Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1847-06-02
From, the Post6n Post.

The Mexican War. The MJassn.
chusetts Legislature. Its Com.
nasetees 4 it6 Morals ON the Wal
and GEN. Taylor.
We especially desire to have it remem
bered, BY present and future generations
thst the Massachusetts Legislature of tn,
year l847, was without single democra
in the Senate, and with only thirty or for
ty democrats, out of some three hundret
members, in the House. We rejoice tha,
there are so few, and wish there were less
to share in the Disgrace that will attach K
this legislative body Is long a. j. shall b.
remembered.
Always promising this coniitis len of par.
ties, we mean, nov and hereafter, to hold
that body responsible to the people and to
the country for i'd treacherous conduct in
regard to the Mexics9 war; a course Of
proceedings not less morally reasonable
than that which dishonored and has eve,
since doomed the federal party in the wal
Of 1912; but in meanness, shutting, eva.
sion, double dealing and cowardlse ,incom.
parably inferior in every quality which
commands some respect for courage md
consistency, even while it challenges ute.
condemnation . for ! its war. !. Of patriotism
In the house, in 1914, the federalist.
voted to call upon Mr.. Madison to resign
the Presidency, con account of the netari.
Gus conduct OF his administration in bring.
ing on the war;" and in the senate, when
democrat offered vote of thanks to the
gallant Lawrence and his crew for the
splendid capture of the Peacock, that mo.
ton was put down, and every wing oftha,
day voted, "that in a uar like the present
,Ooged mishoa just!fable cause, 1t is not be-
coming moral and religious people to er'
press any appreciation Of military or navai
victories."
False az they were to their country in
her peril, the old wings were at least bold in
their action, and decent in their consisten-
cy. True, they did propose TO send James
Madison to join Bonaparte at Elba, for ma
king the "wicked and nefarious war, BIZ,
they did not, in the same breath, laud his
best general, Andrew Jackson, for SO
bravely carrying on that "wicked and ne
farious war;" nor did they get up the cap
ital plot Of defeating Mr.. Madison and put
ting themselves into power, by seizing on
the popularity of the hero ofNew Orleans,
to make him their candidate for the Pres.
ideney'
In this attitude the Massachusetts wings
and their legislature stand prominent.-
Glance over their course for moment:
Congress, on the llth Of May, 1916,
declared that war existed with Mexico,
and when the President called for regi-
ment from Massachusetts, out came our
whig Gov. Briggs, who forgot himself and
his associates for the instant, and proclaim
ed 10 the world on the Goth Of May, THAT
the constitutional authoities of the country
have declared that war with foreign eoun.
try actually exists; that it is alike the die
tate Of patriotism and humanity that every
means, honorable to ourselves and just to
our enemy, should be employed to bring
the war to successful ermination-that
a prompt and energetic cooperation of the
whole people in the use Of those means, is
eminently calculated to produce this result,
and to that end" says he, II call upon the
citizen soldiers Of Massachusetts, al once to
enrol themselves, and to hold Themselves in
readiness to be mustered into the service Of
the republic, ,chen the erigenee's Of the eoun-
try shall require it,
The citizen soldiers promptly obeyed
the call Of their country and OF Governor
George N. Briggs. But the anti slavery
men and the conscience wings nearly upset
George N. Briggs for presuming to side
with his country instead of the enemy, and
forthwith tho Governors patriotism fell
flat below zero. Then Mr.. Webster got
up in Faneuil Hall, and right in the teeth
Of the Governors proclamation that 1.-THE
constitutional authorities had declared
war;" he affirmed that ''nobody uotsd for
the rar; that the President made 1t, u,thout
any cote at all J" and thereat all the wings
in Faneuil Hall shouted aloud!
Then came the disreputable acts Of the
government OF Massachusetts,. "The ext.
gencies Of the country" which the Gov
ernor had exhorted The citizen soldiers 10
meet, arose. Gen. Taylor had triumphed
on the Rio Grande and at Monterey, but
the wings saw more political capital in anti
slavery and anti-war, than in going for
the war. The Governor turned his back
upon the gallant volunteers. The wing
press sneered at enlistments, and held up
starvation and the vomito, to defeat the fill
ling up Of the regiment. Wings and dis
unionists assembled around the doors OF
the rendezvous, and Kissed the brave boys
that came forward to enroll themselves;
while thedemocrats gathered there to make
spirited addresses and encourage the de.
tenders of the country. The enlistnents
went on, individuals devo.ing their time,
pledging their means, and giving their
money to save Massachusetts, from the dis
grace which the wings threatened, Of fail
ing in raising single regiment. The dem
ocratic press urged every appeal to patri-
otism, and the ranks were filled with just
such men as were foremost in the battles
Of the revolution-the hard handed me-
chanics and laborers.
In January, l847, the Massachusetts,
legislature met, all wing. The Governors
message denounced the war, and preached
abolitionism and disunion. The volunteers