Evansville weekly journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 184?-18??, 1848-01-20

do this depends on our own volition. and not On the
aeeting consent of Mexico. Sir. if time had been al
lowed to the Senate when the message of the Presi-
dent recommending war was before them, if time had
been allowed to the Senate, I would have announced
the course of policy which | thought right, but time
was not permitted. My opinion was that we should
have simply voted Taylor the means of defending him
SELF. That ought to have been dorre. There then should
have been a solemn report from the proper committee
going into all the circumstances, showing that the
republic ofMexico had not yet recognized these hos
tiites-recommending a provisional army to be di- =
rected to a proper point. giving time TO the Mexican
congress and Mexican people to have considered
whether they would avow or disaVow the attacks
upon us; and if no satisfaction were obtained, not to-
make war in this set form. but seize upon the port
tons OF the country contiguous and most convenient
to us, and then have assumed the defensive line.
These are my views, but, unfortunately. we were all
acting here under an urgency without time to reflect.
We were pushed on and told, if you do not act to-day
nothing can be done
Well, now, sir. as to where the defensive line should
be at the present time, l do not presume 20 offer an
opinion. / suggested ii line at the last session lam
not prepared to say what would be the proper one at
the present time, but do say that we must vacate the
central parts OF Mexico. We must fall back; if you
choose to use that word, or take a line that shall Gov.
er ample territory for indemnity
For my part, am not for charging Mexico with
the whole expense of the war; but / would take nm
lple territory and hold IT subject to negotiation. Now
sir, know it will be said that this will be as expen-
sive as the war. | think have said enough to show
that that cannot be, that il viii fall far short oft. but
/ will not repeat the argunen. But admitting it
should; admitting that by no means concludes the ar
guinent; for the sacrifice OF men would be infinitely
less, and what IS more important, YOU will thereby
be enabled to disentangle yourselves. This is the
only way by which it can be done. You are tied. at
present. as it weresto a corpse. My Objects to get
rid OF 1t as soon as possible. rr.f. -. tfr
| Hook not at Mexico, | look to our own country
and her institutions. / look to the liberty of this
country and nothing else. Mr.. PRESIDENT, if we but
preserve our liberty by a proper course of moderation,
acting Justly towards our neighbor, and wisely in
regard to ourselyes-if we remain quiet, resting in
idle and mastery inactivity, and let our destinies
work out their own results, we shall do more for lib-
erty, not only for ourselves, but for the example of
mankind, than can be done by Thousand victories.
Sir, | find | am becoming old; l almost feel that /
live among strangers III have ex oppressed any thing
! that is uncongenlal to the feelings OF this body, put
it down as preceding from the old associations Of thir-
ty or t~hlrty-flve years ago, which are still clinging at
round me. Sir, this is not the first time that / have
taken my stand against war. When Gen. Jackson
recommended letters ofmarque and reprisal agains-
France, | arose alone In the Senate and demonstrated
against such injustice. And, in point of fact, the
treaty which was subsequently concluded with France
was ratified with the express understanding, which
was known to our Government when the treaty was
formed, that 1t would require a vote OF the Chambers
on the part of France to sustain it, as it would re-
quire to sustain it on the part of this country and
that they were no further responsible than to use their
best efforts to obtain that vote. And yet, though it
was acknowledged that the Executive of France had
), done all IN his power to obtain the vote, we were
nearly pushed into a war. Nothing but the interpo-
, sition Of Great Britain prevented it. As for myself,
1 Stui1QltS Ol Sl1c Ol0C VI tS III X nhN
: voice singly againstit, ssy Isl. 81
! Mr.. President, IN my opinion. all parties are inter-
2 ested in giving this matter the only direction thatcan
2 be given to it with any prospect of a favorable result.
