The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-03-28

military contributions part Of your financial
system? Are they based upon any act ORA
thority emanating from you! e..
Sir. I have seen this morning, for the FIRST
time. a general order from the commanding
General In Mexico levying contributions there.
| VIII the President account to you for them
M sir. he intends no such thing. He will dis
nose Them at his pleasure. What Is TO be
done with the revenue collected there? If
paid into your Treasury, it is by the Presi-
dents permission. If expended there-as 1t
will be-wiIl he wait for an appropriation
The Secretary of the Treasury tells US that a,
bout half a million, has already been collected
there lift be a part OF your finances, IN what
item of the honorable Secretary's report On
the finances is it TO be found
Sir, where Is the ground of responsibility to
YOU, and how will you enforce 1t Upon
what principle will you hold the subordinates
employed in the collection of this revenue re
sponsible? Where will you find the ground
Of responsibility which can be made the sub
ject of Judicial cognizance VIII you assume
that our Constitution and laws extend to that
country, and that they can be Juolclaliy eXten-
dcd TO transactions occurring there II so
then that country. by becoming subject to your
Constitution and laws, becomes I<o Jdcfo 4
part of this Union, and annexation Is etcct9d
I bv tic act Of the President alone. Again, SIR
if the President is considered as acting within
the pale Of the Constitution, and Mexico Is con-
sidercd pro lac rice subject to your jurls'Ic>
ton, by what authority does he levy taxes
without your concurrence? Nay, by what au-
thoritv has he established tariff of duties diff
fcrent from yourS-an arbitrary tarllt OF his
own? The result is, that he must either be
: InIenppt-
/ " Of the Constitution, or if that country be-
/ for he time being, subject to your laws, he
/ has violated the Constitution by making HIM
self the lawmaker and disowning your juris-
diction.
Sir, if YOU leave him to the exercise of this
desrotic POWER, what will be the effect on the
institutions of this country? The tendency Of
all thisis to nfilsea military spirit into the
, Constitution, TO engraft upon it an cxtraneous
power of The most arbitrary character, which
win absorb the limited and delegated powers of
: the Constitution. and override its restrictions.
What sort of Administration shall we have with
/ n military head welding purse and sword
not subject TO our control? This war is de-
bauching the nation with the love of military
glory, giving to cur Institution military char
actcr, and placing ct their head, instead ofthe
constitutional President, military colossus.
/ This may lead to the oyerurning ofyour Gov
crnment, and the destruction of your liberties.
Sir, this Is the worst aspect, in my humble
Judgment. in which this unfortunate war can
be viewed.
We may vet feel safe. We may rely upon
the energies of this people and their love Of
liberty. But who can penetrate the future
There are those now living whose memory can
embrace both eXtrcmitcs thus far Of our ma
.ional existence who remember the period Of
! 7s9, and the adoption of the Constitution ;
and who are at this moment watching with eX-
treInc anxiety the issue of the present crisis
Who among them would have believed, had it
been forcto!1, the astonishing advancement Of
this country! Sir, many of us Of younger age
have lived TO see what we never imagined
would occur in cur day. Our progress in the
gradations Of national existence has been with
ont parallel; and if there be in national exis-
tcnce such thing as youth, maturity, decrep-
itude, and decay, we have gone through the
first with unexamplcd rapiditv, ard may find
ourselves at the last ere we are aware of it.
We have accomplished within three score years
what has required centuries elsewhere. We
may find our decline as rapid as our growth.
We may be prepared for the fate Of other re-
pubics in an early stage of our national exis-
fence. as our maturity has been early. We
may find ourselves at period corresponding
with the rapidty of our national advancement
the subjects of corruption and decay and like
preceding republics, the subjects OF a military
usurper.
Sir, hoped ii would not be my fate to wit
ness such n result but that the present condi-
ton of the country tends to such a result, we
have too much reason to fear. Sir, let this war
be terminated; let lis return TO the healthful
condition Of peace; that condition best adapted
to our institutions, and that alone in which
they can be perpetuated.
How shall the war be terminated? Ny an
swer is, by demanding OF Mexico no more
than is reasonable & just. a sense of Justice
will he p us more if we desire peace than all
the armies of the world Put yourselves, if
you can, upon an equality with that people in
point Of power, and then ask yourselves what
under all circunlstancos,is proper TO be required
of them
What has been our course hithertos We
have sent out Mr.. Trist as our peace commits
sioner, but we have sent our armies with him.
We have rendered negotiation, but it has been
negotiation at the point of the bayonet. We
have commenced negotiation with a PROPOSE
ton TO di>memhcr their empire. Give us. say
we, one-half your empire, or we will take it by
force, and the other half with it, to pay the
costs of the proceeding Had such a propo-
sition been made to us by any Power, or by all
the Powers upon earth, what would have been
the sentiment of the American people? Sir,
| recollect well that at the commencement of
negotiations at Client, proposition was made
by TIE British Commissioners TO establish what
they called the old French ine of Canada,
xxc,,l,l Low,
ton Of my humble constituency into the do
minions Of Queen Victoria. Has any one for
cotton the burst Of Indignation which ran
through this land at proposition 50 humbling
and insulting, or the indignant reply of cur
commissioners to the proposition Sir, is
there n man who hears me who would not, had
he been a Mexican, as he is an American,
have iepelled the proposition with scorn.
Sir, if MY advice we're asked as to the best
mode of terminating this war,l would tell you,
instead of Inducing in the spirit of AGGRESSION