The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-05-17
CONGRESSIONAL.
SPEECH or MIR. BREEsE,

Ia Senate Feb IA, ls4S.-On the Mexican quesuoN' anu
the ten-regiment bill
The Senate having resumed the consideration ol lhe
mi 10 raise for limited time, an additional military
force
Mr.. BREESE said:
NJ pprsIpENr: never rise in this presence upon the
os ordinary occasion, either to explain OF defend d
Measure purely local in It's character, without some en-
ossment; and that feeling greatly increased, as you
r well suppose when questions OF vital Importance TO
bs nation are under discussion, calling foTh as hoSe
NJ connected with this bill, the best efforts OF the
nos, distinguished members OF this body Nolhing, SIT,
, ON overwhelming sense of the duty owe TO the State
h;ch has honored me much, and whose patriotism
W. baen so sgnally exhibited from the very commence
ment of this war; and whose people lake ne deepest III
t in It's progress and success. could have broken me
ce had imposed upon myself, so far as the mere OBJ
s Of the bill itself is concerned 1t is upon those great
opcs which throw the bill quite INTO the shade that
b 10 express my opinions fully and without reserve
rsm;sing however, that they are my own individual
pDinions for which neither the administration, nor any
amber of it, nor the party with which act, are IN the
tast degree responsible They have been formed after
grb careful elaboration and anxious inquiry, and with
ssre solely to arrive at correct conclusions; and If
Ia are unso lnd or of wicked and dangerous tendency,
or mpracticabe they will md no echo N the publc
ps,n and influence in no degree the public judgment.
NV state sir has right to this expression from me- to
enable to Judge if properly sustain here the important
relation their partality has created between u.s. and If
hiI, meet all the responsibilities which II imposes upon
ms have said, sir that the people OF that great and
naro,c State take the most lively interest in this war,
and in all the questions connected with it; and look with
onfdence and hope to some grand achievement as Its
fal result From its inception, on the first call TO
n rene the aggressive act OF Mexico, and TO punish her
or her injustice and her wanton invasion OF our territory
the people there with one heart and one mnd were found
m he side of their country the only strife among them
bsng generous rivalry as to who could best serve 1t in
be hour of its need Eight thousand OF its choicest chiv
aIrv offered themselves at the CALL OF whom four thou
sand were accepted who repaired at once TO the field,
with an alacy never before manifested, and in the
naqn which followed, covered themselves with undying
glory
the last session. on the three million BILL the very
dav of the hard fought battle of Buena Vista, when my
thoughts as they had often done before turned to those
noble spirits my neghbors and my friends, who had left
all the fond endearments OF home-severlng those dear
family ties they knew SO well how to appreciae-to do
battle for their country in foreign land, inspired only
BY the ervor of generous patriotism, when was
prompted thus to speak OF them:
"They have Proved by the snerings they have endured
disease and by performing the most wonderful marches
modern tmeadvancing forty miles in day, blvouack-
ng night with half raons, and showing by their dscp
line and prompt obedience orders, that they be relied
pon and every emergency and though 1t has been
denied them participate in the pers OF the battlefield
they have given the strongest assurances that in it they
would fail reap full harvest of glory"
That prophecy, sir was at that very moment fact Al
mouth; and so long as Buena Vista shall be familiar
word-so long as the mountains there, In whose sight
they fought and fell shall lift their submits to the sky
eng will the valoreus deeds of the gallant lllinoans
be remembered and rehearsed At Cero Gordo too, sir
they exhibited like evidences OF gallantry-ex atng by
their deeds not only the character of their State, but Of
the whole country to which they had SO signaily mani
tested their devotion These troops, sir were OF the best
blood of the State, composed OF gentlemen OF character
home, each one of whom, in battle. felt as if he had
not only the character of his country TO sustain but his
own individual character and that made them thenas
they will be everinvincbie And sir so far as the i'm
mediate object of this bill is concerned, and in answer TO
the remark that the troops cannot be raised by ii in any
reasonable time, should 1pt fear 10 pledge myself that
On that If had become half of
the whole number be there instantly raised, of the
material and under the same inspiration The peo-
pie Of that State SIR are fully impressed with the justice
Of this war; and the denunciations INDUCED in here
and elsewhere against the Executive as its author
will have no effect upon them to turn them to peace
Or TO oppose the government in any OF ITS measures
carry vigorously in the very heart OF the enemys
country and they not TO be appalled, at the unfortu
ae results which, in the opinion OF some senators, may
flow from it, they be made to think they will be
% dreadful as they have been depicted had hoped
Mr. President from indications which thought I saw
when this bill was first reported from the Committee on
Military Aialr tina. il would receive the general assent
this body and that those denunciations, to which we
have listened long, would have been reserved for
some favorable when the progress OF nc
great public measure would be mpeded by them, and a
better opportunity afforded for the most unlimited discus
son. aud the widest range of debate but in this have
been tisapponed and, at the hazard of further delay
must endeavor 10 repe these assaults, and place the ad
mnstraton, and those who support it, right before the
country and furnish justification for their and con-
duct Senators Iced not think this war is unpopular; IN
sthey deceive themselves. Every successful war is
popular; and bold declarations that this is unjust
and unconsttutonally commenced will not satisfy
nose who are. to pass upon our conduct; The
people, sir, will not he deuded by such declara-
lions; they will require of those who make them
10 sustain them by facts, by reasoning, and by fall
agument and call upon senators the other side OF
The chamber to demonstrate if they can, with all 1heiI
Fga acumen, acknowledged ability and power OF inves
ga'lon why 1t is that the is unjust and unconsu
Iohaly commencedl They will reply, that IT was by
e removal OF our troops to the bank OF the Rio Grande
a such removal was act of and being ordered
lhe PRESIDENT, he acted therein in manner not war
lanled BY the constitution This allegation involves
necessarily the consideration of the question OF bounda
" and II has been esablished-as think it has beer
mai the river was the true and only boundary OF Tex
as ,he right TO have forces there TO prevent threat
sed INVASION cannot be controverted And here, sir, i
VIII not be necessary TO discuss this point at length mas
uch as the argument Of my honorable colleague upon i
on DouGLAsl has been most clear and convincing lie
mas shed such flood of light upon ithas so brilliantly
Illuminated t-tha none any longer be in error, OF
asIay, except from design and wanton pervers
" accord with him, sir fully, in all his views tha
pom, and to show, sir, that it is not sudden opinion
u hasuly formed, beg leave to quote few passage:
nom the speech had the honor to deliver in June 1914
me resolutions of the honorable senator of Missouri
wv. DENTON, pending the treaty OF annexation Ate
aug the principal facts connected with the history
heNico and Texas, | said:
IN 1885, Santa Anna then victorious gene rail- abandon
H e cause oil repubicanism, declared in favor of
nay government by which tie sovereignty of the States was
nthec abolished, and all power, civil and military con
,odated in man Many of the States as ali the ole
een dld, took up in defence of their rights ant
IS, sovereignty, as guaranteed by the federave system
1871 But the power of the usurper was irresistible
e'e alter State subdued, until finally, in Texa
aone OF all the Mexican States the sacred fire of libert,
WNeNllngushed; there alone IL was guarded with anx
ous vigilance. Texas refused submit the dcta tor
@ resort was had by the people to resist his power th
colonial vassaage and maintain their independence The
never abandoned the federal constitution of Mexico