The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-02-01

ting up row.
given for permitting Santa Annals return, and the cIrcum
attending the and insisted that the inioa
ton called for in relation to Santa Annals return ~
boundary Of Texasand the advice gwen oS usn ERA
Taylor 10 move the troops to the Ko Irahae nc sm
Dictated General Taylor from the chaige 'ai i ns no"
commended this movement, and passed an uPoh
his character a patriot, soldier, ana statesman
In the month of February-su 70 the fatal or
der of the 18th Januaryhe advised 'e government thai
there was no danger of hostiltes from Mexico and
President Zones of Texas in his message declared abou'
the same time, that Texas was at peace with all the
world MIR Polk in his message OF lS45, had told us
that all was peace and quiet the frontier and said thai
he deemed il necessary to put an end to this state OF
sS I'M q ae 10 ap Ms ns Mr.
accordingly, and tho Mexican government proposed to
receive him "A commissioner
At this point the hammer of the chairman indicated
the expiration Of Mr. GoGGIN's hour.
Mr.. MORSE said that the pertinacity with which gen
emen had refused to allow the Presidents annual mes
to take the usual of prompt reference to APP
proprate committees, might induce minds less char table
than himself to infer that it their design 10 condemn
beforehand the measures of the administration that They
might seem to do so without being placed under Jnst
Of responsibility. But Mr.. NJ thought that, by the
expiration OF the time allotted for the continuance OF TINS
debate Gas mnutes there would be hardly any dvsio"
the questions before the committee.
Having been, some humble sense, IN legal pariance,
alder and abettor of the war; it might be supposed
that he would something IN its defence bn! ne was
satisfied with the unanswered and unanswerable argu-
of the President message and ne wanted announcer
argument he could perhaps do better than to refer to
late speech in the other end OF the Capitol OF gentle
man who ordinarily with the opposition to the war,
and who as though he were frightened at the sound
which he had himself made, seemed Immediately to en-
gage himself in the vain endeav0r to answer the
swerabe arguments OF his own speech. He merely
glanced this, TO show the resorts to which gentlemen
are driven to make it appear that the country has been
unnecessarily plunged into unjust and unconsti-
tutional war. But il difficult for gentlemen TO
be prudent and chary OF their words, when they
used them only conceal the purposes which their acts
hal
short period prescribed for his remarks, he felt him
sell able to demonstrate fully that if the order to march
majority around him more to blame for 1t than
the Executive and responsible themselves for every dol
lar which had been expended and every drop OF blood
which had been shed in its prosecution. For II was
known to this body when the order TO march the troops
went forth from the department The National lnelli-
gencer from the first OF February till the time the
Was recognised, was filled with notices and comments
day by day the progress and advances of the army
How could gentlemen reconcile their conduct now, with
their conduct them when the fact OF the existence of the
order notorious and not man here would make an
Mr.. GiDDiNGS Viii the gentleman allow me to set
Mr. MORSE had but thirty minutes to speak, and
could allow himself to be interrupted. He intended
injustice by his representation, and dehed gentlemen
10 show that single member, who, seeing the unhOy
and damnabe of the Executive for which many
think he ought to be impeachel, allowed himself then
to rise up and denounce it. Here member said,
1.-The gentleman from Massachusetts. (Mr AsHMuN,)
introduced inquiry on the subec"] But the question
is, the fact known? MIR. M. contended that It was
Two thousand five hundred men could not march in this
country without the fact being known and General Tay
ors march was notorious from one end of the country to
The other And those gentlemen who now call them,
selves the peculiar defenders of the constitution looked
then the whole affair without any cry of alarm,
single word of inquiry.
MIR. M. considered the circumstances connected with
the origin of the war; and asserted that, when the ques
ton of the annexation of Texas was discussed in Con-
gress, there was no apprehension that it would in
volve the country in war, that Mexico would be
thereby degraded He replied to the assertion of the
gentleman from Indiana. Mr.. THoMPsoN,l that it
the deliberate purpose of the administration TO
Jlunge the country into at the moment when
Sir. Slide sent out How could the gentleman
think conceal the fact that long before General Taylor
reached the Cooa TO- the Mexican government had raised
large army and marched thousand miles, with the
avowed purpose of conquerng the whole of the State of
Texas Mr.. NJ. took the same ground with the gentle
man from South Carolina, that under the constitution the
President could not make AS commander-in- chief
of the army and navy, he might lombard town. and
bring troops into hostile collision with foreign pow
Also he urged against the charge that the Presidents
der to march the troops brought the IA
That fatal order denounced at the timel But Mr.
NJ would require the gentleman to show something more
than mere denunciaon Had the President been duly
warned by Congress of the consequences of that ORDER he
might have been induced TO take different course; and
The sin Of omission could bring home upon men any
responsibility for consequences. he would say that the
absence Of action this subject Congress responsible
agent sworn to execute the laws; and admitting
that he went beyond the law, Congress confirmed his
act But gentlemen tell us they voted tor the sup
plies under protest, against the fact that it was com
menced by the of Mexico, and that they did re-
Geve the army from peril However this might be, Mr.
NJ, sad for himself that before he would have consent
ed what he considered falsehood the bones of
Gen. Taylor and his might rather have all been Civ
to whiten the banks of the Rio Grande. But the
best OF the whole argument was that, with all their Bit
denunciatons against the Executive for commencing
this most unnatural and unhoy war, they say, now
that they have the power wholly with themselves they
will not put stop to it, Gentlemen knew that il was
still their intention to vote the army supplies Why
then, continue to cripple the arm of the country by
speeches in opposition 10 what would have be their
deliberate vote?
Mr. NJ did not for moment admit that this " fatal
order the OF bringing the war, but stated
his belief that might be satisfactorily shown that that
order made at the suggestion of General Taylor him
SELF But there was another part of the history of this
matter for which General Taylor, and the Chief Ma
gstrae, wholly responsible, and which did bring on
the which could not be gaded otherwise than
inevitable cause of He referred to the order
by which General Taylor CONTRARY to instructions from
the War Department. proceeded off the Mexcans
from the navigation of the Rio Grande
Mr. M proceeded to defend the policy of the admins
traon with reference to the war; and urge upon the op
position members, in view of the effect OF their speeches
upon the Mexican people, to adopt the consistent
course of speaking they must feel themselves compelled
to vote and they deprecated the loss of blood and
Treasures and valued the peace and honor of their coun
try to come up and their decision to be for vigo
prosecution of the just and honorable ter
minaton
The hour Of o'clock having arrived the committee
proceeded upon the propositions which pend
ing