The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-02-29
SPEECH OF
MIR. MARSH, Of Vermont,
ON THE MEXICAN WAR.

44A~ 4t44A4e0&Al Va Vi 14O44u,
ON THE MEXICAN WAR.
Mr.. MARSH, who was entitled 10 the floor
from yesterday, addressed the committee du-
ring his allotted hour in a speech of his elabo-
rately finished style and rapid delivery. The
Reporter can only present such brief and
imperfect outline of its general features as he
was able to catch.
Mr.. M. said that he proposed to avail him
self of this occasion to do what he had never
before attempted to do in this place, viz. ex-
press his own opinion and that which he be-
lieved to be the opinion of large majority of
his constituents, and, as he hoped, the whole of
the American people, on the causes, motives,
objects, and dependencies of the existing war
with Mexico, and which would induce him to
vote against the further prose cution Of hostili-
ties, which, though avowedly commenced for
defence, were obviously to be carried on for
the purposes of conquest. The advocates OF
the war said thatit was now too late TO stop,a
the only question to be settled was,what means
ought to be adopted to bring the war to as
speedy a termination as possible, and obtain
such peace as should be honorable to us and
Just to our adversaries. 1t would be, did a
state of war absolve us from all moral respon-
sibilities to those of the human i;lmily who hap
pened to be our enemies? Mr.. NJ. was one
who had never been able to see the distinction
between public and private morality, and who
held that there was a broad distinction be-
tween a war for the defence and maintenance
of existing rights and 4 war for the successful
establishment ofnew claims.
In Judging of the propriety of prosecuting
any war, it was material to inquire into the
design and purposes for which the war had
| been commenced; otherwise, we could never
know whether the war had accomplished its
end or not. In regard TO this war, it was I'M
important to distinguish between its primary
| cause and its immediate occasion. 1t was now
he believed, pretty generally if not universally
admitted that the primary cause of our war
| with Mexico was the annexation OF Texas the
proximate cause was certainly the advane of
the United States army to the banks of the
Rio Grande; but it did not therefore follow
that the war was a necessary consequence.
This Cabinet might be responsible for the ac-
tual existence Of the war, though his prede-
cessor might have produced that state of things
out of which it had grown. If the Admins
tration had been guilty of precipitating this
dire calamity upon the country, or if they
SuOulu HOW TeiuSe lDc icruiS u peace WHICH
we're generally understood to have been of
fered by Mexico, they were responsible before
God and men for all their acts or neglects in
relation to the whole subject.
After the fatal wound we had inflicted on
the national honor and independence of Mex
leo, by the absorption of u revolted province,
which she still claimed as an integral part of
her empire, Mr.. NJ. would not say that it had
ever been possible to avoid war; but, as had
been well shown by his friend from Connect
cut, Understood to refer to Dir. Dixon,) the
Administration never had bona tfda endeavor-
ed to avoid it by soothing the wounded feel
ings of Mexico. or doing any thing to concili-
ate, until this was tried they had no right to
presume, beforehand that she would refuse all
cancellation. She had at any rate committed
no hostile acts; the cdssuS belii had not occur
ed when the present war was provoked and
commenced by u.s. He would not say that the
Administration had wantonly plunged the
country into this contest, with full knowledge
beforehand of its character and results; but
this much he would say, that he had no doubt
the President had ordered the advance Of our
troops under the hopes that he might thereby
road Mexico into some hostile act, that would
serve as a plausible reason for a large
Increase OF the army and navy, and
a proportionatc augmentation of Executive
patronage: and that he calculated at the cost of
n small war to extort from Mexico her fairest
provinces thereby placing President Polk by
the side of President Tyler, on the bad emf
nence of those who undertook to become. the
.enlargers of the area of freedom"
But, besides all this, the Executive resolved
on taking steps to get the CALIFORNIA; The
surrender of Oregon had been predetermined,
and it became necessary to propitiate the irri-
lated feelings of the West, indignant as that
high-spirited people would certainly be at the
loss of what they all had been taught was their
..unquestionablc" right A war with Mexico
presented itself as the readiest and most likely
method to effect this object, by opening 10
Western enterprise new regions in the South,
in place OF those which it was deemed the part
of discretion to surrender to the demand OF
Great Britain.
Mr. NJ. said he could net regard this war
but as a national offence. 1t was against the
spirit of the times. 1t was retrograde step IN
the outward progress of civilization and hu-
manitv. 1t was misuse, a total preversion OF
our rich resources. instruction of our aims
The cultivation of the arts of peace, Of repro
duction. of multiplication, Of Great on, were
now recognized on all hands as best suited to
the genius and cnterpr.zing spirit Of our peo-
ple. To cultivate war, in preference; was an
inversion of craftsmanship unworthy of the
nineteenth century, and against the precepts
of Christianity. 1t calleda great civilized and
Christian nation to turn the ploughshare into
the sword. The policy Of this people was to
increase by natural growth and by accretion,
not to spread by conquest and acquisition. The |