Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-07-16
THE ENQUIRER.
Thursday Morning, July Is, Is47.
COLONEL DoNIpHAN,s SPEECH.
MON VA.

lar purpose, we re-publShed The arho3e sketch a.
furnished by the ST. Louis Union. The entire
speech We did not see ill Tuesday night in ,h,
Washington Union. re.published from The ST
Louis Republican. We shall now quote no
only the passages cited by the Wing, but othe
passages OF an important bearing, which, will
the full speech before it, "seem moi TO have al
uacted the (Whig's) attention."
upon returning from our arduous campaign
and when entering upon the bosom OF that nobl,
stream that washes The borders OF your city
when, in passing the magnificent country seats
bright eyes and smiling faces greeted US, ane
white handkerchiels were waved in honor OF The
returning volunteers, we fell that we were suf
ciently rewarded for all our tolls When we al.
rived al the erea, city OF New Orleans, we were
all unknown. That city is the thoroughfart
through which have passed The heroes OF Pale
Alto, Resaca de la Palma, Monterey, Buena
Vista and Cerro Gordo- indeed, the heroes Of al
The brilliant victories achieved in MeIico-and !;
was 10 be supposed that they would have been
wearied long ago Ye, their patriotism, their &c
gard for their country, is unceasins There was
not volunteer in this corps who was not pIoflcr-
ed welcome hand. The Inequalities Of The
city were extended 10 all. Men who arrived
chants who never had seen them, protfered them
everything they wished for their comfort, and
on credit.
"Felow.ci,izens 1t has been said of republics
which have existed heretofore, that they have
been ungrateful. However true The charge may
be with regard 10 former republics, il is not true
OF our own. Patriotism talent and virtue, have
ever been remembered in this government, and
they ever will be.
al, is not for me, fellow-citizens, 10 discuss the
merits Of this war. But il is natural that |, Tor
one, should say something In relation 10 it. Il is
strange war; when FIRST commenced, il was
denounced by large party in our country The
party TO which belong rs war for political
purposes. But, when soldiers were 10 be raised
Tor The prosecution, you find that men OF all par
ties-the opposers and The advocates, the accu.
sers and The accused-were ready 10 engage in
The war, 10 rally under The same standard, 10
fight in the same tented field What spectacle
for the people OF the Old World 10 gaze upon!
"Men who were engrossed in the slIie Of poll
tical prejudices were willing, like Roderick Dhu
and Fiz James, 10 lay aside those prejudiccs Tor
the time, when a common enemy was 10 be en-
gaged-lo renew their discussions, il ever, when
peace should be restored. Fellow. citizens, Iarisi
that The same patriotic feeling hid eristc6 in The
councils of this nation. wish that Mexico could
have seen the same nnanimi.yin our people, in The
pr secu,ion of this war. that they have seen in
our forces In The field. | recolect well the i'm.
preston made on my mind, on one occasion,
when an express. sent by me to General Wool
brought me such stray papers as had found their
way 10 the Generals camp--lhe latest dates were
OF the 29h November-consequently We had
seen nothing Of The proceedings Of the last ses
sion Of Congress, or OF The Presidents message
IT. 6 7
OF Mr.. Corwin, Senator from Ohio, denouncing
The war, and those engaged in il, as liue better
than a band Of robbers. Gentlemen Winter
shower bath would have been pleasant compared
with my sensa ions on reading il! Freezing
chilling! Such speeches might have been dee m.
ed pA,rio,c in The United States; but place your
selves where we have been, and endure what we
have undergone, and then imagine our scnsa.
lions. We we're in city numbering in popula-
ton al least twenty times our force, and ser
rounded By enemies on all sides. We had cross
ed the Sierra Madre, and found, when we had
arrived at Chihuahua, that VIC were locked upon
as little better Than band cf robbers Fellow.
citizens The sps chs ~tci nade IL, opposition ID
this tcar, are sand 10 eranate from The peace party
but / sag that they are made By those pho are post
ponirg The peace eternaily!
