The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-03-03
THE UNION.
undertakes task so little creditable to the political NOR
ais Of our counirymen. On this point the gentleman
from Indiana

from Indiana says:
Now sir words are significant things; and single
word misapplied, often does great mischief Other xsn
emen have asserted that General Taylor adpised the
friend and colleague over the way MIR RoBssos But
have heard nobody, except the gentleman from Maryland
lMr McLANE,] that he repeatedly urged IT, This ac
eusaton does very great injustice Cen Taylora gallant
and wetred soldier for he either urged or re-
peated his advice of such On the contrary
all the sugges'ions made by him upon the subject were
qualified before the o the order Yet
ing ms, the gentleman says he repeatedly urged the
marching OF the troops the Rio Gande Sir Il not
easy to mistake the true position of Gen Taylor in this
matter He did positivey recommend the
oil the Rio Grande valley He wrote hypotheicay
he wrote TO the department on the subject always having
vlously indicated to him by both Mr.. Bancroft and Mr.
AaaHX rsPsa therefore, thai to repesen, him in
letters place him, is doing him great, very great njus-
ee.s hs nd Of TO do So his
guard him against such accusations II is but poor re-
dangers of camp field bring this war to an hon
orable termination, that he has inteered with the
duty called him another and wholly different sphere
As soldier, he has obeyed the orders OF his COVE
BILE ane but in neither capacity has his ever undertaken
to prescribe course Of p0lea policy for this admn.a
he would swerye from us sraghest line for power patron
age, or place"
Sir, the material issue here is simple-to wit, that
General Taylor ABUSED repeatedly urged the advance
movement of troops from Corpus Christi further
to the Rio Grande, upon both political and military
considerations Now. sir, will not exchange. at this
about General 1ayors political military character
shall respect him by combining myself to the question at
have already taken, and since assaled by the gentle
man from Indiana. | will then make more particular
reference to the terms and argument in which that honor
able gentleman would controvert my position | read
the dispatches Of October A. and November 7, 1916
Extract of letter from General Taylor dated Corpus Chris
| ii, October 4, l8i5
"t Is with great Difference make my on
topics which may become matter of delicate negotiation
but our government in settling the question of boundary
makes the line of the Rio Grande ultmatum,
doubt that the settlement will be greatly facilitated and
fastened by our taking possession of one two
and state of preparation should be displayed in manner
not TO be mistaken However saluary may be the effect
are too far from the frontier to impress the government of
Mexico with our readiness to vndcate, by force of
Grande. The army of occupation wil in few days,
be concentrated at this point, in condition for vigorous and
declaration of war, committed any act of hostili-
ties do feel at liberty under my instructions, pari
cuary those OF July g. to make forward movement TO the
Rio Grande without authority from the War Department
Ertract Of letter from General Taylor dated Corpus Chris
| II, Ieras Nop. 7, 1915.
SR respectfully enclose copy of letter from Com.
modore Conner, commanding the home squadron which
received by the Saratoga soop-o-war, the 9th in
The intelligence Communicated by the commodore
WILL doubess reach the seat of government long before the
receipt OF this letter.
"rhe communication from the Secretary of War, dated
October TO- was received and acknowledged the LIST
and I'd instant: purposey deferred detailed reply to
the various points embraced that communication until
could receive an answer to mine of October which
ed lat least in par The same ground The Intelligence from
pressed IN that communications The position occupied By
t troops may perhaps be the best ohe PEND
nag or ut rate until disposition shall be By
hertco to orac them unreasonabiy Under the supposi-
o that such may beth be the view Of the shall
OF examining the country, until further instructions
almost Constantly in the field the officer. of
Kneers and engineers rendering valuable
those officers to The chiefs of their own bnreanS for the M
formation which is thus procured in relation the
Try An examination OF the harbor of Brazo Santiago will
be ordered in lew days-as soon as proper vessel shall
become disposable for that service"
Here sir, General Taylor being in possession of full
instructions from his government informing him that the
Rio Grande was southwestern frontier, with orders
issued before annexation, informing him las have
shown by the order of June Is, ls45) that his ultimate
destination, after the terms OF annexation accepted
would be that western froner-wth orders issued after
these terms accepted, earmng the original nsruc-
TONS with regard to isolated points and set
Elements in possession of Mexican authorities and caution
TO the defensive attitude he should maintain thus in
struced he advises the advance 10 the Rio Grande as
political movement udcious and advisable, provided the
government meant to insist the Rio Grande as their
umaum; with which policy he had nothing TO do, and
in the adoption of which he shared responsibility
for him only, faithful officer of the government
to accept their policy and sustain it He wrote, as he
himself says with Difference and alphabetically upon
topics not strictly pertaining to his military functions
but still. sir he wrote not the less explicitly or frankly
and desire to add, aciseiy Mean while sir General
Taylor hears from Com Conner that Mexico had agreed
negotiate, and then Gen Taylor writes the despatch of
NoN =, lS4o. III MS Recommendation
for the forward movement, by expressing the opinion
that the position occupied by the troops may per-
haps be the best while negotiations pending at any
rate, until disposition shall be manifested by Mereo to
protrdct them unredsonabty"
Sir this disposition to protract them unreasonably was
known to government the 18th of January 1s46
and in this contingency, the counsel of Gen. Taylor in
his despatch OF October d. lS45 becomes the counsel of
Gen Taylor in his despatch of November T. 1916 and
thus sir, the recommendation for forward movement,
advised in the despatch of October is repeated in the
despatch of November 7. So much for the political
diplomatic feature of these dispatches The concluding
paragraph of the despatch of November refers to the
sanitary consde involved in the military features
OF the campaign, and urges strongly upon the govern
men the advance of troops before the warm weather
should set in.
Sir upon these dispatches of October 4, and Novem-
Der 7, the honorable gentleman from Indiana thus
ments:
'Now, Mr. Chairman, what does all this amount to Does
lor were Hypothetical merey4 He had as have already
shown, been informed both by Mr. Bancroft and Mr. Mar
cy that his ultimate destn atom the Rio rande and
on the hypothesis only that the army destined by the
istration that i il be done, for reasons
better that it should be done nj But political
commentator TO this government General Taylor
did Internationally advise that shall be marched
sion should be sought be made without denia which
denial make, and will retract, without evidence
greatly more than have yet seen.
Every word he has said the subject both in his letter
OF October 4th and in that OF November 7h Hypothetical
merey-ony conditional upon the fact that
intended to the policy which had been already in
dictated to him by the Secretaries of War and the Navy.
But Hypothetical it was, it Observation-Disclosures
taken back you please, in the letter OF November h in
which he distinctly informed the administration that he
should Increment Christi