The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1847-03-04
Delivered in Senate, Eel. 81. ,s,7

Delivered in Senate. Feb. 81, 1877.
This opportunity was taken bv the Nilsson,
senator, to make direct attack upon Mr.. Cal
noun. The first four columns of his speech, a.
reported in the Union. is taken up with the effor
l" prove that ii was by Mr.. c. 5 acts from 1915
to The close of Mr.. Tyler's administration. iha
the present war with Mexico is owing. VIZ
have not room for the mass of matter, but con,en,
ourselves with The conclusion, which strikes the
deepest and strongest at the grea, Southerner.
Mr.. Benton says
l now come TO the last act in this tragedy n,
errors--ihe alternative resolutions adopted nv
Congress IN the last days of the session of 1874
40, and IN the last moments of Mr. Tyler's nd
mlnisirati0n. resolve. single and absolute had
been made by the House Of REPRESENTATIVES !,
came to this body; and an alternative resolution
was added. subject to the choice Of the President
authorizing negotiations for the admission. and an
propriaiina 100000 to defray the expenses ot
these negotiations. A senator from North earn.
lima. not now member Of this body, bu, who
have the pleasure To see sitting near me. TMr
Haywood knows all about that alternative Ieso.
luton. and his country owes him good thanks far
his abors about it. II was considered by every.
body, that the choice between these resolut;on.
belonged TO the new President, who had been
NJ
Texas, and who was already in the city. await.
ing the morning of the 4th of March to enter upon
The execution of his duties. and upon whose ad
ministration all the evils of a mistake in the
choice of these resolutions were TO fall We all
expected the question to be left open to the new
President; and so strong was that expectation.
and so strong the feeling against the decency or
propriety of interference on the part of the ex
pring administration. to snatch this choice ont of
m p.IK ft,,t
ton of the possibility of such proceeding. in a
debate on this floor. senator standing in The re
lation personally. and politically and locally IN
ieel Tor the honor of the then Secretary of State
declared they would not have the audacitv to dn
1t. Audaci,y was the word and that was the
declaration of gentleman of honor and patriotism
no longer member of this body, but who has the
respect and hest wishes of all who ever knew
him. speak of Mr.. McDuffie, and quote his
words as heard at the time, and as since printed
and published by others. Mr.. McDuffie was
mistaken! They did have the audaci,y They
did do il! or rather, HE did it, Choking at Mr..
Calhoun j for il is incontestable tha, Mr.. TYLER
was nothing. in anything that related TO The
Texas question: from the time of the arrival of his
Secretary OF State. His last act, in relation to
Texas, was the answer which Mr.. Nelson gave
for him through the agent. Murphy, denying his
right to lend our forces to the President Of Texas
to fight the Mexicans while we were at peace
with them: the reversal of that answer by his
new secretary was the extinction. of his power
over the Texas question. He, the then Secre,a
~ OF State, the present senator from South Caro-
lima, to whom address myself, did il. On Sun
day. the second day of March that day which
preceded the last day Of his authority-and on
mat day, sacred 10 peace-the council sat, that
acted on the resolutions ;-and in the darkness of
night bowling with the stoIm, and battling with
Inc elements, as if Heaven waryed upon the au-
dacious act, (or well do remember il the fatal
messenger was sent off, which carried the select
ed resolution to Texas. The act was then done
Texas was admitted : all the consequences of add
mission were Incurred-and especially that con
sequence which Mr.. de Bocanegra had denounced
and which our Secretary had accep,ed-WAR'
The state of war was eslablished-the status
beHi was created-and that by the operation of
our own constitution, as we'll as by the filed dec
laration Of Mexico for Texas then BEING admitted
into the Union, the war with her extended to The
whole Union; and the duty of protecting her
devoved upon the President Of the United States
The selection of the absolute resolution exhausted
our action the alternative resolution for negoia-
ton was defunc, {: the only mode of admission was
The absolute one. and it made war. The war was
made 10 Mr.. Folks hand his administration
came into existence with war upon its hands, and
under the constitutional duty to protect Texas at
the expense of with Mexico: and TO tha,
point, all events rapidly tended The Mexican
minister. General Almonte, who had returned to
w ashington city after the rejection of the treaty.
OF annexation. demanded his passports, and left
the United States. The land forces which had
been advanced to the Sabine, were advanced to
Corpus Christi: the Mexican troops moved to-
wards the Rio Grande: The fleet which remained
at Vera Cruz, continued there commerce died
ont: the citizens of each country left the other.
as Tar as they conld: angry denunciations filled
me press OF each country and when n minister
was sent from the United States, his recep,ion
was refused. Fhe state Of war existed legally ::
all the circumstances of war, except the single
circumstance OF bOodshed, existed at the acces-
sion OF Mr.. Polk /; and the two countries Mexico
and the United States, stood in a relation TO each
other impossible TO be continued The march
upon the Rio Grande brought on the conflict
made the collision of arms-but not the war
The war was prepared, organized, established by
the Secretary of State, before he left the depari
menr. 1t was his legacy 10 the democracy, and
To the Polk adminisration--bis last gift to them,
in the moment Of taking a lung farewell And
now he sets up for man Of peace, and throws all
the blame of war upon Mr.. Polk, to whom he be
qmea he'd it.
Cicero says that Antony, flying from Rome to
the camp Of Caesar in Cisapne GauI was the
cause Of the civil war which followed--as much
so rs Helen was Of the Trojan war. III Helena
1rojanis, sic iste huic reipubiice causa beii--
camsd pests atq"s ezitii fuit. He says that that
flight put an end 10 all chance Of accommodation:
closed the door to all Cancellation broke M the
plans Of all peaceful men; and by inducing Cesar
to break up his camp in Gaul, and march across
the Rubicon, lis up the flames Of civil war in
lialy. In like manner, ! say that The fight Of
the winged messenger from this capital on the
Sunday night before the 3D. Of March, despatched
by the then Secretary Of State. in The expiring
moment OF his power, and bearing his fatal choice
to the capital Of Texas, was the direct cause of
the war with Mexico in which we are now en-
gagged Like the fight Of Antony. it broke up
The plans Of ali neacnlnl men sla rn1nnd LIZ. L..