Weekly national intelligencer., 1847-01-02

from the Secretary of the Navy transmitting report from
the Commissioner of Pensions, embracing a list of the
of persons who have applied for relief under the navy
pension laws and whose claims have been rejected with the
therefor y which letter and report laid upon the
! table.
1 DEBATE IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
The resolution proposing to refer the Presidents Message
to appropriate committees being under consideration
Mr.. GORDON, of New York. said that he had risen on
the present occasion rather to give frank expression to the
opinions he held the subjects which had been under dis
in the present debate than into any elaborate
argument the doctrines OF the law of nations.
But before he did this he must briefly pay his respects to
of the arguments which employed by the Oppos
ton, both in this House and throughout the country general
w. The Wing party body against the existing
with Mexico The orators, scrbes and leaders OF that party,
well here through the public press had denounced as
| unjust, unholy, and "damnable"
Mr.. JOS r. INGERSOLL here interposed, and the floor
being yielded him for the purpose explanation observed that
he and always had been steady adheen of what
denominated the Wing party in these United States. And
he spoke his sentiments and he believed those OF his
cal friends generally certainly those of his constituents,
when he said the Wing party not opposed the present
with Mexico.
Mr.. GORDON said he happy find that the gentle
who had just taken his seat honorable exception
| to the general rule.
Mr. POLLOCK here rose and said he wanted to add his
testimony
But Mr.. GORDON refused further to yield the floor If
gentlemen wanted to make any explanations disclaimers
floor.
He repeated the assertion that the Wing party generally
here might be individual exceptions well that floor
throughout the country were opposed to the war with
Mexico, and those who not would when the time for
action came, have full right to redress themselves.
We engaged in with Mexico. Our armies were
in the field fleets upon the ocean the eyes OF all
Europe bent watching with deep and interested
attention the progress of the contest.
Here Mr.. W. HUNT called the attention of the Chair to
the disorder and noise which prevailed his and which
prevented the remarks of his colleague from being heard
that quarter of the hail.
The CHAIR endeavored to bring gentlemen to order.
Mr. GORDON recapituated He had said that armies
were in the enemys country conqneng province after pro
OF their territory and that fleets their coast,
blockadng their ports and sweeping their 0
merce they had from the The statesmen and pol
clans the Old World closely watching the progress of the
contest specuaing its results and consequences not only
on the commerce of the world but especially the pro
gress and prospects Of free institutions among As part
of this great drama, they bhed the Wing party in the United
States figuring upon the stage opposition to the and
unousy denouncng as unjust unhoy, and aggressive on
our part
Now, Mr.. G. had often asked himself the question: how
did happen that, every which this country had
been engaged from the struggle of the Revolution down to
this hour that party bad always been opposed to the
Of their country whatever might be its or cha
racter Be foes who they might, savage civilized,
still was the The party took sides with the foreign
Power and against their Government They found fault
with the Seminole they found fault with the Greek
they found fault with the Black Hawk they abused the
existing Administration, whatever il might be- for every
il engaged in be the what it might How this
how did happen why this party invariably to be found
in this position 1t could be without there
be permanent abiding the bottom of it.
would not be always Mr. G. had often reflected the
fact, and he could ascrbe to other motive than
dissatisfaction at heart with all free with the adj
of the principles of human liberty in the world and
secret desire that own Government assmlatcd
to the monarchica Governments Of the Old World He could
hardly bring himself to ascbe it TO political game
IL WI w nd
with whom il might the Whg party always opposed to
it. If this was indeed mere party game, was about as
cedable to them as i was to gentleman to play cards on
Sunday just about. "A laugh.
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gentry had said,
here Mr. g. quoted that part of his speech which ascbed
the to Executive usurpation &c To this gentleman it
matter wholly unmportant how this id which his
country was engaged conducted how proceeded, or
what might be its result all he concerned about was
how did it begin who began it it by the Presidents
usuping to himself the warpower Of this Government or
IT from the exercise of that power by Congress Mr. g.
would answer that gentleman b saying it begun by nei
therbut by Mexico it begun neither by the President
of the United States the Congress of the United States
but by the Mexican Government and the testimony be-
fore the gentleman and before tho whole world that such
the fact.
Onhc 10Th ofMay last bill passed that House declaring the
fact that existed by the of Mexico herself and that
teman voted that b-and therein voted supplies to carry
the begun This the gentleman had himself done, as
the Journal of the House would show. There had in fact
been but fourteen members in that House found to record their
votes against 1t and the Senate the bill passed almost
unanimously there being perhaps two voices against it, Thus
law passed granting and money! under the express
declaration its very face that the had been begun by
Mexico.
But Mr. g. would content himself with referring to this
solemn official declaration, almost unanimously made by both
Houses Congress He would refer to prominent facts
that marked the commencement OF the war.
The first of war; whatever might have been the
previous intentions of Mexico, found the orders of the
Mexican Government to the commander Of the Mexican army
dated the 4h April and issued by Paedcs the then Pre-
sden Of the called Republic to attack the American forces
in Texas wherever he might find any, by all the nhs
power which justified by the laws of war; This order
had been given before It possible that the Mexican auho
rites could know Of the advancing of troops the Rio
Grande marching they had done under orders from the
War Department, to regard the Mexican people at peace
with to inure no Mexican property disturb Mexi-
can settlement And what the sepl The Mexican
troops, acting under these orders from their Government,
crossed the ve attacked army and shed American blood
American soil They attacked Gen Taylors army on the
sth OF May, it returning from its depot of stores at
Point Isabel to Fort Brown, the American side of the Rio
Grande Then followed the glorious battles Of the Sth and
9th at Pao Alto and Resaca de Ia Palma. The Mexican
army threw itself his path and commenced attack
upon his forces long before they had reached the left bank Of