Let me say TO the friends OF the Administration, if
you 90 on andsome accident does not meet you-f
, you go on in the prosecutlDnOf tins war from year to
year, you wilfnd that it will overthrow you. Do
you not see that as tar as the inaernal affairs OF the
I government are concerned, you are reversing the pol
icy of which you have heretofore professed to be adj
vocates. What party has been opposedtc the re-cre-
81 -. - =. 800 80 laIsf IL4 h1.ao1r44So -,
9 Republican party2 Well. sir, this war Is involving
S you in a greater debt than the opposite Party could
{ have done, perhaps, IN any circumstances short OF
war. This very campaign. which you look upon so
, slightly, will be almost as great a charge upon. the
country as the debt OF the Kegolntion- What party
has always been against the extention of the patron
r age of the Executivel Well, sir, you are doing more
towards the extension Of that patronage, and above
all towards the continuation OF that extension titan
has ever been done under our government Well, sir
what party PROCESSES To be most IN favor OF a metal
2 lie currencyl And do you not see that as your Treas
/ ury Notes and Stocks accumulate, you are insdanger
of FLEEING plunged again into the paper system to the
utmost extenti What party has always been IN ia
vr of Free Trade2 Do you not see that by accumu-
lating charges and burdens upon the people by the
debts which have now been contracted. that you new
er will during your time have an opportunity OF max
ing any considerable reduction in the Tariff sft4
Sir, / know what is at the bottom ef the course of
!, policy which is mmen to be pursued, 1t IS
that pride of opinion TO which we are all subject. No
doubt it was thought that that course OF policy would
lead to the consequences which were commended for,
but it has not. But, sir, the alternative is pressing.
You will have but the choice between that and
worse. in my opinion. Ii is magnaninons and
honorable to reract when a course oil pollsy'
which has been pursued turns out 10 be wrong. 1t,
would dr DO great t, sF ,Sax TO @d the P party ,r m P3 ;F ,be TO b ac5
e \ had all the lights OF experiencea at the commencement
E of this war which they now have. Il would be do
! ing a high act of patriotism, to sacrifice their feelings
of individual pride to the good OF the country. ss.,
/ Now let me say that in asserting that a defensive
line was the only alternative to the plan ecommend
e ed by the President, l have put out Of the question
q the course of which most OF you DEMONSTRATING
no indemnity Of territory; because. | believe that the
d yoiceof the country has decided irrevocably against
!, 1t; and that to keep it as the. alternative would but
render more certain the adoption OF the policy recon-
e mended by the Executive, and in consequence the
r conquest OF the whole country. Let me say farther,
Ell to my friends on the other side of the Chamber, Tor L
regard them as such-(t is our good fortune to dltter
r in politics here without permitting our personal teel-
: Jugs to be affected}-that they have contributed by
= their course to give the public opiuion that strong and
o liked determination, not TO terminate the war without
some suitable indemnity. / do not allude TO your yot-
: ing on the bill recognizing the existence OF war be
tween the Republic of Mexico and the United States,
e No one knows better than myself, that you voted tor
o the bill with the view Diminishing immediate relief
e to General Taylor and his army-and not IN refer
1t ence TO the war-that you even protested and remon-
IS strated against that Interpretation being put upon your
vote. But after the bill passed, and the war was au-
thorized, most of you have continued to vote appro.
n priations to prosecute the war with the object expires
sd ofacquiring territory as an indemnity. Now,
y $1,000 101
how your vote to acquire territory can be j~ustifeS
n and at the same time your opposition TO the acqnis
e ton of territory as means of indemnity when it il a-
1t knowledged on all sides, that that is the only meas
by which it can be acquired. The people will findit
u hard to believe that it was necessary to vote so muh
money for the purpose of getting territory for inden-l
nity, which YOU intend to throw away when you ret
it. But, whatever may be the causes which haveled
to this state of public opinion. il has, beyond all dGlbt
decided against any conclusionog this war that ices
not involve territorial indemnify to some extet.-
1t Hence, / repeat, the alternative whether this war hall
90 on and consummate itself, is between takinga de-
fensive line and adopting the course pointed CIT by
the executive, and that the decision must be made
e now, for lift be passed over unit another session, the
end WILDE, doubt not, the su5ugation of the whole
country, thereby involving US i all the difficulty and
t dangers which must result fror 1t.
Now, l have delivered my Onion with that can
y dor and frankness which, l -hpe, become my posi-
e ton on this floor. | shall now propose nothing, but
, if find that | can be supports in these my views, /
"A will undertake to raise a committee to deliberate, af-
ter consulting with those offers who are now frtu-
nately in this city, upon the hst defensive line that
can be taken. Fit should : fortunately adopted,
we may not get peace Immediately. The war may
continue for some years, but e will accomplish that