but the empty name OF glory Were they TO have no
regard in considering this subject TO the loss which they
would themselves have sustained? He honored General
Taylor for his generalship and humanity on that occa-
son-for the latter eminently. Would gentlemen have
it, that General Taylor should have sacked and siomed
that city? Were they unacqualnted with the inevitable
consequences OF sack and storm Would they have
set at liberty those soders-hard OF heart and ripe for
the blacklist deeds-o range IN that city unrestraned,
regardless of women and children who must have suf-
fered woily at the hands OF their soldiers in the fury of
that storm No He honored General Taylor as much
for his discretion that OCCASION for his generashp
He glad that he showed himself humane in that bat
te-that he did not seek for glory by tramplng upon
weak and helpless humanity Unlocking forward TO an
other battle, what would be the influence of their vote
upon the soldiers who might be called upon to engage
tia vote refusing 10 approve of the capituation oil Mon
terey' They were TO be left to infer thai humanity
not virtue in the view of Congress-tha they were to
come red-handed from every batte-that they were 10
sack and storm regardless of lives He not willing
to teach any such doctrine He would have no hand in
IL and he repeated he honored General Taylor the
for the humanity he exhibited in that memorable battle
He General Taylor stood IN such position before
the country that no such side blows as that could affect
his reputation He stood firmly entrenched in the conf
dence and affections OF the American peopean esteem
earned by his bravery displayed not only IN that battle,
but especially in the glorious battles OF Resaca de la
Palma and Pao Alto. "A vote like that, so far from do
ing him injury, might the sympahies of the Amer
lean people in favor of him He now their favorite
military chettain. Ii not in their power-and he
hoped they not disposed TO if they coudto take
one sprg from the laurels wreathed upon his brow.
Mr.. BUTLER hoped the provlso would be stricken
out vote of thanks TO be worth anything must be
nquaitiediree-drect He sorry that his honorable
friend from Arkansas insisted upon the proviso. He
agreed with his friend from Mississippi He would not
hold out in the one hand thanks in the other
The proviso might be looked upon important now,
but history would set the matter right He not pre-
pared TO constitute himself as one OF those who We're to
pass opinion upon the conduct of Gen. Taylor. This
not the proper time. He had hoped that not a
breath Of party feeling would have touched this subject
Mr. BAGBY wished to say, once for all that from all
he had seen and heard he dsappoved and of the
terms OF that capituation, not only because he thought
improper conduct the part of the United States but
for quite different from those which had been re-
ferred TO by the honorable gent eman from DELAY If
the battle of Monterey 10 have been the last one he
might have given way to feelings of humanity; but there
was no prospect that that was to be the last battle On
the contrary, they engaged in which bid fair
TO occasion much further shedding of blood for battle
under such circumstances, the terms OF that captulaon
were unprecedented The resolution OF little conse
quence to the reputation of Gen Taylor II not i'm
portant to him as reward The bes. reward which
military commander could have the consciousness OF
having discharged his duty: And besides while they
were attempting TO AVOID nicng side blows upon Gen
Taylor, they were, inlcting sdebows in another drec
ton The President and his friends there dsapproved OF
that captulaton And to pass resolution tacitly ap
proving of it, would certainly be sdeblow towards the
President He would by no means disregard the opin
party interests into that discussion He regretted that it
had been done,
Mr. CRITTENDEN would say but very few words
further. lie thought the gentleman was unduy sens-
tive in regard TO the President Gen Taylor might have
had unknown to them which induced him to
make that caplluallon; while, on the other hand the
va w fnln
to Gen Taylor which would justify him in disappearing
OF the captuaton that the views of both might have
been perfectly correct Who OF them qualified to
pass judgment upon the conduct OF Gen Tayor2 1t was
more than probable that composed of such men
as Wellington and Napoleon might by looking over all
the attending circumstances have shown how the Amer
can army could have acted little more gloriously. But
should they-legislators and military men-should
they presume 10 pass such Judgment The gentleman
thought the captulaon unprecedented The little his
orical knowledge which he could boast of induced him
to think differently Did the gentleman recoect single
strongly enrenched in. city, were compelled by five
thousand TO consent to the most Illuminating terms? Did
Santa Anna regard it as humiatng the part of the
Americans? By means. Quite the reverse; for
if their from Mexico could be relied upon
while they were dispntng about the passage of a
resolution of censure TO General Taylor. Santa Anna
had his own officers under arrest for cowardce He
would, indeed concur with the honorable gentleman. in
saying that there parallel instance to be found in
history! Even, i those brave men might have done
little better, they had done enough-they had displayed
quite enough OF valor TO ene them TO his confidence
and unqualified thanks. He had no party feelings on the
subject The country had none. There but one
sentiment prevailing throughout the whole country with
regard TO the conduct OF General Taylor and his brave
assocates-hat OF unrestricted appreciation of the noble
and gallant conduc-he judgment and the humanity ex-
hlbited by them on that memorable occasion
Mr. BAGBY said, the gentleman had misinierpreted
his remarks he dd not say that there had never been
an instance like that OF Monterey lie stated that in the
course OF his reading, he had not found instance in
modern times in which defeated army had been per-
united to retire under similar circumstances. He would
not have referred to this subject but the discussion which
had aTlsen-and been carried manly by his friend
from kentucky-made issue before the country The
country was not asleep, and the country must that
ssue and IN doing IL they must decide, either that the
captuaton was right, or that il wrong. Without
pretending TO any extensive military knowledge he
for decision OF the question, at least thirds of their
officers In Mexico would be found disapprove of that
capltuatIon. AS to the humanity which the gentleman
had so much insisted on he had not learned that the
object OF armies was to protect the and children
OF the Toe but to vndlcae their national honor and
to see mat too many widows and orphans were not made
at home The effect OF the advocated by the hon
orabe gentleman would be to bring the very calamity
upon this country which they designed to infct upon
Mexico
Mr.. J. NJ CLAYTON. Suppose Gen Taylor haa
captured all Monterey, what would the gentleman have
done with the Mexicans'
MI. BAGBY replied that il was the custom in France
in such cases toparole them. lie supposed Gen TAYLOR
would have done the same. Certainly the gentleman
would not advocate the doctrine that they were not
to capture armies lest they should find them |
selves unable TO take OF them afterwards He |
felt bound them to dissent from the views which had been
brought before themnot for the purpose OF inctnr
on both sides of the question If this discussion had
not connected the of that