Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1848-03-11

natural wealth of intellect, is stored wit
Ilore learning than that Of any other ma
of our times, of his years, lately spoke hi
bour on the Loan Bill and the war; an'
the way he scatbcd the authors Of annexa
ton and the Mexican war, with the light
ming Of rcbuke, was like vitriol upon tb'
eye-balIs. We have only room for the fol
lowing quotations.
"Mr. MARSH said he should not now I'M
dertake TO discuss the subject of slavery
either as christian or an unehristian insti.
tuition. He had formed an opinion on thai
subject, which remained unchanged, in spite
of archaeological argument which had been
made on this floor, and the proofs in its IA
vor which had then been adduced from holy
writ, and which, if certain Indications and
intimations were worthy Of confidence, were
soon to be repeated again in that House;-
but il was of the highest importance to re-
member, and the fact ought never TO be for
gotten, that the leading motive of those IN
authority in getting up this war with Mexi-
co was the perpctuation Of slavery.
However wrong the motive of the war
might have been, there was yet more of
crime in the means used in bringing il TO
pass. Whoever wished TO read the blacklist
page in American history should ferret out
the secret intrigues, the hidden, unacknowl-
edged plans and insidious, deceptive efforts,
10 excite the nation aud get il up to the war
pitch, in order to use that powerful feeling
To effect certain predetermined party OBJ
jects. He ought To dive into the recesses of
that Machiavclian policy which held out
different bats to different portions of the
country, that, by combining the action OF
many dscordant elements and applying il in
one direction, annexation might be accom-
plshed in spite of the North. lie should
watch and see how that contemplate fac
ton long continued to swing backward aud
forward between the romonstrauces of con
science aud party interest, till they were at
last fixed by means which proved irresisti-
BILE. He should take pains to learn what
votes had been dictated by craven fear, aud
what by damnable corruption.
But the conduct of those who iad been
the most INSCRIPTIONS in plotting to effect
annexation was less enormous in atrocity
than that of their Ncrthen allies, who had
excused their votes for annexation under
the salvo of the Wilmot proyiso,' or the
Brinkerhon proviso,' according to others.
lfihcy chose to go to loggerheads with each
other about the name let them do so, and
keep at il as long as they liked. Mr. Nj.
was willing to vote in support Of that war.
Whether IL was the Brinkerhoif or the VIII
mot proviso, il was the boldcSt experiment
that ever had been tried on the eredulity OF
the American people; but now that that
humhug had utterly failed to accomplish
either of the objects for which il was gotten
up, he should not be surprised IL those who
had been the loulest and most clamorous in
its favor should prove to be the very first to
listen TO the voice of temptation from high
places.
He knew that there were some Democrats
who had voted for that measure Who were
men of honor and integrity, and had been
actuated by an honest regard for the good
of the people; bat Others had been tempted
10 concur in the measure as means of tcs-
ufying the regret they felt at having voted
for annexation. But the great mass were
of far different description. Some were
aciaaied by propelling force operating At
home; others for the sake of disposing Of
an obnoxious Western candidate for the
Presidency, who had committed himself BY
vote in the Senate, while their Northern
candidate lay snugly pcrdu, and escaped the
responsibility. III the same Western gen
tiaman should be a candidate, his noisiest
advocates would find--(hu, what ], was they
would fini, the Reporter failed TO hear.l In
March that prosiso had been defeated b,
five votes, after having been previously car
ried iy nine. The Administration succeed
ed in its defeat by using only five votes; had
more been necessary, they could have had
fifty. Voices, That is faei.'l But be-
cause an election was approaching in New
Hampshire, and another in Connecticut, and
something else was coming on IN Maine, a