The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-05-20

ritory OF Oregon
Mr., DoDoE. The Senator from Missouri, who
has sometimes been ranked with the Democratic par
ty, in speech which has not as yet perhaps been
answered, did show that the territory above 49 deg
was formerly known New Caledonia, and was
no part Of Oregon.
MIR. SMITH, 1resuming) There is no more I'M
qualified admirer than lam of that speech, fraught
with learning and characterized by distinguished
ability. The honorable Senator, Mr.. BENTos,)
after remaining silent in his seat long time, and
until all the leading in Congress had been
heard, rose and poured Hood OF light on the sub
| ject. He demonstrated most conclusiyely Tin ac-
cordance with the opinion had ever entertained)
that we had no just pretenson TO any thing above
forty nine degrees. But this does not alter the
state of the case ut all. The Democratic party did
| go for "the whole of the Territory Of Oregon
This constituted the basis of the whole controversy.
| IL Is what Mr.. Buchanan contended for In his
whole correspondence with the British minister,
and the surrender OF any part was what Mr. Han
| negan denounced SO bitterly in his speech already
quoted. 1t was ''the standard which the Baltimore
convention put into the hands, of Mr.. Polk, and
which he betrayed What object to is the con-
| duct OF the Democratic party in making up such
an issue-that they should have joined "the re-an-
nexation of Texas to "the occupation of Ore
gon''-of the ''whole territory''-that they should
have carried the Presidential election on SUCH
grounds and then prove recrcant as MIR. Hanne-
gan expressed himself "to the generous confidence
which majority Of the people reposed" in them.
a. If, Mr.. President were disposed TO adopt the
| train of reasoning contained in the speech of the
honorable Senator, (Mr. BRApBuRY,) Icould show
that MIR. Polk, in his inaugural address, pledged
! himself against the proscrptivc policy. On that
occasion, after saying, although in our country
| the Chief Magistrate must almost OF necessity be
chosen by party, and stand pledged to its princi
pies and measures, yet" he adds Sin his official
| action, he should not be the President of party
only, but of the whole people Of the United States
This would seem to draw distinction between
measures and men; for how, otherwise, can the
Chief Magistrate be- sin his official action" the
Pr al he Rut in
sisting any positive pledge, may say that there
is obviously in these remarks an avowa of liberal
views and declaration of magnanimous purposes.
We had right to expect that his dispensaton of
patronage would be characterized by modification,
to say the least. How far the expectations
realized let his disposition of all the vast patronage
| which devolved upon him by reason of the late war
with Mexico tell Ii there be any in which the
Chief Magistrate is bound to be the President, not
of party only, but Of the whole country, it is that
of foreign He certainly should dispense the
patronage conferred BY reason OF the war without
the slightest reference to party distinctions When
we come to meet our countrys foe, we should know
| no distinctions We should be all Whigs-all Dem
ocrats; or, rather, all American citizens, ready to
strike for the honor of our flag, and to uphold the
| rights of the North American Republic. That the
Senate may understand the extent and magnitude
of this patronage, submit the following statement:
II appears that there were II general officers, 25
majors, (staf,) Ill captains l24 medical officers,
and % paymasters-t total. 29s oficers-appointed by
the President for the volunteer service, from June
1896 to the early part "A the year ls4S For names,
the official registers for January lS4F, pages
and 81 ; and also the official list, published Feb
ruary, 1913, pages I, So, and Sc.
1t appears that officers Of the following grades
and numbers were appointed for the regular army,
to wit: major generals, Zone only taken from the
old army, General Taylor,) brigadier generals,
(two, Twiggs and Kearny, taken from the old
army,) llcolones, IL lieutenant colonies, % ma
jors, lis captains, Ill FIRST eutenants, ll3 second
lieutenants, Ill additional second lieutenants, IL
md tafa 2Qoff
GERS appointed for the additional force For names,
see Army Register, lS4S and for changes by death,
resignation, &c, see pages 50, SO, and 81.
RecapitulatiOn General officers, 81, (three taken
from the old army;) field officers, 10; captains and
subalterns, 56l; paymasters and medical officers,
lS6; total, S3S.
To this list may be added the rifle regiment or
gained in May, 1896 None of the officers were
taken from the regular army, except the lieutenant
colonel (Fremont) and lieutenant, (Rhett, of
South Carolina )-makng no less than eight hun
dred and seventy eight appointments, (incuding
the rifle regiment, and excluding officers from the
old army.)
How did Mr. Polk bestow these appointments ,
1t is well known that all the general and field off.
GERS, and is believed nearly all the commissioned
officers, were appointed on strict party principles.
| They were all selected from the Democracy, I'M
less occasionally Wing made captain or lieu
| tenant; but such cases were few and far between.
j make no objection to character or qualifications
! of the appointees they good citizens and
brave men; some of them now highly useful men,
bers of this body, who, by their gaantry and good
conduct in the field, merit the appreciation of their
Tcountry. But the narrow, unjust, and Liberal
conduct of the late Presdent-for he is said have
controlled the whole matter--merits the severest
condemnation, and but poorly accords with the
doctrines Of his inaugural address. What his
course was in relation 20 the civil departments Of
the Government will appear hereafter.
have thus. believe, put the honorable member
(Mr Il. out Of court in bis plea Of promise break
ing against President Taylor and his political
friends. have shown that he is not competent TO
carry on the prosecution. If the honorable Senator
will first "cast out the beam in his own eye" then
shall he ses clearly 10 pull out the mote that is in
his brothers. eye" One thing is certain when the
Democracy are in power they require much indul-
conduct and motiyA but the moment their oppo-
nents obtain the control Of affairs the state OF the
case is entirely altered They all at once become
severely virtuous, and roll up their eyes In holy
horror at the slightest departure from their new
rule of right, though but "the small dust of the bal
ance" in comparison with their own conduct. The
casual correspondence Of a successful candidate is
ransaeked only 70 be garbled and perverted, and
ga pledge" found lurking under every line, though
nothing Of the sort was intended. In the mean
time, they open the hoodgates Of caumny and
abuse, Notwithstanding their own broad pledges re-
/ main unrcdcemed. They "bind heavy burdens,
and grevous TO be borne, and lay them on mems
shoulders, but they themselves will not move them
with one Of their fingers"
will next, Mr.. President, consider what treat
ment the President has received at the hands Of the
opposition, and how uagracious is for them TO set
up objections here 10 hA in the matter Of
movals and appointments.
And here would observe that If he had, in fact
assured the country that he would, in the of
his election, observe the law Of Kindness and treat
all Ssrties alike, administering the patronage with
ngi0 impartality, all those who desire to take ben
eft Of such a generous policy should prove them.
selves by kind and respectful treatment Of the Ex-
ecutiye, 70 be worthy oil il. If he bound 10 be
the father Of all, then there should be found every
where hlial Difference, reverence, and respect The
conduct Of the opposition has been such not 10
enttlc them 10 the benefit of any favorable assn
RANGES given by the President in advance Of the
election. They have broken the condition necessa-
ry implied, and put themselves out of the pale Of
all pledgcs-all assurances, If there any. And
here invite attention to
J. The treatment which the President has re-
ceived at the hands Of the opposition press.
| IL has incessantly, since the 4th Of March, lSl9
insisted that he is totally incompetent TO discharge
the duties Of the Presidency without waiting 10 sec
whether he would prove himself such by his admin
| istration Of the Government. II has represented
him to be weak, feeble, imbecle old man, who
had no opinions Of his own, and was totally inca