The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-03-02
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OF THE
H O ~. JOHN G. HOU N
IN REPLY TO THE
Hon. THOMAS II. BENTON,
RELATIVE TO
THE MEXICAN WAR.

In tho Senate, on Wednesday, the 24!h ul... Mi
Benton having concluded,
Mr. CALHoUs and said :-Ons thing Mr. Presi.
dent least may be inferred from the Improve
tack of the Senstor and the great solcude he evince
to race the authorship of the war 10 meant that il
that The war il unpopular There can he mistake
He elt that the tide Of public sentiment had turned
against IT, snd hence anxiety exhibited to place III
responsibility my shoulders and take it from those
HON il ought justly to rest Had he supposed the
opposite he believed that tho was necessary
and unavoidable, and that its termination would be sue
cessfutl am the last man to whom he would attribute
any agency IN causing 1t am gratfed that the Sena
tor has furnished this evidence. 1t affords
hope that those who are responsible for IT, will exert
themselves, and hope with success, to bring 1t
speedy termination
He traces the authorship to me- because as he asserts
am the real author OF the annexation Of Texas, and
tha annexation IS the real of the war. I trust
Mr. President there will be- dispute hereafter as to
who IL the zeal author of the xstion Less
months since had many competitors for that honor:
the oicsl organ here claimed il my memory serves me
large share for Mr. Polk and his administration and
not less than half dozen competitors from other
claimed to be the real authors But now since the
has become unpopular tasy ell to- agree that in
honor aside. / may now rightfully and indspuiably
claim to be the author of that great svent-an event
which has added 20 largely to its productive powers
which promises so greatly TO extend its commerce. which
has stimulated its industry AID given security to
the au hor OF Thu great event.
But the senator objects that conducted the question
nexat on as necessarily to lead to the On what
does he this charger He rests it on the ground tnat
selected the resolution as 1t came from the Hou.e OF
kspresenalvss as the basis of the annexation instead
OF giving ina Texan government the between
House resolution and the amendment Of the Senate
orig Ina y moved by tho himself He Complained
heel Of the session. under the that il would
be carried into EFFECT BY the present then
tration. then about expire not been adopted
He scented to think thatt then administration had no
rgh, to act upon it, and that undertaking do SO,
dsprving Its successor Of some OF its rights He
OF acting with the greatest promptness The fact Is
The reseution, il recollect signed by tho late
President aboat first of March saw the importance
of acting promptly and advised the President to act with
out that had the constitutional rgh of doing SO
and that deemed necessary that he should in order
eHectually 10 secure the success Of which had
originated with his administration. His cabinet was
summoned the next day and concurred in the opnion-
That prepared tho despatch for Mr. Donslson our
charge III Texas and the next day. late in the evening
the third OF March, was forwarded TO him. II was my
Lost official act Of any importance Secretary of State
selected the resolution the House in preference
the menment Of which the senator from Missouri was
the author because clearly saw, not only it was
which annexation could be effected MY reasons for
thinking 80 were fully set forth in my despatch which
may be found among the public documents accompanying
the first snnua message OF the present Executive They
Will speak Tor themselves they have been contfo
vcted, ana never BIO successfully Indeed, never
deliberate either of the Senate of Rspre
senalives IL 10 well known that he, and few vi hs
friends hai the rewer otgreay embarrassing the pas.
