Evansville weekly journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 184?-18??, 1848-01-20
Iron Houston's Official Reports.
SPEECH OF MIR. CALHOUN.
IN the Senate of the United States. Januuru
4th, 1913, upon his Resolutions. :

W OAP 0IC II III LHC u lOi |
would De inconsistent with the avowed object for
Which the war has been prosecuted; u departure from
ne settled policy OF the Government; in conflict with
. chafacler ana genius; and In The end, subversive
u our Tree and popular Institutions
heSotred, ! hat no line of policy in the further prose-
'ut'on OF the war should be adopted which NAV lead
o consequences so disastrous.
Mr., Calhoun said:-In Offering, Senators.
nese resolutions for your consideration, | have
'een governed by the reason which induced me
% oppose the war, and by the same considera-
lions | have been ever since guided. In ailu-
ding TO my opposition to the war, | do not in
tend to notice the reason which governed me
that occasion, further than is necessary to
explain my motives upon the present. | oppo-I
sed the war then, not only because | considered
it unnecessary and that it might have been
easily avoided. not only because | thought the
President hadno authority, to order a portion Of
the territory in dispute and in possession ofthe
Mexicans, to be occupied by our troops; not
which it was sanctioned by Congress were I'M
founded in truth, but from high considerations
of reason and policy, because | believed it
would lead to great and serious evils to the
country and greatly endanger its free institu
tons.
But after the wal was declared, and had re-
ceived the sanction of the government, | &C
quienced in what | could not prevent, and
which it was impossible for me to arrest; andI
then felt it 70 be my duty to limit my course
so as to give thatdirection to the conduct of the
war as would as far as possible, prevent the
evil and danger with which, in my opinion, it
threatened the country and its institutions
For this purpose, at the last session, | suggest
ed to the Senate a defensive line, and for that
purpose | now offer these resolutions. This,
and this only, is the motive which governs me.
| am moved by no personal or party consider
atoms. My object is neither to sustain the
Executive nor to strengthen the opposition;
but simply to discharge an important duty to
the country. But | shall express my opinion
upon all points with boldness and independ-
ence, such as becomes a Senator who has moth
ing to ask, either from the government or from
the people; and whose only almis to dlmln-
ish, to the smallest possible amount, the evils
incident to this war. But, when | come to
notice those points in which | differ from
the President, | shall do it with all the deco
rum which is due TO the Chief Magistrate Of
the Union.
When Suggested a defensive line, al the last
session, this country had IN It's possession
through the means of its arms, ample territory
and stood in a condition to force indemnity.
Before then, the successes of our arms had
gained all the contiguous portion of Mexico
and our army has ever since held all that it is
desirable to hold-that portion whose popula-
ton is sparse and on that account the more de-
sirable to be held. For | hold it in reference
to this war a fundamental principle, that when
we receive territorial indemnity it shall be un-
occupied territory.
In offering a defensive line, | did it because
believed that in the first place it was the only
certain mode of terminating the war success
fully. | did it also because | belieevd that il
would be a vast saving ofrthe sacrifice of human
life; but above all. did so because | saw thai
any other line of policy would expose us tc
tremendous evil, which these resolutions were
intended to guard against. The President tool
a different view. He recommended vigorou;
prosecution of the war-not for conquest--tha
was disavowed-but for the purpose of con
quering peace, that is, to compel Mexico tc
sign a treaty making a sufficient cession of ter
ritory to indemnify this Government both 70
the, claims of its citizens and for the expense,
of the war. Sir, | opposed this policy. op
posed 1t among other reasons, because | bellev
ed that ifthe war should be ever SO successful
there was great hazard to us at least, that The
object intended to be effected by it would no
be accomplished. Congress though; different
ly. ample provisions in men and money Wen
granted for carrying on the war, The cam
paign has terminated. 1t has been as success
full as the Executive of the country could pos
siblv have calculated. Victory after victor
has followed in succession, without a singlere
verse. Santa Anna was repealed and defeate'
with all forces-Vera Cruz and the castle wer
carried with it. Jalapa, Perote and Puebl
fell, and after two great triumphs of our army
the gates of Mexico opened to US. Well. SIT
what has been accomplished? What has bee
done2 Has the avowed object of the war bee
attained? Have we conquered peace? Hav
, we obtained a treaty? Have we obtained an
, indemnify No, si.; not a single object con
q templated has been effected, andwhat is wors
our difficulties are greater now than they wer
then, and the objects, forsooth, more difhcuI
to reach than they were before the compaig
commenced.
Now Senators have asked what has cause
II this complete discomforture OF the views of til
n Executive for which men and money wei
s granted2 1t is not to be charged to our troops
h they have done allthat skill and g~allantry VIZ
q capable of effecting. Unjust be charged, but upo
i, the fact that the plan of the campaign was errt
+ neous, that the object pursued was a mistak
We aimed at indemnity in a wrong way.
we had aimed directly to it, We had the meal
to accomplish it directly; they were in OIL
W hands. But, sir, We aimed at an indemni
N through treaty. we COuIu IOl ISdCu II w
treaty with Mexico, and Mexico by refusing
treat simply, could defeat the whole obje
which we had in view. We put out of our ow
power and in her hands, to say when the w
should terminate.
s: We have for all our vastexpenditure of mo
ey, for all the loss of blood, and men, we ha'
nothing, but the military glory which t
campaign has furnished.
~ We cannot, | presume, estimate the expe
ses of the campaign at les than 100000 0
We dollars. q cannot compute the sum with al
degree OF: precision, but believe | may s.
about that sum- and between the sword al
disease. many thousands of lives, probably fv
81 six, or seven thousand have been sacriiced;a al
at all this for nothing at all.
IT. But it is said that the occupancyof a def
en- sive line would have been as expensive as t
n campaign itself. The President has assign
many reasons for that opinion, and the Seer
is tary of War has done the same. have exal
an ined these reasons with care. This is not I
proper occasion to discuss them; but / mt
say, with all possible Difference, they are to r
~ mind utterly fallacious- will put the questi
in ageHeral point of view, andsatisfy the min
! d of Senators that such is the case
m The line proposed by myself, extending fro
- the Pacific Ocean to the Paso del Norte, woU
III