The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-02-10

an unknown tongue. Mexico, mistakng our magma
nimty for puslanlmiy treated our complaints with con-
tempt and our circumstances with defiance.
The PRESIDENT OF the United States, IN the message
to which have referred spoke OF these things as just
ground OF complaint and indemnity but not as the causes
OF the existing war For he informed that the war
existed by the act of Mexico-that the Mexican army
had invaded our territory, and shed American blood
upon American SOIL The precise spot is not stated but
the Locality Is well known to have been on the lett bank
OF the no Grande, opposite, and not far fron Matamo-
ras. Then and there the actually commemorative
Mexican army making the attack-the commanding
general having on the morning of the same day. given
notice to General Taylor that she considered hostes
commenced and should prosecute them" This was on
the gath of april, 1916 The battle of Pao Alto was
fought the sa and Resaca de la Palma the 9th OF
May Congress recognised the existence of the and
placed at the disposal of the President millions of
money and nifty thousand volunteers besides the army,
the navy and the militia of the United States for its Wig
orous prosecution The law passed almost unanimously,
there being only fourteen dissenting voices in the House.
and two in the Senate II the war is unconstitutional
now, suppose il was equally then; and if it
constitutional Them II must necessarily be now unless
that law legazed it, or f may be allowed to invent
more Impressive tern) constltItonallzed IT. IN either
event, Congress sanctioned it by vote almost unani
nous, irrespective of party distinctions and confirmed
by furnishing and means to almost unlimited
tent now submit 1t to the conscences well as the
patriotism OF senators who voted for that law if they
not estopped from saying that the either UNJUST
unnecessary, or unconstitutional But will return to the
hsgrounds regard the of the war; and the OBJ
ects tor prosecuting It, have shown that the causes
which produced remain unchanged, and that the Pres
dent set forth the insults flag, and the injuries to
commerce and citizens grievances to be redessed,
in the message to which the act OF the 18th OF May,
1916, was patriotic response. now wish to invite the
attention OF the Senate,especally those Senators who
have hitherto supported the war; and now oppose upon
the ground that the President has recently shifted posi-
tons by setting up claim for indemnity-to the follow
ing extracts from document which was sent to General
Taylor, from the War Department. the 18th OF June,
1916, and by him promulgated TO the Mexican people:
n proclamation by the General commanding The army of
The Uaited States of america, to the people Of erico
"Aier many years OF patient endurance, the United
States length constrained to acknowledge that war
exists between government and the government OF
Mexico For many years our citizens have been subjected
repeated insults and injuries; vessels and cargoes
have been seized and condscated; merchants have
and without reparaon AT length your government
knowledged the justice Of claims, and agreed by nea
make satisfaction, by payment OF several millions OF
dollars but this treaty has been violated by your nlers,
and the STIPULATED paymsn1s have been Withheld Our
has been rejected by the dictator Parede and minis
peace whom your rulers had agreed receive has
been refused a hearing" tfp'Hf r-t asG4
This is the first statement which government ever
made 10 Mexico OF the purposes Tor which the war she
had made upon us was to be prosecuted on our part
Let me read another extract from the same document;
it is a caoce morsel;
We obtain eparation for repeated wrongs and
INJURIES 70 obtain indemnity for the past aud
cnrify for the future
tor from Delaware from his propety, not his duty and
which, when found in the Presidents late message have
converted the senator from firm friend to rreconci-
liable opponent OF the war, upon the ground that they
furnish evidence OF change OF policy on the part of the
Executve If "indemnity for the past" means half
of Mexico, and security for the future the other half
why did not the senator then clearly he now
sees, that the object of General Taylor, as well
as the President to conquer and hold the whole of Mex
the stnpendous scheme of rapme and robbery
Again, sir, will be remembered, have already re-
marked, that the official reports, containing the detailed
history of our conquess in California, New Mexico,
Coahua, New Leon, Tamaulipas, and Tobasco, were
before at the last session of Congress We also had
before at the same time the voluminous correspon-
dence between the departments of war and navy, and
generals and commodores, commanding our armies
and navies in Mexico and upon her coast The senator
from North Carolina, who favored the Senate with his
views few days ago, quoted largely from that cores
pondence published in the documents of the last Con-
gress, show that the President designed from the be-
ginning to conquer and hold large portion of the terri
lshed this position beyond all controversy, by extracts
from the instructions of the Navy Department to Commo
dores Conner, Soat, and Stockton and from the War
Department to Generals Taylor and kearny. Indeed, all
the arguments upon which senators rely to prove that
this of conquest and robbery, repugnan to the
genius and fatal to the permanence OF our institutions,
founded upon information communicated at the last
session, and which was, or ought TO have BEEN, as
familiar to them then, as now. Besides, sir, the fact
that the President at the opening OF the last session. re-
newed his Recommendation of the three million bill,
with the distinct inmation that it was intended as the
first instament. in part payment Of whatever territory
we. might acquire from Mexico, bya treaty of peace
was sufficient notice that the Executive did, at
that time, contemplate cession of territory by Mex
leo, to the value Of three millions OF dollars at least,
over and above the indemnity for injuries to our
citizens, and the expenses of the Thus with full
knowledge of the origin and history of the warof the
extent of conquess and the line of policy in refer
TO its further prosecuonhe war bills OF the last
session were passed, making liberal provision in men
and MEANS not only for holding what had conquered,
but for making conquests in the very heart of Mex
ico These bills received the cordial and powerful sup
port of senator's who tell us that we ought to with
hold all further supplies, because the President has
changed his whole policy and converted it into war OF
conquest
Sir, do not understand that it ia, at any time has
heen war OF conquest in the proper sense OF that term
much less OF robbery 1t is war OF self defence,
forced upon by enemy and prosecuted on our
part vndcaton of our honor and the integrity OF our
territory The enemy invaded our territory and we re-
PEELED the INVASION and demanded satisfaction for all
grievances In order to compel Mexico to do us JUS
hce, il was necessary to follow her re,reatng armies
into her territory, and take possession oil State al
ter State, and hold them until she would yield TO
our reasonable demands; and, nasmuch as IT was
certain that she unable to make indemnity in money,
we must necessarily take it in land Conquest was not
the motive for the prosecution OF the war Satsfachon
Indemnity, security the move--conquest and erri-
tory the means .. -
! Mr. President cannot dwell longer on the inconsis
tences which gentlemen the opposite side involve
themselves have already dwet too long on these pre-
liminay questions must proceed at once to the main
ton whether on the 2ith of May, 1916, American blood
was shed on American SOIL by the Mexican army lhaf
the Mexican forces crossed the no Grande on nat DAY
attacked and killed American soldiers stauoned on he
left bank, conceded But is denied that the lett bank
of that river was American soil or IN other words tnat