Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1848-03-03
SPEECH OF MR.. MARSH.

CpECCu M MIR MARSH
m, ,,,o ,,c,ic,n War
va wy -, - IN 80
N The hoVeh VI M,
The House beng III p.ee ., iac nof u" ;'
1atc o. ,' G lam nnt rIcrrdno siS zoo 900
A. VI, r. vo,,,on, sa;l
w. ~" " .-,c- r
Mr. chairman - P'opoIc u "'".l n'i seu VI
tliS occ"S'oi'' u uo WIN. nilo ';o' ~. 'C'o ~
thls p'aec--'o eAi'css' nancy It. ',e 'I"es'
PoSs'olc Wor"s' ~. o"n opo"' Is "''u' 10 ,"p
pose, that OF 'a'ec i'''o'". -. NY 'on n:
ehtS respecting tiG ''"3 i;I
ana trhorn''es VI .'o VIZ II. ""'o" wy ",o ..
gagged. ana To assign inc reaso"s winch VIII
compel me to vote against all measures ueS'gi-
ed for the prosecution OF hn''lIiles proIessediy
commenced for defence, but whIch have been.
and are. waged for purposes OF aggression, IN
vaSun and conquest
/ Ii is said that it is too late to investigate the
cause of the war and that the only remaining
question proper for the consideration of Con-
aress is. what measures will tend to bring it to
the most speedy termination. and enable us to
conclude a nooco upon terms most advantageous
In ourselves This would indeed be So if it
wore trnc that n state of war however common
ced ab,oycd Us from all duties towards those of
our fellow men who have become our enemies.
But ,harc are those. and profess myself of the
number. who can discern no sound distinction
hc,wenn fine principles Of public and private
morality. and who believe that war. like private
violrncr' can lawfully be resortcd TO only as a
necessary means of securing already existing
riuht.. not of creating new and independent
claims. II becomes. therefore. material to as
cor,oin tho oririn. causes and purposes of every
war. before il is possible TO determine when its
lawful ends have been ACCOMPLISHED. and what
measures of rcnaration the victorious PARTY is
entitled to exact.
In inouirnr intoth oririn of the present war.
i, is essential to distinguish between its primary
causes and its proyimate occasions That its
first c2usa was the annexation of Texas, no man
d spufttrsHnd there's as little doubt that its i'm
mediate occasion was the occupation OF the lett
bank of the Rio Grande by the army OF the Uni
ted States in obedience to the order OF the rres-
ident The war Is the natural ana iee'.'ha,e
consequence OF annexation; ou'; 'ionEn nat
ural and legitimate. docs not io'lo" ''a, II wa
necessary, result OF that measure ana ''leie
lore 'ilis Au,h'ihstralo" ,"a! W AZ WV
It's guilt, although Inc o'IH, oiltloo "'s oo'.'
mItted before 'he present i-"cI"'Ne ou','o ny
power IL 'fc A"'''''9'."''o" N''o" ny o',
tea any proper iicans W ",e'', VI 'o'".S' ~
'u"l"cu any ''Ca'"'e ~ Pi a.
so ore Ca""'Iy' u 1t 't'",I' " 49, -"
terms "hch are ut'tNvu ~ oo Nv" on''ou -
roS''"c ana 'uPl'''"''' ~, >,
before Hud ana h'li' io' an VIC oo'sc i"c''c'
IL: acI' Ut us n's.To''' 7'"'' no '.i;aI, -.
aiilri'i ,Ht' a'tcI ,',e ,''oi 'a' Mp ,,
ma iii''ctcu ui'o" '''c i'ol''l '''u .io ''. .s
MeAico' ny our iapao'u"' "'so' P'.o" y,
tory once liiu'9putao'y no's' anu ~ wv" 81
stll aid claim, IL was poss'oie ~ a'o'u wal
but as no effort was ever maze IN soou la'ti
proptiatc that republlc-a point most cohciu
sively established by the gentleman from Tol
ncctcut MI lhNoh)-We are hot eht't'cu
presume that she would nave turned deal ca
to honorable proposals OF peace and lnasmuc
as Mexico bad committed no hostile act, I'll
, caSus beH cannot be considered as having ot
Cured until the President iorcby occupied
territory not only claimed, but quietly possesse
hv Lor-a Territory To which, as the ncntlema
; from Indiana (Mr, Thompson has in his adm
r,hle .neech. inli SUITABLY proved. Texas had NJ
fine shadow of titlc-a territory which the Senat
nc,hr limited States had virtually adudrod ,
hr .,ill mar, and parcel of the Mexican domain
M, ,.'r ,Lorcf,rn was not only provoked. h,
:, cnmmonccI Inv MS and though / will not sa
That the administration wantonly plunged int
il with , lull npprchen,ion of its arduous cha
- meter lis countless cost of treasure and bloc
vet | have no hesitation in prolessipq nv deli
crate conviction that the Executive ordered Il
army ia advance upon the Rio Grande under. N
the belief onlv but the hope that this insu
:, would goad Mexico to some hostile demonstr
ton. which MIGHT furnish a plausible reason f
a great increase Of our military establishment
- and, consequently. Of Executive patronage. an
at the same time. enable the administration.
the cheap cost Of IA small war" to cxtor fro
= humbled Mexico the ccsson of her iairest pr
vinces, and thus place Mr. Polk by the side
his predecessor, on that bad eminence viii
JOnn lNlcr now occupies. solitary and alone,
,r, great enlarser OF the AREA of freedom;