Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1848-03-23

December, 1916, gives information Of the sur
thing. lie says:
" he ready acceptance on the part of Texas
'"e 'u''ps OF annexation proilered by this Govern
In'ht excited the i'll will OF the Government {
MEXICO That Republic mennced the inmedui
commencement Of hosliIities against the Unite
States, and set on foot, as it was said, ex,eusy
Preparations 10 invade and subluguIe Texas.
Pursuant TO your directions, an army os occupa
non was assembled in that State, and Rrpuiip
General Iay IOr assigned to the command of il -
nc ""S instructed to repe Mexican acgressions
ana protect the country from Indian invasions; 1,
'eS0'" The Rio del .No,ie as lis upsierp boun3o
~, "Ha to SeicctU position for his forces uiL
I@ere"ce 10 MisfroAticr; but to leave unnocste
MoAcah settlements, and also military posts
snouIu there be any such posts ON the east ban
OF o, mat river, which were in the occupation o
'''N'cah Iorces previously TO the period when Tex
rs nSSehted to the terms of annexation"
or there Is the communication made both b.
lho President of the United States and The Secre
lnry OF War, at the commencement Of the session
OF Congress in 1915, showing US, clearly as Ian
guage can express, that the President considered
| the RIO Grandc as the western boundary of Texas
nnd that an order had already been issued, an,
.le troops posted there, for the purpose Of protect
ing to the RIO del Nor,e. Was any movement
in Congress about it? None; and yet the toops
we were informed by the President were in VIVA,
gentlemen claim to be disputed territory between
the Nueces and the Rio Grande, and which marcI
is now claimed by gentlemen to have been the
commencement of the war
The gentleman from Illinois, INrLIycoLY.1 n
few days ago, introduced a resolution calling upon
the President to inform Congress as to the oar,icu.
lar SPOT upon which American blood had been
split upon American soil | ask him and his pnrty
TO inform US what particular spot it was that the
army irSt put lhcLr loot upon, that constituted the
commencement of this unnecessary and unconsilu-
IonoI wal: Was it when they first entered the
M'NIcan 'erllory' If so, where is that Mexican
le"',ory' Was it when they first entered upon
the disputed territory? Ifso, where is that dis.
PuIcd territory desire this information, for the
purpose OF ascerlaining the exact time and place,
when and where this gross outrage Of Involving
lhe country in an IN ust wal was committed The
mere act OF issuing the order did not do il, and
therefore II Is important to know at what period in
me progress OF lis execution the unhoIy deed was
pcrPerated If gentlemen assume the ground
thaI inc occupancy OF This disputed territory consl-
tuled me offence, then desire 10 know how il is
lha' they made no effort to recall the troops from
corpus Christi, which, being on the west bank of
'he Nneces, was part o! the disputed territory
as they have heretofore informed US, and have
made able and ingenious arguments in support of
HE position that the Nueces river was the egiti
mate boundary Of Texas. confess myself NJ n
loss to account for the conduct of gentlemen win
no" seem TO attach so much importance to the oc.
Cupahcy by our troops of the country between the
Nueces aud the Rio Grande and who quietly look
ca upon The transaction at the time it was transmit
ing, unmoyed by the first apprehension of the cal
n'n"o"S results which 1t Is now said necessarily
ioI0Wcu from II. II seems to me, sir, that, IN.
der similar circumstances | would ai eas, h,vo
raised my warning voice to have notified my COUP
trymen OF the Impending danger that was thrro,.
ehlhS our cherished institutions, and summoned
mem TO The protection Of the Constitution Crnm ca
foul and fatal a blow. Put the most ramn,LnlJo
'hlEy connected with the conduct of Inc WINS in
'cMlion 10 TINS order, remains vet io ho nIr,,d j.,
ana That Is The Tact, that the issunp of IN, ordr
was known to many Ut their most prominent men
shortly alter II WAS Issued, and long before the
troops commenced their march from Corpus Chris
H. "A distinguished Senator from Delaware Nh
j NJ. CLAYTON avOwed, during The last session
Of Congress, his know ledge of the fact early in
February; and when called upon to account for
his strange silence and nacton on the subject, as
Signed AS his reason for not moving in the matter,
that he was in the minority of the Senate, and
could not therefore promise himself any success by
making movement in that body. But, as il
seems he was not aware Of the fact that the Dem
ocra,ic majority in the House was much larger
than in the Senate, he placed the subject in charge
Of IIlend, for the purpose Of having it brought
forward here. will not do Mr. CLAYTON The
injustice 10 believe that he thought that The pros
pcct for successful action on The subject was better
n the House than IN the Senate. lie well knew
hat the small SIZE Of the Senate, The adaptation
ttsr far a. Oh ~
md lis prorcrbIal courtesy, afforded far superior
opportunities for the consideration of such reso-
ulon than conld possibly be hoped for in this
1ody; and the result in this very case shows il;
or his friend from Massachusetts [Nlr AsuMuN
Introduced resolution Of inquiry on the subject,
allied TO obtain suspension of the rules for its
and that was an end oft. No one,
rs far as know, ever alluded to it in debate, and
certainly neither The attention Of the House nor
he country was ever cul'cd 10 the subject with
hat soernIly which the importance now attached
o II would have impcIatiyely demanded.
Bat pass on TO the time when the bill declaring
| state of war to exist between the Republic of
Mexico and the United States, and providing for
IFS further prosecution by raising fifty thousand
men, and apptopralng ten millions Of dollars was
under consideration. Now sir, when the country 1
by this unnecessary aud Unconstitutional act Of the
President, had been involved in an unjust war,
appeal TO gentlemen on the other side to know if
he time had not then arrived when an effort should
have been made TO arrest this reckless udminstra-
ton, in its schemes of conquest, and lis inrOads
upon the Constitution of the country. Justice to
Mexico, upon whom we had wugcd an ust war
Justice to the Constitution of our own country,
which, as iiecmen and statesmen, we should love
and vencra,c, -caled loudly for some in,crposng
hand to rescue the country from the calami,ous
of that act; but, by referring to the
proceedings House at that time, we find that the
effort then made 10 bring back our army from this
war thus unnecessarily aud unconstluiUnal!y be-
gun met with no favor from the Wing party.
rend from the proceedings OF the House on the war
bill
"Mr Z. 3. HOLMES offered the following am
endmcnt, which, by ayes 8, noes l22. was reject
ed:
"P, orided, That the provisions of this (the
frsN section not nor shall they be deemed TO, APP
ply TO that portion Of the country west aud south
Of the river Nueces, except so far as to withdraw,
and, il need be, TO rescue our Amy from the re-
gion Of the Rio Grande.'
Here was an effort on the part of the gentleman
from New York to to save his country, TO rescue
the Constitution, and avert from both nations the
horrors of war unnecessarily and unconstitulon
ally begun by the President Of the United States
But what favor did it receive in this ITouse' 1t
was rejected by ayes 8, noes 1922. Where then
were the friends of this most remarkable dccara.
,ion, which has been so soIemnly spread upon the
records Of Congress, thar they did not give to the
gentleman from New York the aid Of their votes
l a.