Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-09-05
DISCUSSION ON THURSDAY NIGHT.

DISCUSSION ON THURSDAY NIGHT.
We give below a prelly full picture OF The de-
hate between Messrs. Giles and Stanafd. we
o,e indebted 10 the Times for the skech Of Mr..
S;auard's remarks:
Mr.. STANARD opened in an argument IN
which. having shown that the Democratic parry
had committed themselves 10 all The acis o! MT.
Folks administration, he commended, mrs. ma! 10
the Oregon difficulty, the President had com,
menced with clustering and ended with backing
ont. and that the country was only saved rom
war with England hy The frmncss and patriotism
Of the Wing Senators, with few OF The other
narty who were independent enough 10 oppose
The administration. Having got very badly out
of the Oregon scrape, Mr.. s. argued tina! Mr..
Polk thought il indispensable 10 get up war
with somebody, and 50 he commenced one WIN
Mexico. MIR. S. diSayowed any sympathy what
ever with the Mexicans in this contest; but ne
commended that The President had been guilty OF
the most palpable ant alarming violations OF the
Constitution, both in the origin aad progress OF
The war. He argued emPhalicallv thai The terri
tory between The Nueces and Rio Grande was
nd limited by our government, TO whose decision
the government Of Texas had referred the whole
question, to be disputed tsrrlipyi and that The
President had no right, under The Constitution, 10
This right wholly wuhin the province OF Congress
He said the conduct of Mr.. Polk, in taking
possession of the whole territory, was 50 indie
feasible, indeed, that the Democratic party had
endeoyored 10 throw the responsibility Of the
act on General Taylor, who, he had yet to
learn. was the constitutional adviser of the
President but whose advice was only given on
the supposition, that the Rio Grande was the
uuinatln Of tho Government and Mr.. S con
tended that "the Government" which, in this
matter, was Congress, had never declared its
,,ltimatum at all. Mr.. 5. next discussed the
slavery question. showing how, with full warn
ing from the Wings aud Nr. Calhoun, 1t had
brought all the existing agitation upon me coun
try. He repeated the history OF the Wilmoi
proviso in the last session Of Congress, charged
uoon two Southern Democratic Senators Ben
| ton and Houston) that they had deserted The
South 10 the very hour of her greatest danger
| and upon the President that he had sanctioned
| the proceeding BY signing the Oregon bill, and
| TINS pivep the first triumph TO the Free Soil
! party of the North. He repealed the Presi
| dents excuse, that the territory was North Of
&c degrees 80 minutes, BY showing that the Mis-
souri, Compromise had been expressly disavow
ed in both Houses of Congress, and thus de.
clared to be inapplicable 10 the new territory,
MIR. Polk had undertaken 10 presume that the
line Of Sc degrees 30 minutes would be respect
ed hereafter, when the North had openly refused
to acknowledge it. lie, therefore, BY consentng
| to extend the Wilmot Proviso over Oregon, had
practically given up the strongest ground upon
| which the South coulk hereafter insist upon an
equitable compromise. He had left the ques-
ton to be settled by Northern generosity, and
| not by the inducements of INTEREST.
Mr.. GILES, in reply, regretted his indisposi-
| lion from a cold, which obviously affected his
yoice-appeaed 10 the indulgence OF his audi
ence-asked them 10 give him their attention, and
ITO let us reason together" upon The topics in dis.
cus.ion, avowing that his only object should be
| The discovery OF truth
| He proceeded 10 remark upon Mr.. S,anard's
| statement. that Gen. Cass had supported all the
| measures of The present administration but one,
| and was identified with lis principles and policy,
and that The Democratic party had made those
| measures the test, OF lis principles. In This he
CONQUERED, and said The admission relieved him OF
! one part of his task for il was conclusive 10
| how that his party STOOD upon platform obvi-
Gus and ineligible 10 all. lie asked where stood
| Gen. Taylor and the Whigsl
He next proceeded 10 reply 10 the issues pre-.
| senled by Mr.. Slanard upon The charges brought
against the administration. Not one Of them re-
tween the parties, and he was warfaa ed in con.
clu.iius that his opponent had abandoned all their
old issues, and now stood only on The new ones
They related 10 questions concerning Oregon, the
Mexican War and Slavery.
The first charge was, that he Democratic party
had claimed The whole Of Oregou-declarcd they
would never take less-and then hacked ont He
replied that the party FL assumed No such ground
de called for proofoi he assertion that ether the
Democratic party or me Presi lent had ever De.
clared we SHOULD rol recede from II extreme
claim. The claim had been mao long ago-had
been insisted on by all precisely as il had been
! made and insisted on BY ne Dem, cratic parlv-it
was asserted as TO Oregon precisely rs il wa
asserted 10 lis extreme length in regard 10 The
Maine boundary. In neither case wa- il ever
pretended thai We would not settle il b ncsoia-
ton.
But whether Mr.. Polk had previously assumed
the ground or not Mr.. Giles commended ina, he had
in The end maintained it, he stated The facts IN
reference 10 The negotiation, and that The rrealy,
before il had received the sanction ofihe President,
had been referred BY him 10 the Senate tlr is ad-
vice. which, he said according 10 Mr. Slanard's
own view il was Mr.. Folks constitutional duty
TO have done The Senate advised the raufca-
lion by very large majority; and The President
only ratified the treaty in accordance with that
advice vt il was said one half Of Oregon had
been unwarranlaby surrendered II SO, the
Senate was 10 blame, mol Mr.. Polk. He had
gone for the whole OF Oregon 10 The extent OF his
constitutional powers
The next ground of charge was the Mexican
war Mr.. Giles remarked that here again it was
assumed that the object of the war was the con.
quest OF territory. He denied it. There was no
authority Tor The assumption. He reviewed the
Dfih a and
We had ample cause Tor it, without imputing TO our
own Government, without proof or warrant, Tie
design 10 wage war Of conquest. He then re-
ferred TO the charge tha, he Presdeai had violated
his constitutional duty By marching an army
into the disputed territory, nth institutions, as
MIR. Stanard had stated, 10 diSposs IS the He1ic1ns
thus committing an ACT Of war without The au-
ihorly OF Congress. He admitted hal with such
instructions il would have been an acl Of war
but sail the instructions given b. Air. Polk to
Gen. Taylor were The verY reverse OF what they
had been stated TO BE-. Gen. Taylor was express.
ly required not 10 interfere with any Mexican Of.
ficer or modest single Mexican citizen With
such Instructions The marching into the disputed
territory was, he commended, no act Of war This
point was argued al some length. he COMMENDED
further that il was not only the right bu, Inc duty
OF the President 10 defend the disputed territory
twas claimed, as Mr.. Slanard's own authority
proved by Texas then q sovereign STATE of his
coniederacy alone having the right, il he frs,
instance, 10 define her own boundary. The Pre-.
sident was bound 10 respect her authority. She
claimed 10 The Rio Grandc. Il va. his duly 10
defend her 10 that line Mexico was armins
with the intention 10 invade her. and was already
in possession Of portions OF tie territory which
she insisted on holding. These acls amounted 10
invasion, and The President was bound 10 prepare
TO repeliL he commended, in reply 10 Mr. Sian.