Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1848-04-20
1poIttttaI.

SPEECH OF MIR. UPHAM,
OF VERMONT, ON
THE TEN REGIMENTS BILL,
THE MEXICAN WAR.
DELIVERED IN THE SENATE OF THE U. STATES,
FEB. Is, 1913.
(coNrrNuffs)
But, sir, -Iayill >ledve this branch of the sub
jet, and Esssen t9,sh9Estat the character and
further prosecution, for the purpose NOW avowed,
would interchangeable the country.
When I,e6as. was annexed to the United
States, It's western boundary was left an open
question, TO be settled by negotiation between
the Mexican Government and ours. The Pres
idofR, in his message of May 18th, 1874; inform
ed Congress that strong desire to regulate and
adjust our boundary and other causes of differ
ence with Mexico, on fair and equitable princ-
pies, induced him, in September, 1915, to seek
Pthe reopening Of diplomatic regulations between
the two countries; that the Mexican Govern
ment, in October following, agreed to receive
minister from the United States invested with
full powers to settle and adjust all matters in
difference between the two Governments that
an envoy from the United States repaired to
Mexico, with full powers to adjust every exist
ing difference; and that the Mexican Govern.
ment had not only refused to receive him. or
listen to his propositions, but, after a long con-
tnued series of menaces, had invaded our terri
tory, and shed the blood of our fellow citizens
on our own soil This message was accompa-
MED by about one hundred and fifty pages of
manuscript documents. The usual motion to
print the documents was made, but it was voted
down by Senators on the other side of the cham
Der. call for the reading was then made, but
also was refused, and the bill of the 18th May,
1876, was passed by vote Of forty yeas and two
nays. The unanimity with which this bill was
passed, has been frequently referred to, as evil
dence to show that Congress was almost unanl-
mously of the opinion that Mexico commenced
the war. The President, in his last annual mes
sage, referred to it for that purpose He says, in
substance, that Congress- by the act of the 18th
May, 1916, declared, with great unanimity, that
Shy the act of the republic of Mexico a state
OF war exists between that government and the
United States, there being but two negative
votes in the Senate and fourteen in she House
OF Representatives," Now, sir, | propose TO
present to the Senate and the country all the
facts connected with the passage of that bill.
The bill originated in the House of Representa-
tlves. On the 9th of January, 1916, Mr. Haral-
son, from the committee on Military Affairs, re-
ported bill to authorize the President of the
In menloned to accept the services of volunteers,
and for other purposes On the It'll of May,
Mr.. BrinkerhoH moved to amend the act by in
sertlng new section with n preamble, in the
words following: "Whereas, by the act Of the
republic OF Mexico, a state of war exists between
that Government and the United States" The
amendment was carried by vote o! 1913 yeas
to 81 nays; and on the same day, the bill passed
the House by vote of la to IA. So it appears
that sixty seven members of the House voted "a
gainst the preamble to the bill.
! Well sir, what is the history of this bill in
the Senate 7 On the lth of May 1t came up
for consideration, and Mr. Huntington, then a
senator from Connecticut, since deceased moved
to amend 1t by striking out the preamble; and
the journal shows that the motion fuiled by q
vote OF Ia yeas to 2S nays-all the Senators on
this side OF the Chamber with the exception Of
three, voting III the affirmative. A motion was
then made by the honorable Senator from Ken
lucky, lMr. Crlttenden,) TO take vote upon the
preamble alone, but the chair ruled that it coult
not be separated from the bill, and the motor
was decided out of order. The bill was Their
pressed to vote and passed -yeas 40, nays 2
Mr.. Berrlcn, Mr.. Evans, Mr.. Huntington, and Mr.
Calhoun declining to vote, and eleven Sena
ators on this side Of the chamber voting yea
with protest to the preamble Of the bill. This
Sir, is concise history of the progress of tn,
bill through the two Houses of Congress.
Now, sir, ask, in all candor, what excuse cal
the President render to the country for asserting
in his message, that both branches of Congress
with great uuanimity, declared that the war ex
listed by the act OF Mexico, there being but four
teen negative votes in the House of Representa-
tives and two in the Senate? Sir, the journal o
the House shows 67 negative votes, and thu
journal of The Senate shows L. making in tn,
whole S5.
Mr. CLAYTON. Will the Senator allow Inc
word?
Mr.. UpHAm. Certainly.
MIR. CLAYTON. At the time the bill passed
this Senate, those of us who voted for its passage
after our failure in the effort to strike out thu
preamble, as the Senator from Vermont has sta
ted, put TO the gentlemen on the other side the
excessive hardship of calling upon US to vote fo
BILL the object Of which was to send supplies
for the army, with preamble containing state
ment of matter of fact of which we had no
evidence before us. We repeatedly demanded
the separation OF the two propositions, but tnC
separation was refused, the President of the Sen
ate deciding that we had no right to call fo
J a division of the question. Then we insisted
upon 1t that we should have the right TO vote up
on the bill protesting against the preamble. Ant
the Senator from Missouri now IN my eye will
recollect perfectly that he said on that occasion
uiut ouSh houlu po ilHHts SUCH was
, understanding, that if we gave our votes in favo
; OF the bill, we were to be regarded as voting TO
, the supplies but not in favor of the preamble
This is the simple fact of the case, and that sucl
was the understanding is well known. Sena
tor now deceased, mr. Speight) distinctly, ant
over and over again, said that such was the I'M
; derstanding with regard to our vote 1t is
gross misconception, then, to suppose that W.
voted for the preamble, or ever meant to vot,
for it. hope this statement will be sufficient Il
prevent any injustice being done us upon th
subject in all future time.
Mr.. UPHAM. | thank the honorable gentleman
for the additional information he has gwen upoI
the SUBJECTIVE country should have the whole
truth in regard to the matter. Appeals were
, frequently made to Senators on the other side
of the Chamber, to strike out the preamble to thu
, BILL as no evidence of its truth had seen exhlb
ited and take unanimous vote for the supplies
but they refused to do it, We must vote for thu
bill as It was, they said, or take the responsible
" of voting against it. General Taylor hal
been ordered to the left bank Of the Rio Grand
=, with small force, and fears we're entertained
that he would be unable to sustain himself with
out reinforcements and the bill was passed 70
his relief. No intimatlon was made by the Elk
ecutve, that the war had been waged with
, view to the permanent acquisition of Mexican
territory by conquest. The message declared