Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1848-08-17
SPEECH OF JACOB COLLAMER,
HOUSE OF REPS. July 81, 1648.


The House having under consideration the two
late Messages of the President of the United
States in relation to New Mexico and Califor-
mia
Mr.. COLLAMER proceeded to address the
House. In regard to a desulory conversation
as to the course of business which had taken
place after he had obtained the Dor, he said that,
under the operation Of the rules OF the House, ve-
ry little in the nature of debate or discussion
took place in the House at all. Most of what
was said here, except in the very short five min.
ues allowed to the explanation of amendments,
were mere independent essays, distinct orations,
having very little relationship to each other ma.
ny of them perhaps more strictly were not ora
ions, but, in common parance, harangues some
for the House, more for the country some of
them possibly for posterity, if they lived to reach
posterlty. But he intended to direct most of his
remarks, not all, to the topics of this message. or,
rather, OF the two recent messages of the Pres-
dent-the peace message, together with the ad-
ditlonal message OF Information respecting the
other
In relation 10 this message of peace, he must
say there were some very extraordinary features
in it. Some gentlemen had made some remarks
upon those features He wished to be little
more particular; he wished to call the attention
OF gentlemen to the very terms. In the first
place, we were informed that we had got peace
that we had peace. What was the sensation
which this intelligence produced? lie hao lived
long enough 10 have seen one such occasion be-
fore. He had once witnessed proc amation of
peace, and he had witnessed, too, the enthusiasm
which 1t had excited, 1t was not merely coptin.
ed to few cities, to the illumination of cities
and towns, but 1t went back into the recesses of
society; every little village, hamlet, cottage,
echoed with the reverberatons of peace. But
where now was the sensation, where the illumi.
nations of towns and cities, and where the pro-
clamaion for day of Thanksgiving to Almighty
God Tor having relieved our nation from war |?
Where were they? Who had heard of them |?
On, we had peace! Why, the making of the
peace, which the President and his friends claim
ed so much glory for, had disgraced the man who
made it; he was hardly permitted to be seen
he had been sent home from a foreign Govern
ment, after making this peace, by military author
! NY. One OF the distinguished generals who had
conquered this peace, was, he believed pretty
much in the same condition, SO far as it was in
the power of the Executive to effect him. That
was the peace, and what peace And what
did the Executive inform us was the great value
OF the treaty of peace? Why, he told the coun
try he had got indemnify for the past and security
Jor the future. lie would first speak Of the lat.
ter The President, in his message, says:
"The extensive and valuable territories coded
by Mexico to the United States constitute ,ndtp,.
nifty for the past and the brilliant achievements
and signal successes of our arms will be quar-
anty OF security )or The future, by convincing all
nations that our rights must be respected. The
results of the war with Mexico have given to the
United States a national character abroad u}ich
our country neper before enjoyed. Our power and
our resources have become known and are res
pected throughout the world, and we shall proba-
bly, DC saved from the necessity of engaging in
lan hos far. n To-
So we had gotten by this war character
which we had never before enjoyed! Now, ow-
ing TO his age, perhaps, he (Mr. c. had heard n
good deal about a certain war OF the Revolution
wondered If tne Executive had ever heard of
it?-when three millions Of people, scattered all
over this country, had varied with England
warred alone tor several years with Great Brit.
ain! Had the Executive heard in vain of the
battle of Bunker Hill? of the terrible fight at
Long Island? of the battles at Bennington,
Saratoga, Brandywine Germantown, when we
had no aid from the French? Had he forgotten
that we had captured whole British arny?-
the first time IN the history of five hundred years
that that nation had ever surrendered an army.
Nor had they, down TO this day, surrendered an
army except TO the American army. In the
progress of that memorable struggle we had es-
tablished some character abroad, and received
some slight aid, for which he wished always TO
be sufficiently grateful. ANA men those terrible
battles at the SoutI-ot Kings Mountain, Eu-
taw, Cowpens, Guilford, and the surrender OF
Cornwais-had occurred. But, the President
told us, we had no character until this Mexican
war was commenced and prosecuted All these
bloody battles and glorious victories with Great
Britain. in the very infancy of our country, were
nothing They were nothing at all though we
were engaged, not in war whose very cause
gave no importance to il, but we're fighting for
our national existence, for our firesdes and our
homes and all the invaluable blessings oil liberty
which we now ENJOY
Passing on to the next wars what was that
We had succeeded in asserting our rights at
home; we had again to assert them on the broad
ocean, and for that we again went to war with
the same powerful nation, standing at the head
of the Governments of Europe. But that was
nothing! Had the President, and gentlemen
who sustained his views on this point, forgotten
the awful battle, fought in the night time, within
sound of the roar OF the cataract of Niagara
+ the battle Of Bidgewater, where single regi-