The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-01-18


Mr., ROBINSON followed in reply, affirming that OF all
the extraordinary attacks upon the Of the Execu
tive, that charging hun with the exercise OF arbitrary
power in Withholding the instructions of Mr. Slidell was
the most extraordinary and of The least foundation The
idea that this House has right to call the President
lay before the world the matter of this correspondence
while the pending negotiations may be affected by it
there was not horse ockey in the land but what had
prudence; for the rule that would have the
President communicate the Side Instructions might
well also demand and publish the instructions to Mr.
Trst, and telegraph them all over the world The idea
utterly futile and ridiculous. He would ask, in the
name OF common sense, what had these Slldel nsruc.
tons TO do with The question it now before
the country They acted by Mr. Sliiell
himself lie could not but consider pretext got
mp for the purpose OF ustfyng the OF such tender
footed gentlemen had come here pledged TO oppose the
war all hazards.
Mr. X. proceeded to refer facts showing the impro-
priey OF the call for these Instructions; citing first the
OF the publication, in 1882, of the correspondence be-
tween the government and Minister TO France (Mr.
Rves,) IN which II was animated that some advantage
had been gained that power and the result of this
mprudent disclosure had well nigh brought on a war
Mr.. X justified the President in Withholding the Sill
dell instructions by the example of PRESIDENT @ ADAMS,
who when called on by the House of Representatives for
the correspondence with commissioner whom he had
appointed and sent somewhere into South America re-
fused to communicate II.
Mr. r. would go into the question of boundary,
attempt to defend the march of Gen Taylor to the
Rio Grande. He willing to leave these questions in
the hands of the senator from Maryland, whose views
delivered few days ago in the other end OF the
building But he desired to call attention to the assertion
of the gentleman from Illinois, Mr. LNcoLN that Cen
era Taylor had more than nmated to the govern
ment that the army ought not to take position the Rio
Grande. He supposed the facts connected with this
movement of the army were generally known; neverthe-
less he desired, with degree OF deliberations to
anime these facts tor the purpose OF showing that the
wing. declaration that this order to march the cause
of the war, also petext TO justify opposition
He rected the fact that was in consequence OF the res
olution annexing Texas to the Union that the Mexican
minister demanded his passports, and that government be-
gan to issue their war pronuneanentos, and to raise
that when President Polk into power he found the
resolutions of annexation law OF the land and, the
chief Executive, he could not do less than defend the
country from the invasion that threatened He sent Cen
era Taylor down with instructions; and upon these In
structions Mr. r. commented at length, reading and com
pairing, but especially referring 10 the instructions from
the War Department, under date OF July and July 80,
1885 From these he showed the determination OF our
government not to be the first in any act of aggres
son and he remarked particularly upon the discreet
and cautious character of the instructions of the 30h
of July, by which General Taylor was to occupy,
protect and defend the territory of Texas only far
as the jurisdiction Of the State had been extended.
structions, under date OF October 4h which he says,
if the government in settling the question OF boundary,
intended to make the Rio Grande an ultimatum there
could not be adoubl but the settlement OF the question
would be facilitated by his taking position at Point
Isabel and another position higher up the river And
here Mr. R. would ask the friends of General Taylor,
they supposed that President of the United States, he
would have acted differently from what he advised here
as commander OF the army
Mr. H. proceeded next to refute the assertion OF Mr.
Clay, Che believed,) that while Mr. Sde was vending
his way to Mexico, as minister to treat on the sub
ject of boundary, General Taylor at the same time
was sent to occupy the territory in dispute BY referring
again to facts and dates showing that Mr. Sldell was
rejected, and his mission terminated, on the goth of
December; and that it not until the 18th OF January
following that General Taylor was ordered to the Rio
Grande Mr. r. remarked also upon the fact that
in these instructions OF the 18th of January General
Taylor was directed not to exclude the Mexicans from
the navigation of the river; which Instructions how
az w nv he tn
gard Mr. X. mentioned this, not at all to the dspar
agemen but to the praise OF General Taylor; and TO
show that the act of the General we'll his advice,
was all the time ahead of the Presidents order Mr. r.
believed also, that ii such General Jackson
had been in command as Taylor was, he would have
taken the ntatory and met the Mexican General the
other side of the river.
Mr. R. next proceeded to reply to the allegation that
the President alone had brought the war, and that
that the war had actually commenced And here he not
only showed that Congress was fully appzed of every
step in the progress of this movement Of General Taylor
by the Presidents annual message OF December, ls4a.
and by the report OF the Secretary of War; accompanying
but i was manifest Also from his facts and dates, that
the time Of giving the instructions to Mr. Slide, and the
arrival of General Taylor the Rio Gande, far from
being cotenpOraneOus events some assert nearly
six months apart In view of these facts and the passage
Of the war bill in Congress, which followed upon the
Mr. H. asked with what grace these gentlemen could
think to turn round and charge the President with
being the author OF the war; He could only character
democratic administration.
In conclusion, Mr. r. exhortel the whg members who
opposed this war, to come forward with their PROPOSE
tons, and redeem their pledges to their constituents
You told them, Che said that if You had the power, you
would stop this war But so far, you have not come
forward with single tangible proposition; but on the
contrary, have only declared the to be unnecessarily
and unconstitulionaly waged They were bound to do
something, and to do it quickly for every days delay
do of three things: withdraw the army to Corpus
Christi, take defensive line, prosecute the war
with vlgor according to the recommendation of the Pres
ident
Mr. TUCK then obtained the floor, but gave way TO
motion that the committee which agreed to, and
The House adjourned
PETITIONS
The following petitions and memorials were presented
under the rule and referred to the appropriate committees
BY Mr.. BOWLIN: OF the legislature of the State OF Mis-
souri,, asking the donation OF the swamp submerged
lands destroyed by the earthquakes of 1871 and 1872 and
reported by public surveyors suveyabe by
of being under water together with the accompanying
documents be taken from the file in the Clerks office and
referred to the Committee Public Lands. OF Mcknight
Brent, and Wood asking compensation for flour destroyed
the OF Moro, in New Mexico by the troops of the
United States in the conquest Of that place referred
Committee of Claims. OF the Bloomfield convention in
the State of Missouri asking in aid of the legislative
moria that the swamp submerged lands in Missouri
destroyed by the earthquakes OF 1911 and 1872 be donated
the Stale of Missouri, condition of reclamation
lerred to the Committee Public Lands Of William w
Gut asking extension of the of 1885, and fur
thereof passed for the benefit of the sufferers by
earthquakes in the county of New Madrid, the State OF
Mssouri referred to the Committee Public Lands.
Of Martin Shea, Mary King Loengen Schrbel Allen Link
Joseph Pottered and Henry Keeto, asking respectively
for preem pton rights certain lands which they have
r,sD ref Cor