AT the honorable Senator'S Cunning 10 Mr.. Ben.
tony plans had been adopted, The war would have
terminated long ago. II our government hat
placed at the disposal of Gems. Scott and Taylor
each 10000 men, they would, ere this, have sub
dued the whole Mexican power. To talk abou
guerrilla warfare is nonsense, agains, such forces
as his. II Gen. Taylor, with $500 men, whip
ped Santa Anna a, Buena Vista, with 10000 HI
would have hunted him down and crushed him
If Gen. Scott had had sufficient force on hi
march from Vera Cruz TO Mexico, 10 establish ;
line Of communication between his army ant
Vera Cruz, he wonld, long ere this, have march
ed into the city of Mexico, and lheIe dictated ,h
terms OF peace.
"Fellow.cilizensl What have we gained by thi
war? OF Gen. Taylor can safely speak, hav
ing been through all his lines OF operation. HI
has gained four distinguished victories-perhap
the most brilliant victories that have ever beel
gained on The continent; and yet he has game
nothing. Why, sir, burning TO Mr.. Benton,) j
il that the efforts OF our army are like The effort
of ievered patient, who spends all his streng
in spasms, and as soon as they are over are pros
trated7 After the brilliant victories which the
have achieved, they have been forced, ior,want
men, ammunition, money and conveyances, 4
lie idle until The enemy have been able 10 ga
strength anew, and then The battles have 10 l.
fought over again. In our victories nothing ha
been gained. Suppose Gen. Taylor remain
where he is, will we have gained anything? FL
has been there ever since last September, and un
less some better means are offered him, he vii
remain there until next October. The expens
of this war is enormous. | have been Told tha
81 600 900 week has been paid TO sustain III
war, and YET Gen Taylor lies in The very posi-
lion where he was eight months, and there h
must ie
although | have not been over Gen. Scott
line Of operations, yet it is clear that he canno
sustain himself from his want OF means. Ill
may take The city Of Mexico, bu, be cannot sus
tain himself ,here-take he may, but ii IS i'm
possible Tor him to keep il. For Santa Anna
although he was stoned when lie went to The Cit
OF Mexico, from some cause he gained new
strength, (some have though, that it arose from
Gen. Scouts proclamation and he will soon hav
an army sufficient to cope with Gen. Scott.
"ll is true, fellow-cilizens, that this war has NO
been without lis effect. II has had great mora
efiec, upon Europe. We now present TO Thu
world spectacle such as we have never belor
presented. 1t has been said that The Uni,et
States could not wage war OF invasion. W.
have shown that we have waged IL successfully
We have shown TO the as,onishment OF The world
that volunteer troops can be depended upon
that private cilizens can be transformed into goo
soldiers by a proper discipline. We have shown
it at the battle of Buena Vista, where The who'll
force was composed Of volunteers; and defy tn
world 10 produce parallel 10 that battle. TIL
whole left wing was turned, and the myriads o
Santa Annals army came pouring down on lha
handful Of volunteers, almost surrounding then
on all sides; yet they we're sufficient TO drive 'hi
superior force, and victory perched on their stan
dards. This, fellow citizens, was done BY volun
teers alone; it was done by volunteers, disciplin
ed in the school of Taylor, and Of that scenth
officer and accomplished gentleman, Gen. Wool.
We ask attention TO the passages iialie'sed
which The Wing has no, even referred 10. d
they not prove what The Democratic press ha
consistently commended, that the speeches made il
opposition to The war have given "ad and com
forl" 10 ,he public enemy, and, in the strong Ian
gusse Of Col. DoniphaD, fare made by thos
who arc poaponing the peace eternally7' Ha
no, the wautoi "una mimiy In our people" cause
by the Wing press and politicians in denouncinl
their own government. and virtually iusliiyinI
the justice of The Mexican cause, had the sam
ef4er, nj UnoSsnonino the o~oco1n NJ WIKI a,