The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-10-02
speech OF the Hon. Daniel Webster at gprIng-
field. Massachusetts.

argumentatve unusually interesting and important
Spsecn wnioh was Of an hour and halls duration He
dennsd MS position upon the and the questions
growing out Of it, with distinctnsss holiness and firm
ness After soms statesman-liks comments upon the
constitution far 1t relates the making pow
sr, and the call tor firm discharge Of his duty, which
upon every patriot he proceeded directly to the
topic The crisis now at hand needs Sonsdsrat sner
violent movements. Violent counssls are weak
sslo Violent language weak Language. Our boldest
resolutions must recommend
waters that are the deepest Nor Ii It the spirit which
is inclined to ovsrPowsr dangers their distance the
NEST certain to Withstand them when they approach
Mr.. Webster held this Mexican to be unoonstitu
tional In Its origin and founded prstsxt The laws
Of nations divide motives for into those which
good and those which vicious Those which
commenced and carred for renown, conquest, and
similar objects are vicious. There may be sunicsnt
causes for between two natonr, but not good
tives for Causes require something else; motives
good motives ere requisite The character OF the war
against Mexcois vicious war Of pretexts The real
motive OF It Is not distinctly ayowed There are three
sought to be placed by It's orginators and defenders
The President in his message to Congress- May H. 1896
puts It on the fact that the Mexiosns have invaded
American territory and shed American blood In my
opinion this Is not correct As early January, 1916
our army was advanced beyond the Mexican boundaries
Cured the first hostlites, and the first shedding Of
American and Mexican blood Was this the invasion
such territory? IL was soil claimed bv the United
States executve-not by Copgrsss-and also claimed by
the Mexican government for much part Of her terri
tory as the capital ITSELF and 1t in her
tual possession. Our troops marched into
try claimed and occupied by the MexcAns-s not this
war on our part! The President's statement not
correct In point Of fact and made So This
pretext Other causes brought forward AFTER the
commenced. One was, that Mexico would not re-
ceive Minister Plenipoentisry! Is that cause of
WARRIOR an Executive war! Congress would not de-
clare WAR on such t grounds At any rate It was not
that the Executive could not lay It before Congress-
then before him. 1t is but another Of the unfounded
Ayfo thav ID r..
Still anotherand the thirdof these pretexts is that
Mexico had declined to her debts due citizens Of
gress declaring to exist 1t Is an after Thought
This matter Of debt was one Of long standing many
Of Congress had bsen held during the existence
And If 1t cause for the war; 1t surely afforded
pretence for Executive this is 1t is pre-,
text, and nothing but pretext. What them the
object Of the war! do not profess possess more If
so much, sagscty than other men; but to the an
swer to this question Is plain turnpke-as visi-
| BILE the that now shines upon US An eminent
statesman-perhaps the most eminent-of the party Of
wonder is that the administration does not belong to
him, instead OF he to the administration; this gentle
man. mean Mr. Calhoun, declared at the last session
in Congress that II there had been annexation of
Texas there would have been war; and that the i'm.
mediate cause Of the the ordering by the Exc
Corpus Christi to the Rio Grande Hence this question
10 settled-no annexation no war. am apologist for
Mexico have q poor opinion Of the Mexican govern
men pity the people of the country and should pity
them the moro If they knew the state they in 1t
the ToIss 81 any country IN the world that
| the prey Of every military upstart who had money
enough to get up miserable army: From 1885, when
was the battle of San Jacinto, to 1872 Mexico had
authority Texas just claim upon her territory
In ls4l23, Texas was an independent government go
nomnaliy, practically, recognised by aud
other governments Mexico had no gronud Of com
plant in tho annexation Of Texas the party
complan-we did not want Texas But she did take
oence she persisted in claiming Texas her province
long asst had bsen independent territory and broke of
terms OF smity with our government, calling home
her m nd IN oHpfv nIrr Ruf
this not war-very far from it. contend that the
precise object Of the war wss simply this Paredes be
to Cubs, upon what ia called hslfpay in Juns of the
year But he disconnected with his residence
paid Through s4S this statsot things continued
matters between the two governments unsettled
tone In January lx46 the United States army was
ordered to advance to the Rio Gands in order Mr.
to act ss should authorize IN case
time came forth rumors that Santa Anna
able to peace, that Is more willing to accommodate
the annexation diculty that Psredes and
day in January, message sent to Commodore Con-
ner, Of the Gulf squadron, saying that II Santa Anna
be supposed that he was likely to come that way About
the same time Alexander Slidell brother to the Minis
ter to Mexico was sent to Cuba BY the government At
this time also person named Brown agent Of
conversation in Cuba that Santa Ann. had been inv.
The President said Paroles the obstacle in the way
Of settling difficulties hsnferense is plain strong
On the iltn OF May war actually commenced. On the
| LIST Of June proclamation, prepared at Washington
sent to General Taylor to be distributed broadcast
throughout Mexico as fast as he progressed into the
country This purported to give the causes Of the
| war to the. Mexcans 1t set forth that we arc
friends of Mexico; that the war was wsged
count Of the debts the rejection Of Mr. Slidel by
the then existing government and . supposed decls
ration Of Paredes, of which never heard or could
any other authority The fact Ia not stated
II was said that we came AS friends, and that we de-
| sired to keep the Mexican government from falling
int fha ham nf Envn IN
which effect, it thrown out, foot Some time
| in the same month, June, Santa Anna went to Vera
Cruz passed into the Interior issued his proclamation
pronunciamento. This, too said he friend to
put down tyrants and avert the impending monarchy
,asas ana language are IKE thoss set forth
ed from Mr. Polk MIR. Polk borrowed from Santa An
na, or whether 1t extraordinary coincidence Of
tempt to say Sufcient that they remarkably sim
lar In language we'll character Gen. Salas under
Santa Annals pronuncamento overthrow Psredes, and
he in turn was banshed Santa Anna became the head
Of the nation The sequel all know. War, direful
and bloody than ever ragged and now only terminated
| by an armistce, how long to continue knows
With equal modification and regret did read in the
last Of the President tho admission that his OBJ
ect In assisting Santa Anna to return to Mexico to
overthrow the existing raise up another
more favorable to our purposes He hoped to get out Of
revolution in Mexico How undigniaed does this appear
In such nation rs oursa nation Of twenty millions Of
to be governed BY the noblsst and
purest OF NOTWITHSTANDING ourselves models for the
world A general understanding between Santa Anna
and the President evident from the facts have sta
Santa Anna put himself at the head Of the armies
but instead Of moving toward peace toward war
The President have the satisfaction knowing that
In the many and bloody battles Mexico he has
had the choosing Of the commsn ders both sides
The precise object Of the war, them to establish
government in Mexico by the restoration Of Santa
Anna, which should yield TO the annexation Of Tex
as How far this has been accomplished already too
we'll known unfortunately That the precise object
and origin Of the war; and all the rest pretexts
recall the words Of MIR Calhoun-Without annexation
there w:uld not have been war concur with your own
well and forciby expressed sentiments the floor OF
the Representative Chamber (ere the speaker turned
to Mr.. Ashmun, the presiding ofser) last winter and
agree with you in saying that the direct Of
this act Of iniquty (annexstion) 10 the
engaged in. MIR. Calhoun right any suppose
that would have gone for the debts because
Mr. slidel rejected Minister Penipotenary and
Envoy Extraordinary 1t Is war In which Mexico has
the grievance and strike tho first blow She has the
prominent complaint, and commenced hostlites. In
this unhappy unfortunate Of action and Its
results have the satisfaction Of knowing that from