The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-01-06

countrys honor and their countrys cause against the
OF the opposition and he ,eo'ced moreover
because II afforded their friends admirable an oppor
tgllty OF proclamng to the world the principles ana
opinions which they entertain concerning the present
struggle OF their country with foreign power lie
would lay no great claim to knowledge OF the mys-
ferrous study OF human nature, did he lay CLAIM 10
any extraordinary knowledge OF the American people
but he knew enough of both, to feel perfectly satisfied
that the efforts made by the opposition there,
unfounded attacks upon the administration. Inc
course which they had chosen to pursue, would ult-
maely recoil with ten-fold violence upon their own
heads. In fact those sentiments were blows aimed at the
very vts of the party, whose advocates had so unwise
y promulgated them, In this great crisis, when the
country waglng Just war with mefciIess ana
treacherous peopewhen the OF the world were upon
them, and foreign nations ready TO Ind fault with
them, he thanked Heaven that there was too much
Of the eaven of patriotism IN the great mass oil The
American people TO suffer gentlemen to promugate there
elsewhere, argumentsor assertions rathergoing d.
recty to sustain the and justify the cause oil Their
enemies and against that OF their common country And
although gentlemen might disguise this matter as they
peased-although they might pretend that they Were
willing to- see the war vigorously prosecuted, while al
sible the author OF the war-ahough they might as
sert that whilst with all the skill, ability ingenuity and
learning they possessed they were STRIVING day alter da
TO prove the country and the world that their country
was engaged in Just war begun wrongtully,
and without causethat the Executive, to bring about,
was compelled usup powers which did not belong to
him. and that they (Americans the only mscreants
and that Mexico the injured party-he SAID, while
acting thus, they might, with the BREATH assert their
PATRIOTISM and declare that they were ANXIOUS 10 see nis
unjust vigorously prosecuted yet let them mark then
condition. The American people would not be satisfied
with such special pleading, such nice distinctions, such
pary preeXts but they would hold those who endeav-
ored to parayze the strong OF the country by STRIVING
prove the world that II had been raised In an unjust
cause, as reereant to the high trust which had
been confided to them there, and worthy OF the
Indignation which would inevitably be visited upon
such conduct The which he had heard had
satisfied him that such course, instead OF weak
ening the hands of the administration, would have
the sreDrhpn them. lend
the democratic party, and TO convince the people
the whole land OF the justice of their counys cause, and
of the purity OF the whom they had called to the
ecutive chair At the same time, he was perfectly will
hing to listen to the opposition There was not one rea-
son offered by them to which he did not listen with at
tention and interest, if not qualification and pleasure at
the same tme he thought their most harmless
The sophstry with which they had attempted to bna
the eyes of the people, had been exposed over and over
again, and their unfounded argument fully met and
futed This had been ably done by gentlemen who had
preceded him debate, and his own poor effort
was, perhaps, superiuous; but ne could not iee
that he doing his duty to the people which
he had the honor represenhe could consider that
he was doing what demanded of him by his const
uens, il he remained longer silent on such an occasion
as this While those constituents were sending into
the field to fight the battles OF their country he could not
remain SILENT and hear the pretencc urged that his
try sending them there to fight in an unjust war
He had rsen therefore, add his poor mite in favor of
the cause in which the country was engaged He pre-
sumed that while portion OF the wing party upon that
floor declared that they were ndp perfectly willing asS to
w
whether they esteemed this unusa not !;
and while another party declared that it ut
tery UNJUST yet in favor OF its vigorous prosecu
ton, he presumed there could be mistake about one
thing, at least: that the position taken some days
ago BY the gentleman from Ohio, Mr. GIDpINGs,l one of
those who voted against the the last He
distinctly, clearly, and unequvecally declared that the
unnecessary and unjust. And, having made this
declaration having made this open avowal of his
conviction, in very few dnoments afterwards, with
all the courage he could summon, and in the most
unmeasured terms he attacked the President for
ntmating shat there amongst them certain per-
whose conduct calculated to lend aid and COM
FORT to the country's enemies He (Mr b. glad to
hear that that gentleman-One OF those fourteen who
voted against the war-had the candor to stand up and
the sentiments which his vote then indicated These
fourteen destined to be famous in story. Their
names were destined to descend to postery connex
ion, he feared, with those illustrious worthless who
gaapty opposed their country its last great struggle
with Great Britain But the gentlemen avOwed the war
to be unjust Let them look at that matter for moment
II openly declared there that the United States were
engaged in prosecuting an unjust war. They knew this
fact, that
''Thrice is he armed who hath his quarrel just"
That fiction of the poets brain-no idle express
sion flung forth TO fill up the round the period
was the solemn annuncaton of the fact which he who
knew human nature almost well if he made it, had
given as the result Of his experience. If this was the
TACT that the who had his quarrel JUST could stand
before tha world and contend that he was three times
armed, he was a match for three men who knew that
their quarrel was unjust There was no fact more true
in Holy Writ than this Thepersonal experience Of eve
~ man around him would attest It,
"Ifiustice smile upon us, we stand clad
In panopIy OF truth But if her voice
BE raised against us, tn an with quailing spirit
And palsied arm, We face the foe
Should they, them be told that those who, upon that
floor elsewhere united their skill and abilities to prove
to the world that their countrys engaged in
unjust waro array the of their enemies in the
sacred garb of justceto fling around it the halo OF the
pure light Of truho invest it with the triple armor Of
her strengthshoud they be told that these men did not
lend aid and comfort to their countrys enemies ,
Should they be told that such conduct this was not
well calculated to dampen the zeal and chill the aror of
their countrys defenders Should they be told that the
speeches which had been uttered in that House would
the President of the United States be denounced
because he had expressed his opinion that such con-
duct on the part of the people of the nation was CAL
culated TO aid and encourage the enemy' But he must
pause there for moment for the purpose of congra
atng the gentleman from Ohio the superior discretion
the better part Of vaor-he would congratulate him that
he had shown himself more discreet than some of his
colleagues and conpeers upon that hoorfor he having
armed the Mexicans three times-having invested
them with the impenetrabe of usce-having
proved to his satisfaction that their cause
from any further battle leaving all that had been taken
from them, including the whole of Texas But many of
ms friends were not quite so discreet Much more chv-
alrous souls, they did not deem the paltry Mexcans
worthy OF their notice till they had three times armed them
by lending them the panopy of justice They could not
draw the sword in defence of their own country till they
had produced to the world that they engaged in an
unjust unholy But for the world-for the
whole wordthey would not be considered as giving aid
and encouragement to the enemy; and they had even
denounced the President because his opinion was that
this triple armor did lend 'ad and comfort" to the ene-
my But having taken this broad and bold position that
the unjust and should be continued no farther
he was really IN hopes that the gentleman from Ohio