Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-03-21
FRIDAY, MARCH II, lS4S.
SENATE

FRIDAY, MARCH II, lS4S.
SENATE.
MIR. Badger gave notice of his intention TO in
,roduce a bill declaratory of the true intent and
meaning OF the &C, of March Isl, lS4S, relative 10
the ranking privilege 10 members oil Congress,
the reduction OF the rates OF postage, &C.
On motion of Mr.. Niles, the bill 10 amend Inc
act providing for the transportation of the mail
between the United States and foreign countries,
was made the order of the day tor The hfst Mon
day in April.
House bill requiring all moneys from customs
or other sources 10 be paid Immediately INTO Inc
Treasury. wi,hou, deduction or abatement, was
read twice and referred.
ON motion Of Mr.. Cass, the prior orders OF The
I day were postponed, and the ten regimen, bill Ia
ken up, the question being on its passage.
MIR. Berrien addressed The Senate. The facts
on the question which he proposed 10 discuss he
should collect from the Presidents message, and
from the declarations of Senators on this floor.
The proposed object of this bill was 10 force
from Mexico a treaty, by which she should cede
10 The United States two Of The sovereign States OF
that territory. From the free will OF Mexico, no
such cession could be obtained, and the spectacle
was presented 10 the world OF an attempt on our
part 10 wrest from her by coercion tina, which
she would not consent TO yield under any other
circumstances. Must they sit in silence here,
and INCREASINGLY submit 10 such an act OF inius-
lice toward MeXico7 He could not sit silently,
with the feelings he entertained and witness the
passage oil this bill.
For the first lime in the history of the country
We were conquerors in a war OF aggression. And
We are celebrating On the spoils-on the dislri-
button OF her territory. We avow a respect for
the rights OF others, and yet our presses teein, and
our streets resound with discussions as TO what
is 10 be the inevitable result; OF the onward pro-
-. ~ Ap.,ac IN fhsc dominant u cail
that the accomplishment of our purpose is neces.
sary TO the honor of the country. He thought The
honor OF the nation was safe in the keeping OF
10000, 900 Of people.
Much had been said Of the merits OF this war
10 tho military glory OF The country. ne thought
that our military Ienown was cceval with The de-
~claration OF our independence, and had been iul-
4 ly established in our contest since with one olthe
most powerful nations on earth. He could mol
believe thar the people of these United States
would consent 10 an extension OF our territory al
The expense Of Justice. But that was a question
in the process OF solution.
We have no pre-eIisiins object, stated in the
course Of The discussion on this bill, which gives
US the right 10 the indemnify required OF Mexico.
The mere fact Of the possession OF physical power,
unless a previous claim be acknowledged, gives no
rishtto indemnify. flhis war was commenced Tor
the enforcement OF a pre-exislins tight, then we
WeIe llllC ~ iulcLluik) Oub u hS wal W.
commenced by US without the existence Of any
such pre.eIisting right, then we had no claim upon
hle1ico. This declaration led him 10 an e1ami-
nation oiihe Texan boundary question. and the
instructions 10 Gen. Taylor 10 march from The
Nueces to the Rio Grande.
He would not accuse the President Of a design
10 involve the country in war, by that order, but
be wondered al the want OF judgment and discre.
lion which he had thus exhibited and at his ne
glect 10 terminate The war after the capture Of
Monterey. and the conclusion OF the armis!icc by
General Taylor. From that lime onward il had
been absolutely a war Of aggression, simply q
war OF conquest. The march from Vera Cruz
10 Mexico was protessedly a war 10 "conquel
peace;" yet the cessation o. hosii'itics after The bat
lie of Monterey, was, on the part Of Mexico, with d
view 10 the conclusion OF a peace The war on
our part had been therefore clearly one OF con-
quest, for which we have no Iish! whatever 10
indemnify.
He commended that Congress had no right 10 do
wha, lhis bill proposes, thai Mexico had no power
to DO wha, is required OF her-lo transfer 10 US tie
soil ofiwosovereign States; and il was Inconsistent
with the principles protested BY a free people, &c
coerce Mexico into an ac; which she had neither
The power nor the disposition 10 perform-to force
her 10 accede 10 terms, such, as hal they been
proposed 10 W, would have been r~el"cied with
scorn.
wi. NtLSicI u ltdt III q Z iiNi ~ LiS va
ty, al as early a period as possible, 10 address The
Senate on the slate OF The country and Inc further
prosecution Of the war. II was not his intention
10 enter into the historical facts or the historical
arguments used in The course o. the discussion on
this bill. New events were occurring 10 change
line character OF The questions involved.
lie referred 10 The remarks o, Mr. Calhoun, in
which he entirely concurred-particulaily on one
point, the unccnstitulionaliiy O! the act Of The Pre-
sident in enacling laws for the government OIL
conquered terrtlory-lhe imposition OF taxes on
the people Of such terrilory-thc establishment q
a system Of legislation Tor Mexico as a conquered
territory. The question was not whether the
commander Of an army in an enemy's country
has a right 10 subsist that army from the enemy
but whether the President, sitting in The executive
mansion, has a right 10 impose a system of law:
for the government of this conquered country.
He thanked the Senator from South Carolina
for having brought the subject TO the notice o.
the Senate, and expressed his entire repugnance
TO all the doctrines and all the acts oil The E1ecu'
tive on this subject
But there was another topic upon which tha'
Senator had not touched, which weighed with fal
greater force on his mind, and in which, would
10 God he could have his concurrence and The
weight Of his influence. This was the erection
of new slave States out OF territory acquired from
Mexico. At The end OF a common service tol
thirty years, if he could have seen that Senator
take a stand on this subject, and he (Mr. W. had
psrished in supporting him, he should feel thai
he had persisted nobly.
IL was known 10 all that a treaty had come
here from M~exico-that ii had been acted uIon,
and had been sent back-and that a member oil
this body, who had taken an active part 10 the
discussions upon the treaty, had been sent oul
with full powers 10 make explanation and do all
other acis necessary-not K planalions as 10 whal
had taken place in Mexico, but explanations in
regard 10 wha, had taken place here.
A strange desire existed among The people fol
a treaty Of peace-any treaty, OF any terms
if il will bring peace. He was not FOL
any treaty Or any terms, though it bring peace
With entire Difference 10 the better judgment
OF others, he thought this indiscriminale de.
sire Tor peace was either an exlatic delight a
getting riG Of an abominable war, or lfat We
should take what we can get, lest our masters
should give US harder terms.
The press, on all sides, had for the last three
weeks obliged The Senate with their ~counsels and
advice, 10 lake the treaty, whatever il might be.
On all subjects proper TO be discussed, he wish
ed to express his sentiments once for all. lie
concurred with the Senator from Georgia (Mr.
Berries) in the propriety Of having terminated
the war after the capture of Monterey. He de.
sired further 10 express his views upon the gene
raj state Of the country, the finances and Inc abll-
lily OF the country 10 sustain the measures pro,
posed by the Administration
Blu, Mr.. W.. said, as there had been a tacit I'm.
derstandins that the final vote on this bill should
be taken today, he was not disposed 10 interfere
with that understanding, and would reserve The
remarks he had Intended TO make on these ques-
tons until the early part OF next week, when, ne
understood, the Loan bill was to be taken up.
Al The conclusion of MIR. Webster's remarks,
Mr.. johnson, OF La, moved 10 recommit The bill,
with Instructions 10 amend, SO as to prohibit The
President from making any nomination for Off
GERS of the new regiments, or sending any Of The
troops so 10 be raised TO Mexico, until it shall
have been satisfactorily ascertained that negotia-
lions Tor a treaty of peace have tailed.