The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1847-02-16
vol. 5.--No. I4.

gain by the victory? 1t was said that a
monstrous efusion Of blood had been
saved. II was preventing an edusion of
blood at one time to occasion a greater
%eiuslon hereafter. But this capilulation
had beenn passed upon by the Govern
ment; and were they, for the mere pur-
pose oil paying an empty compliment, to
put themselves in direct conflict with the
Government? He considered the proviso
os one of the soundest and most essential
features of the resolution. The Senator
from Delaware, in endeavoring to avert
what he called a side-blow aimed at Gen.
Taylor, was inllicting u side-blow in
another direction. If the proyiso con-
veyed a censure upon Gen. Taylor, what
would the striking it out do in reference
to the Government Gen. Taylor en-
tered into a equalization; the Government
dlsapproyed of it. Believing, as he did.
that the capiiulation was unfortunate in
its conception and most unfortunate in It's
results, he would vote cheerfully against
the motion to strike out the proviso.
Mr.. WEBSTER said thai he regretted
exceedingly that when they were about
lender a tribute of respect to a military
man abroad, any thing shOnld occur, or
any thing be proposed to be connected
with 1t which would break the entre u
nanlmlty of Congress. To be valuable,
the tribute of respect must be unanimous
ly bestowed. 1t must appear to flow
from a general sense of what was due to
the occasion and TO the officer: and al
ways, so far as he knew, or as he remem-
bered the history of the Government, he
believed the thanks Of Congress, when
rendered at all to a military man, were
rendered by a distinct proposition, free
and clear from all other considerations
whatever. Propriety and the graceful
ness belonging to the occasion required
that they should be rendered. He held
IN his hand d resolution which passed
this body last year. 1t was in these
words:
"That the thanks Of Congress are due
and are hereby rendered to MaioPG General
Zachary Tavlor, his officers and men, for
the fortInde, skill, enterprise, and courage
which distinguished The late brilliant mill
tary operations on the Rio Grandc."
He proposed to frame a resolution in
these very words, and TO adapt it, so as
to make it a real substantial tribute of re-
spect to General Taylor and the army
under his commend. And he had only
further 70 say, that he could vote for no
resolution, in the present state Of things,
which contained any sting Towards Gen.
Taylor, or any censure upon his conduct
in any respect, or which implied any
doubt or hesitation. He desired to leave
out every teing Of that nature: and he did
not suppose that gentlemen could have
contemplated the tender of the thanks Of
Congress 10 Gen. Taylor in a manner to
be acceptable to him-that is, in d man
ner expressive Of the unanimous consent
of Congress-with such provisions as
were inserted here by way of preamble
or dissertation upon the Mexican war
He would vote for nothing which in any
shape tended to bring in question the
course pursued il the conduct of that
war; and if he should withhold his vote,
as he would most assuredly do, from the
resolution in its present form, there was
not a soldier in the army, who could read,
who would not understand the reason
why he withheld it. When they were
about to do an act of gratitude-when
they were about to unite in grateful hom-
age to valor-was 1t generous, was It
manly, to set traps, by way Of preamble,
to screw out of gentlemen an expression
Of views which, perhaps they did not
entertain; and, if they did, which. per-
haps, they did not think proper, on this
occasion, TO express. Why should they
not act with the generosity which became
them! Why should they not give to
Gen. Taylor and our brave little army
this tribute Of appreciation in the ordinary
way in which the thanks Of Congress
were always expressed! Why should
they couple with it any thing that might
in any degree produce reluctance in any
one who was to vote for it, or in any
degree mitigate the sense Of qualification
with which those in whose honor it was
passed ought to receive il! He was yery
clear that this should be an unembarras-
sed vote of thanks-such as il was honor
able to Congress to give, and honorable
for the army to receive; and if he could
not get the resolution separate and dis
tinct, he would be under the necessity OF
voting againstit.
Mr.. CALHOUN said he should vote
for striking on. this proviso; and he
would briefly safe the grounds upon
which he would so vote. He would do
so, in the first place, upon the gronnI
which had been stated by his honorable
colleague, as n NEE matter Of taste and
kropriety; and; in addition to that, re
wolld vote for striking it out because Is
considered that a vote OF thanks, When
Accommodated bv the slightest e. os,,,,