The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1848-03-09

The House being in Committee Of the Whole or
the State Of the Union, and having under conside-
ration the bill authorizing q loan not exceeding
Sl6,50O,000,
Mr.. MARSH, Of Vermont, said
Mr.. Chairman:
propose 70 avail myself Of this occasion, 10 do
what have not yet done in this placc-to express,
namely, in the tewest possible words my own oPlli-
ION, and, as l suppose, that OF lar G majority OF
my constituents, respecting the causes, character
objects and tendencies Of the war III which we are
engaged, and 10 assign tie reasons which VIII conf
pei me to vote against all measures designed Tor the
prosecution of h0stilitics pro!3ssedly commenced
for defence, but which have been, and are, w"6ed
for purposes OF aggression, lnVaSion and conquest
1t is said that it is too late to investigate the
causes Of tie war, aud that the only remaining queS-
ton pr0uer for the consideration CT Congress is,
what measures will tend to bring it to the most
speedy termination, and enable Us TO conclude
peace upon terms most advantageous to ourselves
This would indeed be 50, if il were true that state
Of war, however commenced, absolVcd us rom al!
duties towards those Of cur fellow men WHO nave
become our enemies. But there are those, ana
profess myself of the number, who can discern 10
sound distinction between the principles OF public
and private morality, and who believe that war,
like private violence, can lawfully be rcSorted to
only as q necessary means OF securing already eN-
listing rights, not of creating new and independent
claims. 1t becomes, therefore, material To ascer-
tam the OrlSlD, CAUSES, anu purposes Va ""'
before it is possible to determine v hen its Lawful
ends have been accomplished, and what measure Of
reparaton the victorious party is entitled to exert
In inquiring into the origin of the present war; it
is essential to distinguish between lis primary
causes and proXimate occasions. mat us hraI
cause the annexation OF cNA7, no man us
putes: and there is little doubt that its iinmadl-
ate occasion WAS the occupation OF the lett bank OF
the Rio Grande by the army OF the United NtUlcS
in obedience to the order Of the President mat
was is the natural and legitimate consequence o!
annexation; but. though natural and legitimate
it does rot follow that it was accessory result OF
that measure and therefore this AdnInlStraton may
be chargeable with its guilt, although the original
offence was committed before tho present tAecu-
tive came into power. II the administration Know
ingy omitted any proper means to aVlI OF Volnn-
talily adOp.ed any measure calculated 10 pEec!p-
tate so dire calamity, if itretuse5 to accept the
terms which are believed to be now oi-eIeq b% pros
trate and suppant Mexico, it is rcpohsDle, before
God and man, for all the consequences OF ms acts OF
ITS ncglects shall not venture to affirm tiaI, al
ter the mortal wound which we had Inflicted upon
the honor and the interests OF Mexico, by our "a
pacious absorption OF territory once lidlsPulSSIy
hers and to which she still laid claim, It Was pos
sblc to avoid war; but SIS no effort was ever made
in good faith to propitGtc that repuoHc--a p9!nt
most cOncusively established by the gentleman
from Connecticut mir. DiXon) we are not cntilled
to presume that she would have turned doa! ear
to honorable proposals Of peace; and inasnuctl rs
Mexico had committed no hostile act, tie eGSHS JeI!i
cannot be considered rs having occurred un:i! the
President forcibly occupied territory not oAly
claimed, but quietly posscssedby hcr-a territory TO
which as the gentleman from Indiana (alr. IAoinp-
sony has, in lis admirable speech, indisputaoly
proved, Texas had not the shadow of title-a terri
tory which the Senate Of the United States had VII
tually adjudged to be still part and parco! OF the
Mexican domain. The war, therefore, was not cnIy
provoked, but commenced by us and though
will not say that the Administration Wantonly pung-
cd into it, with full apprehension Of its arduous
character its countless cost of treasure and OF Dlood
vet have no hesitation in protesting my deliberate
conviction that the Executive ordered the army to
advance upon the Rio Grandc under, not tie belief
only, but the hope that this Insult would goad Mr%-
leo to some hostile Demonstration, which might
furnish plausible reason Tor great increase Of our
military establishment, and, consequently, OF Ike
cutive patronage, and at the time enable Tie
Administration, at the cheap cost Of "a small war,
to extort from humble Mexico the cessiOn of her
farest provinces, and thus place Mr.. Polk Ly the
side Of his predecessor that bad cmnencc which
John Tyler now occupies, solitary AID alone, as the
great enlarger Of the "area of freedom There
was moreover, special motive for taking steps to
the acquisition Of part at least Of Calitor
MIA The surrender Of our claims TO northern Ore
Gon had been predetermined. 1t was torescen that
this sacrifice to Western interests this modification
of Western pride, would excite feeling Of indigna-
ton which must be appeased, and nothing seemed
more likely to accomplish this end than war with
Mexico, which would furnish congenia occupation
10 the 1cSSoS SpiIltS vi VIC lcSlo-
sppi valley divert public attention from the M
popular policy of the Administration in respect tc
Oregon, and atone for the loss of the northern por
ton of that territory by new acquisitions on it;
southern border
Entertaining these views upon the origin and pur
poses of the war, can consider it in no other lgb
than rs n national crime; Dut,indepcndently Of this
it is an offence against the moral spirit of our time
arotrogrado step in the movement Of humanity, vi
olent Wrestling Of our national energies and nationa
resources to unnatural, inappropriate, and mischiev
Gus uses. The creative arts Of peace the arts o
production MULTIPLICATION, and conversion are nov
universally recognized as the objects on which tn
physical powers of man should be mainly eXerted
they are arts eminenty suited to the character AM
wants of people, and the genius of our nstitli