Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1847-02-20

'achsoh, W meet the brlii5h Then expected
at New Orleans, but who did not come till
1914. | was then Of rank, and in posi-
ton, to have commanded, if we had met,
every general now in service. Even in
the regular army, in 1918, was Leu,en.
ant Colonel, while most of the present gen
erals were company officers, and only one
OF them Of the rank of colonel. Ye, |
scorned to mention these things even to boz
som friends, while the measure was depend
ing, and only do it now for the purpose Of
rescuing the President from the supposed
| breach of military decorum which the an.
poinlment OF a citizen from civil life (myself
being that citizen) to the command of the
army.
Finally, and 10 conclude the vindication
OF the President in this particular, can say
that Mr.. Polk is not the first President who
proposed to give me the command Of the
army against Mexico-that Gen. Jackson,
himself proposed it in 1886, when our aft
airs with that country looked warlike; and
that then, as now, agreed to take it. And
here, Mr.. President, having fulfilled nv task
of indicating the Chief Magistrate Of the
Union from the design, alphabetically i'm.
Puted to him, Of wishing to appoint his sue
SSSScIs III pClSOlIs Nv means oil lnis
'eutenant'genera'ship; might close my re
marks: but as my name has been coupled
with this business, and as | have remained
silent, and even left my seat, while the nea
sure was deepening, must now take leave,
with the kind indulgence of the Senate, to
proceed step further, and to say word
on my own account; and 10 show that SCI,
Utce, and not rank. was my induccment TO
agree TO the offer of the President. and that
there mIgt have been cases in which would
not have accepted the office OF lieutenant.
general, even II it had been created.
have already said that will not now
show what my own plan was; bu, | can
say OF IT, that it was plan which looked 10
a result, and promise! az issue. and that
briefly; and that would have had nothing
to DO with any plan Of any other kind -
nothing 10 do with any plan that contem.
plated long and moderate war, or war
OF mastery inactivity, or OF a retreat upon
the Rio Grande. or of defending a line, or
OF attack upon the idle and solitary castle
OF San Juan OF Ui!oa--especiaIiy at the
commencement OF The season for the black
vomit. la no one OF these cases would
have been Lieutenant general, or captain gen
eral, or malor.general, or colonel. generdl, or
any other sort OF general that ever was
heard of. | know very well that the Pres
Ident md no idea OF any one Of these mos,
amlable plans; but there is way to give
him an idea Of them, and even to force them
upon him; and that would be, by the sim
pie process OF denying him the means OF
doing any thing else. shall not state my
plan; bUt | will say of il, that, besides in.
tending result, il proposed to carry on the
war, while there was war, according 10 the
usage OF all nations III the case of invasive
waF-the invaders to be paid and subsisted
by the invaded. Contributions regularly
Ieved-duies regularly collected
accomplish these objects, and leave the U.
States tree, or nearly free. from the expen-
SEES OF the war. can say, further, that my
plan was not limited to a mere view of the
subject; that il comprehended a union 0.
policy and 0! arms-lhe olive branch to 90
with the sword; ministers to ,real as well
as an army TO fight.
A diplomatic mission, nationally consti.
tuted, both in geographical and political
sense, was to attend the head quarters; and,
while the minister stood ready 10 negotiate
at every step, the army was to take an or
ganlzatlon and an attitude TO give empha
sis TO negotiation. And this combination
of arms and of policy, was not mere guess
work, the idle conception of fancy; but the
result Of a knowledge of the state Of parties
in Mexlco-a peace party, for honorable
peace; war party, for endless war--as
was so LUMINOSITY shown by the Senator
from New York Mr.. DIX few days ago.
My plan was adapted 20 both of these par
ties-honorabe peace for one; the sword
for the other. The military part OF the plan
has fallen to the ground; the diplomatic
part falls with it; and now it devolves upon
those who have frustrated the plan Of the
President to present him better.
| counted much on the efficacy of the dl
plomatlc part OF this plan; for great errors
prevail in Mexico with regard to our designs
and feelings towards them, and which moth,
ing but an authentic mission could remove.
The war party is incessant in its ca!umnies
against US, artfuy con,r,ved to operate on
every class of the people, and to render
peace impossible. Ii has a fasehood for
every class. 10 the religious orders, the
war is represented as war of religion
the Protestant against the Ca,holIc--and "a
war of sacrilege-the spoliatiou of the
churches. To the creole Spaniards and the
Indians of mixed blood, they present it as
war of races--the Ang Saxon against the
Spanish Amercan--and the subiugation OF
the latter intended. To the mixed Indian
race, (nearly the one half of the whole pop.
uIatlon, and the sole resource of the army
for its rank and hle,) it is presented as a
war OF extinction, or OF slavery---their race