Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-02-26


that the Norh American Republic--has il come |
10 this-I ask Of the peace.loving people Of the |
United Stales-I ask OF the philosophical and re-
fecting men Of the United StaIes-i ask Of the
mothers of this Republic, il they are willing that
their sons should pour out their lille blood on the
parched sands of Mexico, and heap up the graves
of two thousand men along this river, dying
with disease, simply becd5se your President
would not name Mr.. John Slidel "COmmlssion-
err" but must call him "Alinister Plenipoienna-
nv and Envoy Extraordinary to MexicoF Mr..
President, are We to force ourselves into good
society abroadl Alaugh.l Gentlemen do not
act that way in the West, Mr. President We
don't fight because somebody don't choose 10
admit us into his society there, laugh:l nor
do christian men, Mr. Presideni, fight Tor that
reason.
We come now TO the year l645. Mr.. Slidell
writes home that if some military demonstration
should be made, perhaps he would be received
as John Sldell, "Minister Plenipotenuary and
Envoy Extraordinary" Mr.. Slidell invokes the
military power of the United States and says,
"Make a war like demonstration on these men,
and perhaps shall be accredited and received"
The President and Secretary accordingly sent
your army TO the confines of Mexico. There
lies the litte piece fterritory out of which, Mr..
President, all this war has arisen! Now,
should, but would not state any dsputable fact.
, Ii is known 10 every man who has looked into
this subject, that revolutionary government can
claim no jurisdiction any where when it has not
defined and exercised its power with the sword.
, 1t was utterly Indifferent to Mexico and the world
, what legislative enactment Texas made. She
extended her revolutionary government and her
IL, ba
. extent TO which she had carried the power of
/. Texas in opposition TO the power of Mexico.
!; 1t is therefore a mere question of fact-and
v how will it be pretended that that country, lying
between the Nueces and the Del Nore, to which
$ yoIr army was ordered, and ofwhich it took pos
e session, was subject to Texan law and not Mexi-
v can lawsl Why, what did your General find
V therel What did he write homel Do you hear
of trial by jury on the east bank of the Rio
% Grande-of Ango-Saxons making cotton there
,r with their negroesl No! You hear of Mexcans
1t residing peacefully there; but fleeing from thei
" cotton fields at the approach Of your army-nt
re- slaves there, for it had been decree ofthe Mex
NJ ican government, years ago. that no slaves shou
,r exist there. If there were Texas population
ID on the east bank of the RIO Grande why did no
III General Taylor near something ofthose Texans
n. hailing the advent of The American Army com
Is ing to protect them from the rayages ofthe Mex
is leans, and the more murderous onslaughtS oGtht
ar neighboring savages!
lis Do you hear anything Of thatl No! On tn
r. contrary the population fed from their homes a
at the approach Of yonr Army. ln Gods name
Sc wish 10 know ifit has come 10 this, that when a
er American Army goes to protect American cit
isl zens on American territory, they flee from il
o. from the most barbarous enemy! Yet such
I'd the ridiculous assumption of those who preten
ld that on the east bank of the Rio Grande, wher
" your arms took possession, there were Iexa
n. popuIation-Texan power-Texan laws, an
ed American United States power and law! Nc
%. Mr.. President--when see that stated in an E.
on ecutive document-wruen by the finger Of
ms President of the United States-and when yo
,ti- read in those documents, with which your tab
,ns groan, the veracious account of that noble ol
General Taylor, of his reception in that counr
-, and of those men-to use the language of one
w. his ollicers-heeing before their invaders, whC
! :, you compare these TWO documents together is
y I ~ not biting sarcasm upon the sincerity ofpubl
wy men--a bitter satire upon the gravity OF all pu
san' lie officers
~. Great God! Mr.. President, is itpossble thattl
his American people give copntenance 10 this air
-, cious ialsehood that you were about 10 interp
late into the history Of this country, and write
:, down as fact, when the whole world, and eV
-, rybody, and you yourselves, acting, us it m
~. ~" be, on that very ialsehood, know that what
~ stated there IS not true!
Mr.. President, there is absent to-day n Sen
al. tor from the other side ofthe House whose pre-
III ence would afford me, as it always does-t
49, particular on this occ ason-a most singu
T. qualification. ! alude to the Senator from NJ
,,ao souri, who sits arthest from me Mr.. Benton).
49,, remember, Mr.. President, he arose in this
,no dy and performed great act of justice to hi
~ self and his country--ofj justice to mankind,
n all men are interested in the truths of history
49,, 49,, when he declared it 10 be his purpose for 1
~ sake Of the truth ofhistory to set right some e
"' m tIemen, on the other side of the House, in
Wv, eH, spect to the territory of Oregon, which th
e threatened TO disturb the peace ofthis Repub
nna with the Kingdom of Great Britain. wish
lon, ~ it had pleased him to have performed the sa
- good office on this occasion.
will wish it had been so ifhe could have found
odv consonant with his duty TO his country, that n
yer- while engaged with an enemy whom we have
| reason TO fear as being ever able to check, 4
row progress or disturb our internal peace of III
her two countries, England and America, he
her come forward to settle, the truth oil history IN
bch spec to the territorial boundary of Texas, VIII
ou President said was the Rio Bravo-the 81
H.. del Norte," as it is sometimes called expl
l;nr this wish for no purpose tauntng the Sen,
'e ,het from Missouri, or leading him to believe tn
~, would draw his name into the discussion
,;hIo any other than the most sacred purposes WI
l;,aI can animate the human bosom-that of hay
So1 the truth established for really believe that
i.aI,, is true which the Senator from Michigan ST
y IoH yesterday that the worst said in the Senate