The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-01-18
TEIIR III G TIL CONGRESS-.
FIRST SESSION.
SPEECH Of Mr.. BUTLER, OF S. C.,
ON THE
TEN REGIMENTS BILL,
60 SC sc.
WARRINGTON, Jan. II, ls4s.
Senate.
PEACE PETITIONS.


Senate.
PEACE PETITIONS.
Several petitions for the speedy termination Of the
war were presented. Several bills were reported and
read twice.
FOR THE OPINIONS GEN. SCOTT.
After other unimportant business, resolutions
submitted by Mr.. Mangum, requesting the Presi
dent to communicate the opinions and suggestions Of
General Scott They were taken up and discussed until
the hour appointed for the consideration Of
TEN ARGUMENTS BILL.
The Ten Regiment Bill was then taken up, and
Mr. BUTLER Of South Carolina, addressed the Senate
He commenced by estimating the troops already in the
fed which formed the basis Of army Of 1000 regu
lars and 600 volunteers or thsss 1t appeared that
about 1000 available The President has power
to raise this force to the full compliment Of 10000 The
bill now before tho Senate gives regulars and
other bill has been reported authorizing 10000 voun.
tesrs; add to these the and marines who
engaged in the there may army
men, and this great military force placed at the
Of the President the purpose Of invading the only
public continent except our own Were this .
popular the President would not have had to
complain Of the difficulty he has met with in the entire
iorcs which he has bean authorised to raise II 1t
popular Ave times the number asked for would have
marched to the field. II the President has not been
able to do this It his duty, wise magistrate to
regard the failure of the which indicate
that the public not with him He did not propose to
refuse the number Of troops asked for but he proposed
to raise them In different mode. His proposition
not intended to embarraas the President but he thought
that this was tho juuoture ia which every man wa
cad upon to speak his opinions freely In which
man should make his own reckoning. As he believed
daily going into labyrinth of insxtrcable po
Hoy from which there would be by vhoh
to return He believed that II ths President had asked
for two hundred thousand men, there were psraons
here and in the other house, who would have voted
them merely because Of his accommodation
the magnificent vision Of conquest 10 which some had
INDUCED was to be realized, 400 900 will yet be
eessary. He then proceeded to poiot out the sdvsn
tages Of the plan which he had proposed He
would deny the superior efficiency Of the officers
who had received their education at West Point -
Other ocsrs taken from civil fe he admitted had
quilted themselves to win splendid rsnown; but
the troops went into the Geld with much greater cont
dsnos with those skilled and experienced oosby whose
science the secret operations Of the oampsign were
directed He had heard . military oSaosr assert that
ass hundred men, under officers from this Glass; would
achieve more than thousand men under new and
inexperienced ofRcsrs. The plan he suggested would
therefore, be cheaper, because less number Of troops
would effect greater result. He enumerated the
number Of officers which would be required by his plan,
and coutsnded that they should be taken from mill
tary school In enquired the troops
asked for to BIS employed Was It for the purpose OF
merely bridging the war to q speedy and honorable
termination Or they, instead Of being employed
In the legitimate purposes Of war; to be used merely
armel ja,lors, or tsx.gstherers He alluded to re-
cent indications that the longer to be
ried on with view to early and honorable peace,
but with far more ambitious design. II appeared
the object conquer the whole Of the territory OF Mex
ico for the purpose OF attaching it to country
province, annsxing 1t IS territorial government
He remarked this change Of sentiment the part
Of the administration, very recent, because,
whom his colleague, MIR. Calhoun FIRST stated that
the tendency Of policy is to the annihistion
Of the Mexican nationality, and 10 its snnexs-
tion to the United States province territorial
government tho organs Of government repudated the
idea as entirely foreign to tho intentions of the admin
stratiou He went on to remark the difficulty We
should md In justfying our cause, according to the
established laws Of nations He reviewed the history
OF the annexation Of Texas which was contaminated
while nexico held portion Of the disputed territory
and exss held another parnether Of them
perfect title To the territory and neither Of them
could convey such tite when General Taylor order
ed to the Rio Grande the honest purpose Of pre-
venting the Mexican army from sexing the disputed
tsrritory The administration was perfectly justified In
taking that step but IL was because Of the failure Of
sides mission 1t not We are bcusd to defend
the rights OF Texas We have placed 1t on our statute
book that recognised her right to the Rio 0rsnds
and up that can, and must, 60 In the negotiation
of any treaty Of peace Thus far he would but he
would not consent to farther He would be willing to
send some Of ustrious citizens as an embassy TO
Mexico PROSTATE and distracted and powerlss, as she
IT, to terminate the this basis-to give her the
right dessnste the line she would be willing to adopt
AZ an indemnity to He would thus leave her a. an
independent republic. He did not say that 10 should
agree to such q line ~ che msy oreri but Il Is eur
lsas policy ~ tssn.ns.s IBIS wax q. ssIess say
ssos.eee We ,s'sbs. ~ ssstssess s,sa &c into ihs
sehsms II etSseass e-essssts bel ~ ssesses