Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1847-02-20
Ritbmuno Dailp fubia.
Substance OF the Remarks

MADE IN TEE SENATE vKsrSIA on Saturday the 18th
of February, ls47. by Mr.. MOORE. OF RoekbridRe up
ON his motion to postpone indefinitely the Resolution.
from the House of Delegates relating TO the Mexican
| War.
Mr.. MooRE and said that before poeeediny Il, anil
NIT the remarks which he desired to offer in support OF
the motion he had just made nc deemed proper to saw
mat m submitting his views upon the be-
tore the Senate, he would designedly say one word
calculated 10 give personal offence any mber of thai
oody-ha the relations Of friendship subsistng between
all the members OF the Senate himself II no other con
sideraon would his saying anything TO which anv
member would have right to take exception. The duty
however, which ne owed his constituents and TO h.
county, required that ne should express la, opinions frank
y and unrescrvedly reference the resolutions them
Selves and TO the conduct OF the President Of the Ured
| states, 10 which they referred.
Mr. VI said he desired be informed in III. 6t.t Nae,
why the resolutions brought forward n all epeei,
al TINS late period OF the session. Was ell the
important and appropriate business Of the scs-ion had
acted on, and nothing else remained be donel No
Scarcely single bill OF importance (of which g--at n.ay
were pending IN the other branch Of the Assembly, had
reached the Senate. That could thsfforc te
son Tor bringing them forward Was because the FRI, nd,
OF the Administration believed that the people By whom
Mr. Folk was elected, and TO whom he responsible for
ms acts were Incapable Of Judging Of the propney Of his
acts and that therefore necessary TO dictate 10 them
what sentence they pas upon hml Or deemed
necessary since sentence Of attenuation had been pro-
nouneed oy me great States Of Pennsylvania and New
York against Mr. Polk for fraud practiced upon them by
him, IN relation TO his opinion tho Tariff, make show
OF great confidence in his Authorization here in Virginia.
Or were the resolutions brought forward of the
editor OF the Unon who CHARGED BY member, of his
own party IN both branches of Congress, with gross
proprietv of eonduct-that he may by display II the
tent OF his power here, of condemnation
belng pronounced against him ihere7 II all these conec
lures were wide Of the mark be wished who de
signed Young tor the resolutions, why they
brought forward, and what purp they intended
| accomplish
Mr. NJ said he could net vote for either the preamble or
the resolutions. He would not vote .s- the preamble be-
cause asserted that which every member OF the General
Assembly knew to be palPably urtrue He spoke of the
resolutions now pending, free and full expression Of
opinion on the great question OF peace which now
sgiates the Union" II notorious taat this wa. not
designed to be Free full, candid expression Of opinion
Inc previous question had been called in the House in
which the resolutions offered Ihe very outset
a. 10 cut OIL all debate and everything Ike free and full
expression OF opinion and strong indications were given
OF disposition pursue the in the Senate No
time Tor consideration reflection had been allowed after
the resolutions brought forward. With what show
Of propney then, could be said that this free and
iu expression OF opinion by the General Assembly, And
yet was the obvious design impose preamb and
these resolutions upon the public free expression
oplnlon gwen alter due deberation important
Jeci by the Representatives Of the people of Virginia.
The same objection applied the first resolution aad
IN sui stronger degree-that is 1t asserted be
nue. which every man knew be the very reverse OF the
TACT Here MI VI. read the first resouton1 The evil
dent design OF the resolution IT IL did not eay 80 in so
many words was TO convey the idea that the grew
ehuiey out Of aggressons on the part OF McIro; whilst
II was perfectly clear, that the immediate obvious
cause OF the unnecessary, unwise and unau
thorIIed act Of the President OF the United States The
Immediate cause OF the unquestionaby was the order
gwen by President Polk General Taylor march from
Corpus Chrsu into the disputed territory, to station
his army opposite Ma,amoros. The outrage. on the
part OF Mexico alluded to in the resolution, could have
been the the They had transpred yea
oeiore-hey hsd been considered by Congress- which had
refused 10 declare that account-and cannot uit
any show OF propety truth be said to have boueht ON
the war. The order given General Taylor not ONLY
Old IN tact bring on the war but the natural # not
me inevitable effect OF the order, that should do So and
MIR. NJ confidently appealed to the candor Of gentlemen
on the other SIDE say, they did believe that no
war would have broken out between Mexico and the Uni
ted states up 10 ms ume IT the oer to had not
| been given BY the President
Tie territory beyond the Neuces had never been in the
possession OF the United States or OF Texas, though
claimed by the latter but had always and was then
the actual occupation OF the Mexcans who claimed a.
