The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1847-03-06

VI,
other legislative body, have never known ~
! so empty and ridiculous. Every one of h;s
charges IS founded either in gruss error ar
statement OF facts. some forced and absu,a
| conclusion. may begin with the very frs, ,b.,
ne maoe. Tie had the assurance to assert in IN.
presence OF me Senate, that was the first To in
| Iouuce The question. who was the real anthor a.
cause OF this ware Now. appeal 10 every son,
tor' and every other individual who was presen,
on the occasion. whether the senator from Ten.
ntssee, Mr. Turney1 did not frs, CHARGE m.
WIN being the author of this war. and whether
o'u n"' limit myself Ia repeng his charge bv
showing That 1t originated in the order TO General
Taylor, to march from Corpus Christi and ,aka
position on the Rio del Norie2 ro further and
ASK Is ihere senator here ignoran nj Of the fact
MA. 'he question, OF who was the author or canse
W me war. mad been long before elahoratelv dis
cussed IN this body lin the Huuso of Represeni,.
yves, and throughout the whole country from ;,s
declaration up to that time. In the face of all
ms The senator rises up in his pace after lonr
ana iaoorious preparation, and asserts that il was
VINO originated the inquiry, as tn who was tic
au'hor' lhis is fair sample Of the accuracy of
tue senator, In his numerous allegations to show
That was the author of the war miobt IN nm
ana lake them mp one by one. and show that
every one ct his positions and deductions is equal.
" unionhded IN fact or false in conclusion I CO.
not deem II necessary. large portion of his
speech was but the stale repetition of what be
said IN the session of lS42-'43 when the treaty.
which had concluded with Texas. was pnde,
discussion in this body. All the documents nav
brought forward. were then before the Senate.
ana he went over the same topics very elaborate.
w. ana win much more power than on the pre-
sent occasion. without making any impression en-
TIE country The country was agains, him then
| ana still remains against him. and il ia in vain
| mat he undertakes TO disturb its settled conyic
| Hon. IL viii remain ever unchanged, in spite Of
all that he can do Under this con viction. I win
not weary The Senate, by repelng assaults then
made and then repealed. The most prominent of
| The charges-lhe orders given by the adminis,,,-
ton 10 place fleet in the Gulf of Mexco. and !.
portion OF the army on the frontier of 'rexas-
was repelled by my then colleague, GMr. Nc
Dnihe, of whom he speaks so highly on this oc
cason In repelling it, he said, that if the orders
TO which the senator then and now objects. had
not been Issued, the Executive would have been
guilty OF great derelic,ion of duty
The Florida treaty. forming another spbiect If
attack, figured also on that occasion, in connexion
WIN annexation; and what he has said now ia
out repetition of what he said then He then
as now, made me responsible for that treatv
although was but one of six members of Mr.
Monroe's cabinet, and the youngest of its mem
bers-responsiblc. ilhout ADVANCING n particle of
PROOF 10 show that even gave il my support or
appreciation. He rests the CHARGE on some dis
caimer, as 1t seems. that the then Secretary of
otate (Nlr. Adams) has, at some time made
that he was not responsible for the treaty. The
senator may be right as to that but how can that.
by any possibility. show that | was responsible
But am prepared to take my full share of respon
sbility as member of Mr. Monroe's cabinet
without having any particular agency in FORMING
lhe treaty, or influence in inducing the cabinet to
adopt It, then thought, and still think il good
treaty and thought the Senate CT The United
States; for. if my memory does not deceive me,
II received nearly every vote of the Senate "a
Senator. Yes, every voie."1 II then receiv-
| ed the unanimous vote of the Senate, promptly
gwen. OF course, if that treaty was the cause of
the war with Mexico as the senator seems TO
| suppose, this body Is much the author and
cause OF the war, the individual on whom he ia
| now so anxious to fix il.
| have said it is good treaty, not without due
reflection. We acquired much by It, II gave US
| Florida-an acquisition not only important in IL
self, but also in reference to the whole south
western frontier. There was at that lime, four
powerful tribes of Indians, two of whom-the
Greeks and the Chocia ws-were contiguous to
Florida, and the two others-the Chckasaws and
Cherokees-were adjoining. They were the most
numerous and powerful tribes in the United
States, and, from their position, were exposed to
be acted on and excited against from Florida
1t was important tina, this state of things should
terminate, which could only be done by obtaining
the possession of Florida
| But there were other and powerful considers.
iiOns for the acquisition. We had short time
before extingnshed The Indian tile TO large tracts
OF country in Alabama. Mississippi, and Georgia,
lying upon streams and rivers which passed through
Florida to the Gulf-lands in great measure
vaIneless, without the right Of navigating them To-
their mouths The acquisition of Florida gave
mp this right, Enabled TO bring into cultivation
great extent Of fertile lands, which have added
much to the Increased production of our great sta
Ple-coton. Another important point was effected
by the acquisition. IA terminated very trouble
some dispute with Spain, growing out Of The cap.
ture OF St. Marks and Pensacola by General
jackson in the Seminole war snd finally, il per-
| iecied our lille to Oregon. by cedng TO us what
ever right Spain bad to that Territory
| Such is the treaty on which the senator has Law
ished so much of his abuse ; bot there were other
reasons for adopting the Sabine rs the boundary,
end OF which was ignorant at the time the treaty
was formed and to the know ledge Of which have
come within the last few years. Mr. Monroe, if
am correctly Informed, in adopting that line, acted
under circumstances which left him little option
am not at liberty to state them-the information
received conidenllally. II is sufficient to state
that he had ascertained that the Senate would not
| raiity treaty with boundary farther west It
was communicated to him by senators Of first res
probability. Their reason for refusing to raliry
treaty which would extend the boundary beyond
Inc Sabine, do not choose 10 90 into although it
was communicated TO me with the information 10
which ! have alluded
But if we take out Of the speech of the senator
what he has stated in relation to annexation and
the Florida treaty, in which, | have stated he
has bot repeated old and stale charg, S, that made
not the slightest impression the country at the
time, what is there left Of his present attack upon
mel II Is surprising that a man Of his experience
and sagaciIy should suppose that the repetition Of
these thread bare charges, regarded as futile when
FIRST made, should make any impression now
Indeed I NAV cunsjdey myself olIiged tn him for