Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1847-01-07
SPEECH or Mr.. Baker. or ILLINOIS,
ON THE MEXICAN WAX,

ON THE MEXICAN WAX.
In rnr HOUSE, % REPRESENTATIVES. DrcrsnEn 2s'
Mr.. Baker then rose and addressed the COMMITTEES
Tie said: Mr.. Chairman beg leave 10 return my pro
found acknowledgements 10 very many gentleman on an
sides Of this House who have kindly offered 10 oreg'
then Intentions 10 attempt al rcssing The House, IN OF
der that might b. permitted To say few words this
morning. before take my departure on my return 10 the
army IN Mexico. While ! return my thanks t'r the
Kindness bcg leave to add that am sure II IN intended
by them II received by mc-any ms n tribute 10
The gallanty Of these with whom II has been my good
fortune 10 be- asaocaied Sir feel hnmhed and ahashed
when l9ci upon how little II has hccnm my fortune I"
do 10 deserve such kindness whether bestowed upon me-
personality, OF Ms the representative o my brethren IN
SIR, wish that instead Of myscll II were the gal
liant Davis, WIN. respnlng his seat this floor has
baycly fought the battles o his country, that now nd
dressed YOU II bad been his fortune 10 stand here and
receive the congratulations and praise whch he has So
nohy earned. You would have mnfe fitting object On
whom 10 hslow yor kindness, or as tof myself can
pretend 10 merit It has been my ev,l fortune to be
lri far IN the Of the war aud II NOW venture In
say few words or those with whom lam associated -
whether those who gaantly sustained the fortunes of
their country III the hlood, streets Of Monterey, these
who, cncounterng still stcnof fate, have been forced To
die the banks oi the RIO Grandc-l hey tins House
10 believe thai While II is indeed pleasant task 10
dcavurto aid them them this House Is. the either
painful 10 stand here rs do after months service.
deserving credit, and desiring yet 10 receive no
ost1nshmcnt lhatl have listened to porpn Of this dc
bale. am sure that at his moment II Is no, imagined
by your gallant volunteer army that m THIS the thId
week Of the session. the Congress Ut the United States
cngagcd IN grave and Important discussion 10 mos
IN Ohio, aud the nature al the vote by which nplCs,n
tatvcs IN the next Congress have b. cn elected, The
men who fought nj Monterey the men Who are entitled
10 all honor and the mp hest d. do supp that
such state oi things can eNlst here. Tie men WIN
have survived the fierce assaults OF dscaso the RIO
! (.Vnn hay, NnI,n
that the Of pay, clothing. aud every comior,-by
whose fault, whether by the fault Of any one they did
not say-thc who amid all these snllcrngs
eagerly lookng Ia the front Tor the foe and anNousl,
awaiting from thcf friends al hulnr-th,so men
certainly did not anticipate such state 81 things that
OF which must inform them EXISTING here, have
been SOM times led 10 believe, slnrrmy arrival IN Wash
gton. thai the Congress of the n,d States moi per
city mi rmcd 10 the true condition ut things III Mex
co. Whether thai be not. shall do myself the
honor Ia make few statements 81 ia"i a" tai design
10 crsr,r moment IN an, paril1an controversy on
this Il an. Where my symrathies are NOW. and where
the, have been. Is we'll known. Where they have hccn
they still are and there through good evil rune they
will remain torevcrl But nj the present moment can.
understand that hlp' or "dcmucIa has auy thing
To do with the question which is ought to be- be
fore the House, aud design, II be possible. without
nylhlng OF partisan feeling, Ia urge upon the memb' n
OF this House 10 act immediately -eilccIually at once
nowir tins gallant army ,lahorng, tolIng, bleeding,
!
take tins opportunity TO say that the army IN Mexico
needs more aud more money and lhoy need 1t
have been Informed that the ipc,s now operating III
Mexico, including Wool's column. Tuyor's column aud
Buffers and Palcson's divisions, did exceed II 500
effective lighting men; excluding possibly aud vet not
certainly Gatss artillery battalion and two new ngi-
menis called the Oregon regiments. recruiting, and some
OF the companies oi winch have perhaps already arrived
at Iampico. With that army there is 10 be
covered which eau handy attempt 10 describe
The gallant and honor bic speaker here briefly skccl ed
The vast aroa al present occupied by the United States
trc,s IN Mexico and also described The numerous places
that Were 10 br garrnod and the heavy demands which
must be met IN consequence 81 the great extent Of lines
Of communication 10 be Inc kcptup All this. Che pro
ceedcd } cannot be douc with army Of OOO-l2UO
-l3,WU-l4,UO men. | doub-yrt | cypress tins
opinion with great dlid"ncc-l doubt whether be pos
sIbe with the best troops mcrca ever sent forth 10
conplIsh all that aud America did send
firth army skul, gallant, untlIDching, than
that in Mexico to day. But rccolcc thai the amy II
10000 men Is Ia be- scattered over extending t,m
10 west five hundred miles, and ur hundred miles
from north 10 SOUTH where the modes II communication
are doubtful, and the population h stle. When all tins
remembered ASK how Is 10 lie cXpoctodh"w Is II
possible that the advance continue lc, as II has
ben, marked with glory and honorl have heard 1t
sand, sir, not oen, but yet decidedly. that there is no
use III reinforcing 10 any great extent an army IN Mex
c because, even II you advanced to the city Of Mexico
ITSELF you Will be peace than you now. II
tal he Lur They should have Thought o II before they
declared the war, and certainly bcuc they adopted the
plan Of invasion. am ui those, Mho without al
tempting 10 discuss at tins moment whether night
or Wrong III the manner IN which the was brought
on acted IN the belief that Ne had commenced the
attack upon what claimed as American slil-or ter
mt ~ which the gallant American army had been s,.u
and was not vii ing 10 yield the claim; was not vii
ling then, and am willing But even if the
war were Just admitted on all hands il does moi fol
low ncc' ssry tn. II was 10 Lea Wal # INVASION As
OF defence IL has been hey md al d,scrp IN glorious
Ia the American arlns-a war the remainder Of the
was lost The OF my aston last spring was
not necessarily incumbent upon Us, but with the almost
unanimous consent, lar This House could act with
scarcely Dissenting yuce AS understood am ngs those
w,o expressed that opinion the subject. All parties
and classes said II wem,sl have war, let 1t be bci and
sudden. Wei, obtained three great battles In doing
have advanced II Is true some three hundred miles
the MeAlan territory; yet have scarcely 10 any
pcrcepble extent, crippled their resources, weakened
their power. On the contrary, it has been very much
doublcd-and am one who doubs-Whclhcr Mexico is
stronger than ever-nore natonalizrd more conccn
rated in public opinion, looking with more undivided
glance towards single hcad-and. | was about say
more herolcyes will say, heroic than cver-ior
they always heroic who rush defend their country
capable OF sustaining the desperate and prolonged
conflict apprehend that from this Of iacls--in
which am sure every gentleman will agree with me
that ought to derive Consciousness # the duty de
volvn. upon towards the war Aud is on that point
only that | desire especially 10 be- heard and for
that purpose only do open my lips ALL will not
und rake the task Of predicting this moment whtth
1t is IN power 10 compel apace, If