The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-01-22

out of him by Mr. Clayton and the Whip SEN
ators. Cass was now asked if General Tay-
Tor had at any time advised SO large an aug
hlentaIion of our troops; and he replied that
he was not aware that he ever had,
Mr. Critenden read statement ofour for
ces now IN Mexico, and those which the
President was empowered under existing
laws TO bring out, which conclusyley proved
that we had now more than $4,000 men in
or on their way 10 Mexico, and that If orr
two bills now passed to raise ten new Regi-
lmepts of regulars and 20 Regiments of vol
unteers, our available force would exceed
10000 men. The facts are startling.
John NJ. Clayton then commenced making
strong, honest, manly speech against the
bill, but after having spoken about half All
hour gave way 10 n motion TO adjourn. 1t
was truly refreshing TO heur Mr. Clayton speak
the good honest Wing sentiments which he
did. lie said that there was now no mistak-
ing the purposes of the admnistralon--it
was the conquest of Mexico. They had al
ready sent Commissioner there to refuse
peace, unless Mexico ceded to us the two
CALIFORNIA; and New Mexico, which contan-
ed 100000 square miles of land-more than
double lchdt t0dS comprised in the original thir-
teen States of this Union.
The object ofthe war was the plumber of
Mexico; and MS he would, as private citizen,
scorn to commit an act of highway robbery,
so would he MS Senator, scom TO commit
iii act o. nsurpaton and plumber upon u
weak sister ReIgblic. The current ! feel,
has turned, and the Wings have oG'nahKed
the enemy, and are determined manfiIiy to
meet the issue. The ten regiment bill will
pass the Senate, but it will never, feel GER
tain, get through the House. The House
will report substantially Mr. Crittenden's a.
InendmeDt, making the force uolunteerS, TO
be called for when an erigency demands them,
and this is nor what the administration want
They would far rather lose The whole. The
Wing House can hold the administration in
check,bu with Loco Foco Senate they can
accomplish little aflirmatiYely. This, then,
is our policy, until next year, when we shall
elect Pence PRESIDENT as well as a Peace
House and Senate;and then, and not Till Then,
will peace and prosperity smile upon us and
abide with us.
WAsmNGToN, Jan. ~.
! The special assignment was al length call !
ed for, and Mr. John Nj. Clayton spoke an
hour aud half in continuation of his speech
Of yesterday. 1t was n noble speech. lie
WE ut strongly against giving the President
this additional force. was not required. |
1t would only emharrass our General in the |
field, by quurtering upon him large addi- |
ional force. But he said TIE true character
of the transaction was not that these men
were wanted as soldiers-they were to be |
sent 10 Mexico as soldiers, but they were to
be in fact armed emigrapltS, who were to set
tie there, and seize upon,and hold possession
Of the whole of Mexico. lie said that the
Chairman who reported the bill, lNlr Cass,) |
had TOLD us that we must prosecute this war
till we obi2 med "indemnity for the past and
security for the future" What he meant by
this he did not tell, hut he had been inform
ed bya shrewd frienG o. his that "indennity
for The mast" meant halfof .,scrico, and "sectui-
~ for The future" meant The Othe, cHif.
lie went into an examination OF Ire reports
made Ivy General Scott, and showed ch2t tins
great demand for troops,or armed emigran;S'
was scheme got up by the administration
by Generals who fight their battles i'll their
offices and on paper
Mr. Pearce of Md. had the floor and went
into an argument in regard 10 the policy of
continuing the war. For his part his mind
was made up fixed and mmovable, He
would vote what was necessary 10 pay and
cothe the army now in service until it was
called home and disbanded; but lie would vote
neither Il man or Il dollar TO continue the war,
and carry it as the President says in his mes
sage, ''into the vital parts of Mexico" lie {
loathed any such purpose, aud under no cir |
cumsances would he be come party TO it, {
Neither would he vote u man or a dollar to
continue the war TO get indemnify. lie was {
for having Mexico pay for what she justly ow
ed lis, & no more. He wanted none of her ter
ritory by conquest. He would have none of
it in that way. Ifany was required by us, /
we should getit by negotiation and pay for it
its fair vulue. Gentlemen, said MIR Pearce,
on the other side of the chamber and the /
President and his friends have said we mNst
get indemnity to satisfy US for our "sullied |
honor" He despised such sentiments. {
despise, said Mr. r., the man or the nation {
that would thus be satisfied if their honor S
had been called in question. He had read I
Sir John Barrngton's account the l<ilken- {
ny Club, ain association of gentlemen, who
actuated by II high sense of honor, had made !
a list ofall the offences which one gentleman
was likely TO offer to another, and had gradu-
ated the penalties which should be inflicted s
in reputation: but among them all he had
been unable to find That money, or indemni- {
ty in its equivalent was TO be demanded !
No, said he, the demand is sordid and UNI |
worthy an honorable man or 2 respectable
nation, aud despise it from the bottom of {
my heart.
To continue war for indemnify is new |
feature in the policy of the country. This is {
the third war in which we have been engaged.
For our expenses in the war OF the kevol'I-
ton, we claimed no inGGmn!tY; Tor our losses
aud expenditures in the last war win Grent -
Britain, we claimed no indemnify, aud yet no ,
man in the milton and no nation abroad ever l..
thought that our honor bad in consequence
been tarnisheG, Yet both ofthose wars were
Just on orr part. We were the aggrieved d
party; we had real and substantial wrongs; L
we fought TO redress them; but in this war C
with Mexico, we we're the aegressors. We a
had marched our armies there, took possess D
ion of her towns, and laid waste the dwell $
ngs of her people. Ne were powerful, they h
we're weak. We have that nation now at !