The northern tribune. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1847-1855, 1848-04-15
Speech of nEr. Webster.

ON THE NEW LOAN BILL.


| but again we heal other halcyon, soothing,
quoting tones, which quiet none of alarms,
! assuage none OF my fears commend me to my
nightly rest with no more resignation. It is
said We may trust the popular branch Of the
| legIs aInFe- may loolc to the House OF
Representatives the great majority OF whom
are ton, tAe North ard Middle states and
We MAJ ernst them, that these new states are
not admitted sooner than they should be, or
Admitted for any party purpose. | am COM
pclled by experience, to distrust all such re-
hante If we cannot rely on ourselves, when
we have aciear and unduestioned constitution
al authority, competent to carry us through,
L beg u know how we are to rely on othersf
Have we more respect for the patriotism, the
tirmness Of others than our own. Beside
experience shows US, that things Of this sort
may be sprung upon Congress and upon the
people 1t was sc III the case of Texas. 1t
was SO in the 2oth Congress The members
of the 18th Congress, We're not chosen with
the view to decide the question of annexation
or no annexation. They came here upon
| other grounds, political and party grounds,
supported by their friend on ore side ard The
| other, yor reasons not connected with this
question What then: Why the Admins
uratioa sprung the question upon Congress
1t obtained snap judgment, and carried the
Ineasure of annexation. That can be proved
ky many facts. will state one There were
four gentlemen in the House of Representa-
tives from Connecticut, elected before this
question arose. belonging to the Democratic
party. They had not been here long, before
they entered into the spirit of annexation :;
and when this became known, remonstrances
public, private, and legislatnc-were ut
tered in sounds which any one could have
heard' who could have herd thunder. Did
1t move these gentlemen Not at all Every
| one Of them voted for anneaxation. The
election came round few months after, and
they were all turned, out, bnt what die those
care Ior that, who had the benefit OF their
votess Such agencies, CT i il be proper to
call the instrumentalities, maintain respect
no longer than they continue TO be useful.
Sir, we take New Mexico and California
Who IS weak enough to think there is an cid ,
Whv,do we not hear It avowed every day,
that il is proper for Us also to take Sonora
and Tamauipas, and other provinces or states
Of Northern Mexico: Who thinks that the
hunger fol dominion will stop here of ITSELF
Somebody has said that this aquisition is SO
mean and unsatisfactory, that we shall seek
no farther In ny judgment, Sir, you may
believe that, # you can believe that q rapacious
animal that has made one unproductive furaY
some things that we can argue against with
temper, and submit to, if oye-ruled, without
modification There arc other things that
seem to affect ones consciousness OF being q
reasonable man, and eyince disposition TO
impose upon his common sense. Aad oi this
class Of topics or protensious have nevcr
| heard CT anything, and cannot conceive Of
anything more .idieulous in it Gilmore absurd,
and more ahIontIye to all sober Judgment
than the cry thac we are Getting indemnity.
Indemnify 10y the acquisition Ct New Mexico
and California! / hold them not to be worth
dollar, and we pay FOR ii EN- vast suR Of
money. We have expended as everybody
knows, large treasures II the prosecution Of
the war, and now what is there to constitute
indemnify What Go gentlemen rnean by -
Let us see how this matter stands We get
q country. We get q country in the FIRST IL.
stance; either 10y cession Of aelinov ledsmcut
OF boundary--I care not which way sou state
1.-THE country between the Nucees and Ike
Rio GranGe. What this country IS appears
ION q publication Of an hore able 5ca-l :
man in the other House, III which he quotes
an account by Major Gaines. lie says thar
the country is worth nothing that he woald
not hazard the life Of a single Individual lor
| e' cry foot Of land from San Patfi1i9 20 the
valley Of the Rio Grande. This gentlemen
has been there lately, and IS wei, acquainted
with the condition ct the country. So far
then as that part Of our acquisition IS cor
ccrnedi take il for granted it is nos WORTH
q dolla
Now, Of New Mexico, OF that f9sey-:lina
iftieths, at least, Is a mere barren WASTE Of
desert plain OF mountain. There IS 20 0oo5
no timber, and little lasgots to light q fire
are carried thirty or forty miles or uule..-
There IS no natural fail Of rains as in tenn
perate climates Tie place and scene are
Asiatic-enormously high mountains, lun-
ming up ONE 10 the hight OF ten thousand
feet, with very marrow valleys at thew bases,
! through Hhlch streams sometimes tuclle
alnnr-a aarlcr wind. dong tkrornh tEe