their own and the invasion that territory by an armed
force under those circumstances upon every princi
pie acknowledged by the laws nations an act of war
But even that did not ITSELF the eree
uon OF iorthcauOn, or staOning Of army SO as TO
overlook large and Important town. situated on Territory
acknowledged 10 belong to Mexico was faqrant insult
to which no nation having the slightest regard for hon
or could submit Ii any foreign had offered 4 sim
liar insult TO the United States the whole nation woud
have been unanimous and e!lmorous for Suppose
for example said Mr.. that Virginia had a town sim
aed Ike the town OF Manchester. aud the State Of Mary
and 10 be foreign State; and the ground on the
opposite side OF the actually belonged 10 her and sb
should station army overlook the virginia town
and command II by their guns does any one believe there
= man IN Virginia who very bastard that he would
not be willing TO go resent the INSULT Such
man cannot be found in the Old Dominion
The war, then, was actually commenced by the Presi-
dent OF the United S9tes. And done without soy
constitutional authority necessity for so doing If II be
said that Mr. Pok did intend 10 bring on war by his
order &c invade the disputed territory and that he did not
Know that the invasion OF the territory claimed BY Mexico
and in her actual possession amounted 20 an act of war
10 ony shows want OF common sense and 5ree cf g
noranee utterly incompatible with any idea of his fitness
for the station which he holds Presdel Of the United
states 1t is only necessary FOR any to reject Tor
moment what Iais county England wou.- have done
under similar eeumstanees satisfy MIN war was
a|nnna ~ "a e.
given BY Mr.. Polk 10 Cen Taylor, the aspg os-
session Of the Territory dispute had not under ec4.
| stances attending u, amounted 20 in itse {.
The second resolution tenders 10 the Preside 4 o. bs
United States. the cordial thanks OF this Gener.l Assem-
bly, tO the justice. fmness aud eminsn; ability with which
he has conducted the war with Mexico"
Mr.. NJ desired be informed in wha, the evidence o.
the justice and ability with which Mr. Polk mad conducted
the consisted Was ~ said Mr.. VI. wise or prudent
IN the President, order Gen Taylor TO advance W i'm our
Army OF less than three thousand men, into country in
possession Of Mexico inhabited by her citizens and claim.
ed her and TO UieF gTant insult TO the nation
oy EXng his cannon IN position command aud over
the city o Maamofos whcn he knew or ought 10
known. that the MeNicans wouiJ have night regard the
set a. the commencement ct opsn hostites-and that
they had well disciplined army OF from seven 10 fifteen
thousand men, IN the immedsie vicinity Was IL ta,f
to the Army % expose Il 10 such imminent danger of be
irg overpowercd by superior numbers-ind that too IN
position distant from borders as IL preclude
me possibility OF rs receiving timely assistance from
United states Was Just, or u1ananmous, fair IN
the President TO cause permit his Organ. a newspaper
set up oy hUse aud paid OF the public treasury lin
tie snsPs OF public plat nv Tor the purpose
oi h5clng al who may dare di.;-r wi,h the Admins
uauon, 20 make IN nsdous atcmIi % throw the whole
blame Of anticipated defeat on the Commander of the Ar
my when he knew that Gen Taylor scicd IN obedience TO
he own orders in all that he JIG N''her the serious
pIehension which prevailed hrovghy- e county for Cen
Taylor ard he Army, from tie time o., N-Ncans crossed
tho Rio Grands up the tine that sc Glorious victories
of the -ih and yh ct May act,cvcd-n,r the ef
fort % throw the whole blame Of hs stuato1 ON the
Commander Of the army BY tho U1.ol--c4u be forg,t.
ten' But nn sooner had hoe victories which covered
the afmy nud s .cadcf with glory. and r,dounded o. the
credit ID the nation, been achieved. than this same OF
gan claimed the whole credit Of Tor the Ad
minisuauon success be Mr.. NJ would venture q,
cay. obtained spite of the failure the Government Co
iurash Cen Taylor with sufficient force, o. with neces-
sny supplies Was this an evidence Of the Presijents
justice iowards brave army Was the act of re-
calling The volunteers called out by Gen. Games with OH
APPRECIATION o. all parties the STATE OF Louisiana and OF