Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-02-06

he referred passed in the year 1902 the time of thu
acquisition of Louisiana and another in 1906, when wa
proposed to purchase Florida similar bill had also passed
the Senate the last of Congress- the proposition hay
ing been first considered with closed DOORS and afterwards
ported open session. The design of the committee to
follow those precedents excluding all exraneous natter and
Incorporating nothing that calculated at all to excite sec
iional party feeling to occasion debate was the
opinion of the committee, and in this opinion he concurred
that all such matter would be med and that its ntroduc
ton could lead to good result and he intended IT were
moved from any quarter, to put any thing Of that sort into
the BILL oppose it, In looking the proceedings of the last
session he found that the Committee Foreign Relations
had reported two resolutions the subject the first OF which
declared that the indicated by the President in his
sage received the appreciation of the Senate This resolution
discussed for several days and at length voted
and sanctioned by every Senator on both sides OF the
Senate with the exception OF two, the Senator from Texas
mr. RusR, and the Senator from Missouri (Mr ATcHI-
soS) The second resolution that in the opinion OF the
Senate il expeden place two millions Of dollars the
disposal of the President to be used his discretion for the
purpose Of concluding peace with Mexico This agreed
and the Committee Foreign Relations instructed
torepor TO the Senate, in open session. bill 10 that effect
Various propositions to amend the bill made, and the
discussion upon consumed two days The bill ult
ately passed by Of 33 49, This proposition having
been thus discussed and deliberately voted on, he would
slider il waste of time to at any length into the matter
and in regard to the form of the Unless gentle
men had changed their opinions since that tme there could
be great variety of opinion any part of this chamber
The object OF this BILL appears upon its face to make
peace with Mexico and in urging passage, he should abb
OF the Mexican wars for his object TO excite party feel
ngs upon any side question Of this He took it for
granted they all In SuT or peace, could be Obtained
upon proper and proper that he should say that
he did how could be brought about unless
other OF the begerent parties made advance towards
tanning it, II they had already made advance
wards that object by sending message with the Gov
eminent Of Mexico and had kept army OF the country
which claimed by for considerable time before the
of this for the express purpose of securing
peace by showing forbearance and disposition to avoid
hostile collision.
In making peace of the United States would expect
to receive indemnify extent at least for the expenses
OF the and they would expect also the payment OF the
claims held by citizens against the Republic OF Mexico,
and this indemnity expected in the shape of territory
He not authorized to state precisely what territory this
Government would require but he supposed that Senator
would think that they ought get less than New Mexico and
Upper California He did not suppose that treaty of peace
with less than this would pass that body However, they
would be better prepared when treaty proposed deter
mine the quantity. Having stated them in few words
the object Of the bill and its FORM the question that
whether proper that they should effect their pur
pose upon these In regard that he would say that
in coming the conclusion they had the committee
governed great extent by the recommendation of the Pre-
sden who had communicated to them official correspondence
which he had IN his possession and after examining that
respondence, they had to the conclusion that peace
could be made upon those with Mexico He believed
that Mexico large part Of it. at all events large majority
of the people, would be glad to make peace.
This opinion he derived from examination of the
pondence which the President had communicated them
would not be expected, however, that the President any
boy else would be required to give the of those who
impaired this information for it would be breach of conf
dence TO do would be sufficient therefore, for him to
say that in looking this correspondence coming from the
quarter did, he thought the probability was that if this bill
should pass peace upon such he had named would
be effected They engaged in expensive
attended by great sacrifice of life and which exhausted
the means of the Government and peace could be made
upon those terms he thought there ought be hesitation
about making it. But might be asked, could lasting peace
VIII
divided as that country into various amfcaons of party
factions existing where unstable Government and
with no one party sufficiently strong to make The in
gence possessed by the President them to be-
eve that upon certain advance be made them pay
the expenses OF their and other expenses they would he
uru the time of the Senate and
avoid every thing that might produce discussion party excite
ment he had endeavored few words possible define
the object Of this measure and hold the Senate the
prospect of procuring peace Our had umphed every
where. We had got possession of large part of their
tory had got possession cf Of their seaport and
held others bockaded We powerful, and in cond
ton to force contributions and every Mexico
least the greater number DESTROYS of concluding peace
He hoped therefore, the Senate would with him in
the view which be had expressed and adopt the
which the President had recommended iii should be pro-
posed to discuss the question fully n~egard this war;
he would be prepared into the discussion fully gen
temen desired but present. he would respectfully ask the
Senate to LET this bill pass for he thought becoming
the part OF this country, being the most powerful aud
had triunphed thus far make the first advances
towards concluding peace and putting end to this de-
strucve He thought that proper regard for the opn
ions of the world required that they should make peace and
that their demands upon Mexico should be moderate any
treaty that might be made with that Republic.
MIR. MILLER said that this bill came hem it appeared
almost every bill relating the Mexican did, the
Presidents recommendation The object Of the bill, it
sad 10 make peace, and to make that peace upon the
grounds recommended by the President Of the United States
the preliminary step TO which the placing in his hands
three millions Of dollars II be thought that end could be
put to tins unfortunate by passing this bill, and placing
three millions of dollars the hands Of the President he
would willingly vote for il but he must be permitted
that he did how the placing Of this money the hands
Of the President could this country honorable and
permanent peace The chairman Of the Committee For
egn Relations, who to be presumed, well inform
ed in relation to this matter had stated his belief that peace
could be obtained upon terms and he had thought
per TO to the Senate and the country the upon
which that peace could be made. He understood the chair
man OF the committee to say that peace might he made
least that the President Of the United States would consent
on his part 10 conclude this war, Mexico would
10 ede to the United States the whole of Mexico and the
whole Of Upper California.
They had now for the first time, from official source, the
Information which the country had long desired obtain
VIZ TO what extent and for what purpose this be
further prosecuted. They told that for the
purpose of acquiring by force Of what he considered
be the thing driving Mexico by force Of arms
people Of Mexico consent surrender the United States
New Mexico and California. This war; then according 10
the information which they had received
into war Of conquest This fact was now avowed before
the American people, Il mattered that these territories
to be coded under the form and sanction Of
~ for ali knew that treaty rade ha