Sage OF the resolutions Of the House. not defeating
them; and that bis amendment moved, not much
~ an Improvement Of the resolutions, to crafty him
and them That the course adopted did Mcclure annex
ton aud that indispensable for that have
high authority in my possession That which all would
admit to DO The highe. could with rroprietv p,Io
ouce IL and for this prompt and decided oct nothing
else, might claim the authorship of annexation
Now Can eny thing be more absurd than the assertion
House resolution instead Of the amendment of the sens
tor He has vsntuIed The bold assertion without the
saaaow ., an 70 susan IT. What possible d
alton was made npon one or the other why should the
one not be as "a nsve 10 her the other In eed
doubt m lch whether to this day. the
Of Mexico knows whether the resolution was pas ed
with or without n alternative. Such IL the base
ground on which he has charged me with being the
author of the war bad hs ard for several days past
that he bad prepared TO make elaborate attack on me
Some OF my mi nds asked rather jestngly, if did no,
ouch laeoiious pref asston, did suppose the senator
would make show Of formidable charge but OF
all the atack. have ever witnessed, in this or any
oths Legislative body have known empty
and ridiculous Every Of his charges l. funded
either IN gres error or partial statement Of facts
some forced aud absurd conclusion may begin with
the very hrst that he made He had The urancs to
assert the presence Of the Senate that was the first
TO Introduce tue question who was the roal author
cause oil ms war Now, appeal to every senator
every other Individual who present on the
whether The senator iron Tennessee, tMr Turneyl did
not first charge rae win being the suthor OF ehs wa
ami whether did not limit my self repeng his &c
b. Eho@ig that orsila in the order General Tay
oT TO march from Corpus Christi and take posi- ion
tue RIO del Noie ] 20 further and ask, s there
senator here g Of the fact that the que ton OF
who was tho author or cause of the war had been
long before elanoTately disc in this todv- the
House OF Representatives, AID throughout the whole
County from its declaration I'D 10 that time In The
lace oil ell this the Senator rises up his place after
long and aborous and asserts that was
who originated the inquiry to " no was its author
This !. fair sample OF the accuracy OF the sena or in
numerous allegations to sho~ that was the author
oil the war might 20 on and take the up by one
and show that every OF his positions end de- uction
is equally unfoun cd in fact false conclusion 30
not daem 1t necessary A larg- portion of his speech
but the stale repetition wha be said in the ses
sion OF 1917 s, when the treaty which had conclude
with fexss under discu ssion in TINS bodv All the
d 'cuments now brought forward then before the
Senate snd he went the same topics very eIabor
atty and with much more power than the pr esent
occasion, without making any Impression the
try The country was against hun thsn ami siil r..
mains against him. and II Is in vain that he undertakes
changed, in spite of all that he do Under this con
viction, Will not weary the Senate by repeiing a.
saul's then made and then repealed. The most prom
nen OF the chsrgesthc orders given by the administa
ton to place feet in the Gull OF Mexico and portion
Of the army on the frontier of Texas-wss repealed by
my then colleague, (Mr McDufie) Of whom he speaks
so hghiy on his occasion. In repeug it he said that
il the orders to hch the Senator then and no objscs
had not been issued the Executive would have peeu
guilty Of great dereiiction Of duty.
The Florida treaty, forming another subject Of attack
sguIed sso on hat occa,ion in connexion in anneAa
don; snd VIVA. a, has sad now Is but Iepeti.iD Of
what he sad then te then, as now, made me Jespopsi
BILE for that treaty although but one of s,x N
beers OF Mr. Monroes ca met and the youngest of in
y mt s-rt sponsible without advancr Sa rcIa n
proof to show that even gave II my support or sporo
BATON. He rests the charge on some disclaimer "a j.
soems tina, the then Secretary Of State tMrAdam) ms
OF some time made that be wss not responibe Tor the
treaty. The Senator may be right to thai; but how
mat by any possibility, show that respoDsitlsi
Bu pr, psied TO take my full share resps
as q member OF Mr. Monroe's cabinet without having
particular agency in forming the treaty Auepce
in inducing he cabinet to adopt II then thought snd
sti!l think IT good treaty; and thought the senate
the Uuii.d States for If my memory does not deceive
me 1t ceived nearly every vote Of the Senate 81
aior Yes every vOte"l II then received the uhani
moss vote OF the Senate, promptly given OF course, if
thet treaty was the cause Of the nth Mexico the
Senator seems to suppose this body is much the
eu'hor and cause OF the war, the individual whom
he is anxious TO fix il
have sal /. is good treaty, not without due refsc
ton we acquired much by 1t. II gave us tlorida-an
acquisition NOT only important ITSELF but also in re-
ference to the whole south western frontier. There
was, at thut time four powerful tribes If Indians two of
whom-tbe Creeks and the Choctaws--were contiguous
TO Florida and the two others-tbs Chic kasaws and
Cherokees--were adjoining They were the most nu.
merons and powerful tribes In the United states and
from thor position, exposed TO be acted on and
excited against US from Florida. II important that
this state Of things should terminate which could only
DO cone by obtaining the possession OF Florida.
Bat there were other and considerations for
the acquisition. We had short time before exiting ush