The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-03-11

and admiration OF intelligent and Just mel
the military arm Of your government woul
have been stricken down IN disholor. Ih
charge comes too late. 1t comes with ba
grace, and from Il worse heart The motiv
that instigate5 it, is too payable to deceive o
nljsleal the public mind. 1t can not answe
even the p0cr purpose of opening the way 10
She appointment OF that nondescrlpt officer
half civil ID half military, whom you woul'
dignity by the title OF acknowledgement Ii
one poins OF view, however, this effort on thu
part OF the Administration, and some OF it
friends, to dispauge the conduct and services
CT Cen Tavor, Is not to be regretted While
!: can harm no hair of his head, it discloses
Il consciousness on their part, that the popu-
lar condemnation rests upon this Mexican
wlr--upol its origin, its mode Of conduct, its
o}teu ib,c objects, qnd upon lis guilty authors.
fence this effort, mnnitestly,in order to shield
thomselHe3 from the full weight OF It's fearful
responsibilities, and to relieve themselves, thus
far forth, FROM the full measure OF that still
more fearful retribulion which awaits them.
But my time will not allow me, Mr. Chair
man, to dwell longer upon these collateral
points. | have said that this was war ofln-
yasion and waged with a view to the conquest
and permanent acquisition OF territory. And
let me remark, in passing, that notwthstand-
ing all that has been said about securing in
dcmHily for our citizens who have claims
against Mexico, this has no more connection
with the origin Of the war,or with the leading
object Of lis prosecution, than it has with Il
NtAonetan pilgrimage to Mecca And all
The Presidents repeated expressions Of sym
patty in hehalf Of tour long suffering and
much Injured fellow citizens" whose claims
f)r I2Sioan spoliatjons remain unpaid, are in
Of Al,
larger, older, and equally just claims of 4
more numerous class Of other Of 3" our long
suffering and much injured fellow citizens"
for un3a,isial French spoliations He would !
60 10 Wal for enc, and veto the other! But
have no time to spare 10 the examination Of
the history anil character Of these Mexican |
Spoation5 The suggestion that they had |
any connection with the origin of this war is !
an atfer-thoasht mere subteriuge, as pitlful as
1t is destitute q foundation in truth. If Won
had said that the wrongs and injuries which
Mexico lad committed against US afforded an
ample a@l jujtiiiable cause Of war, and that
we w2gol var against her on that account,
there woH!l be, at least, some show of consi5-
t2aoy in the declaration. But all your allie
cations ere, that Ma&ico commenced the war
agtiAst us; AMI It is somewhat difficult to see
how he: own f1r,ler agIrossons upon cur
rights shoull be The cause Of her making war
ssfaIast us ferhaps gentlemen can explain.
&c, Inc recital Of Mexican wrongs against the
UlitGi States constitutes the great burthen
9, Lh2 Executive message IN defence OF the
wat: a message which more than ten times
repeats, with suitable variations, that MeXico {
a52A The war; message more remarkable,
tan ior any thing else, for its distortion and !
su2pre sion OF historical truth, and which is
L., ~ Il or /,
BAT cause by Il political pettitogger.
It was an easy matter, Mr. Chairman, for
folly or mad ambition to plunge us into a
WI; bat ap?rehcad it will require the ex
c7.se OF all The WIS lon and patriotism Of the
country to eNtri:sta Us flom it. Gentlemen {
~ the opposite side Of the House profess to S
" m}jt aHAou3 for the roturn OF peace, aud 5
talk loldly and pltri0tlcally t,JUut '' hon
cradle peace" but flil to tell us, with any de-
gceo OF precision, what they mean By an hon ;
otAb,e peace. These words roll out smoothly t
aal hipplnty from the tongue, AS though they
hal some meaning in them. An honorable !
peace" is what we all desire No one wants {
less. Bat do desire to know what you mean {
BY m d" honorable peace" How, and where, |
and upon what conditions must peace be OBJ c
taincl, to be hya3ntJie, in your estimation i
How many acres OF land from Mexico would J
subject Of the restoration of peace to our coun-
try? How mlay more millions of the peo- t
pies m 0ncy MIST b, expended? How much q
more Of the peoples blood must be she'd ? How t
many more hTnan sacrifices are necessary to a
satisfy TIC point Of honor upon the question |
OF peace? How many more Ringro,ds, and t
W&tjons AMI IL uner5 must be stricken down t
bY the sword and the pes,icncc How many i
more households must be made desoate by '
sad tiling5 Of wo from aflr? How much t
ioa!ar and louder must the voice of waing :
and Of wo be heard through oar LAID, in or Q
der to secure an honorable peace 2" Sir, if a
we cannot SECURE peace with Mexico upon Il
terms which vou would esteem honorable" Q
slo.t Of surrender 10 us OF Il large portion of t
hot terrilorv,I fear that day OF hope is vet far
dstant in tho future. And 50 long as the /
spirit Of conquest shall rule the councils of +
those WAC hold in their hands the Issues Of |
peace AMI WAY; 50 long rs they shall hold to |
the purpose OF Remembering Mexico OF her d
projin.e,, whether as an object o" an incl {
dent Of the war is immatcrial, what hope can :
We have Of the proIer Of peace to her. which
stall not embrace the condition OF surren-
der OF her territories? Or, if that demand q
be not male directly and in terms, the same t
thing in effect is done by demanding inlem- S
nifty for the expenses Of the war, when we l.
know that she has not the means or ability, if C
she h. the disposition to comply with such 0
E requirement, except BY u cossion oftcrritory t.
NV, have no Hesitation in saying that -
Ttexico would stand justified before the civil d
i;al wo.ll in declining, at any hazard to ac- Il
code to such Il demand. 1t would be unjust, u
anl therefore not honorable" on our part,to h
make this cxaction as the price Of peace with u
her. IF those who for the time being unhap- C
ply wicll the destinie5 Of this Republic, are a
arlentIy and honestly DESTROYS Of restoring f
b it q speedy and an honorable peace, they Il
vii nroler terms such as Shall be just and Il