The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-07-31
T H E r E PUBLIC.
SPEECH
OF
MIR. PEARCE, OF MARYLAND,
In defence Qfthe late President.
In SENATE, July 90. 1880.

lowing resolution, viz:
ResolUed, That the Committee on Military Affairs
be instructed to inquire into the expedency of pro-
hibiting by law any officer of the army from as.
suming exercising within the limits of the
United States any civil power or authority not con-
ferred by any act of Congress- and by providing an
adequate punishment for such offence
MIR. PEARCE said:
MIR. PRESIDENT / regret very much the neces-
sty which conpels me to engage in the discussion
OF this resolution When it under considcra ton
some two or three weeks since, the Senator from
| Texas saw fit to make a speech, in which was
panied to hear charges against the late President
OF the United States Of the gravest and most seri-
ous character-charges which am sure that SEN
ator would not have made if he could have oreseen
the fatal illness which SO soon to foow-chargcs
which must think, from the acknowled edged amia-
bility Of his character, he himself cannot but re-
gret having made. They were such as, if made in
this body against any honorable member, would
demand prompt and vigorous reply, and, being
brought against the President, an imperative obli-
CATION is imposed upon his friends TO vindicate
him. That necessity is not the less because he is
now removed where the voice of praise or blame
can no longer reach him. Sir, nothing now re-
mains Of him who 80 cherished in the hearts Of
his countrymen but that spotless reputation which
is the pride of his family and the treasure of his
country. That priceless reputation must be vindi
Gated now, as it must have been vindicatcd if he
had lived, from charges which impute not only
malignity of purpose, but positive falsehood. The
remarks of the Senator from Texas have gone upon
the pages of our Congressional history, and the
leaves OF the same volume would place their rcfu-
tation. must, therefore, ask the attention Of the
Senate while endeavor to exhibit the gross injus-
tice done to character of noble simplicity, truth,
and honor, unsurpassed III the annals of the great
The Senator said that General Taylor had tra-
duced and DETAINED the people of Texas, and that
this was no light and causeless charge, but
which he made with the full knowledge that he had
incontestable authority 10 maintain it. He pro-
duced TO the Senate what he considered .incontes
able authority" propose to examine and contest
tue authority which he pronounced ncontestable,
and to show that the Senator has utterly mistaken
the tenor and effect of the passages which he read
from General Tsylors despatches, or that they
were true and such as he was boutid to conmuni-
cate to his Government.
Perhaps, in the course of my remarks, may
seem 10 carry the little too far into Africa.
But my purpose requires freedom and iulness OF
disc usson; beyond that do not desire TO go, and
shall certainly not seek to inlct upon the Senator
any personal pain. observed, sir, in the speech,
as spoken and reported, that General Iay lor Is said
TO have DETAINED the people OF Texas by charging
that their militia wcrG inefficient as soldiers, ana
unwilling to come TO the aid or tne country AT
period OF peril. And now here ie tha "incontes,h-
bic authority upon which the Senator rests that
charge. in letter dated March 2gth, 1910, ad-
dressed to the Department. of War. General Taylor
called upon the Secretary to furnish him with re-
cruits for the regular forces then under his com
mand, and he used this language:
"Under this state of things | must again, and
urgently, call your attention to the necessity Of
speedily sending recruits to this army. .
The militia OF Texas remote from the border
that we cannot depend upon their aid"
What IL the commentary which the Senator has
put upon this simple assertion of an undenied and
undeniabe fact, which subsequent events proved 10
be precisely General Taylor had stated
Mr.. HOUSTON. II the gentleman will permit
me, will state that charged part of the bls me
10 that expression. will call the attention of the
Senator TO the portion TO which alluded; which
was, that they are so inefficient when they arrive
that they cannot be depended upon.
MIR. PEARCE. Then for what purpose was the
extract read by the Senator Even with this ex-
planaton shall show that he has done the late
President great I'M ustcej that he did emphalicay
admit the efficiency of the troops OF Texas, and
though he complained OF their impatience of con
troll he gave them quite much credit for hardi-
hood and courage as their most ardent friends
could demand. But the speech Of the Senator will
show that this was The authority upon which he
based his charge against General Taylor, that he
had declared the incfliciency Of the Texan troops
and that they not reliable in case of cmcrpcn
cy. For nc says, while commenting upon this ex
tract;
"IIc has assumed the responsibility of defaming
the character of men Who 10 say the least of them
had never given the least occasion for such nm i'm.
putation as tbis-men who would have rallied 10
his standard in n moment, If he had given them
tho least intimation. When, I ask had they ever
been inefficient delinquent i'm time of peril or
recrcant in the hour of danger Yet here high
functionary OF the Government, the head Of its
army. sugtnatlzcs the men Of Texas inefficient
and unreliable IN time of peril Experience had
never enabled him 60 judge of them; and was this
then. no manifestation of prcjudicc''
Sir, ask when or where has the late President
said any thing which would justify this comment;
The passagc quoted by the Senator docs not and /
venture To say that he where lind sentence
Of his which will sustain this charge The senator
himself has seen through prejudiccd medium, or
else he has
"Those optics sharp, weon,
Which see what Is not 10 be seen"
II is true that, on the goth March, 1876. General
Taylor in his letter 10 the Secretary of War said
that the population OF Texas, from whom the vol
unteers called for from that State must be drawn,
we're too remote from the border TO be depended
on in emergency, and the result proved that he
was correct. For when the danger became more
imminent, that is, on the 26th April Of tho came
year, he informed the Adjutant General that he
had that day called for volunteers from Louisiana
/ and TcSas-the latter State to furnish two rePi-
ments OF horse and two of foot.
The Texas volunteers were later in reaching the
field than those from Louisiana, and besides that
they did not come in the force which WA. called
for, only ono regiment of foot responding 10 the
call for two And further, when Colonel fiarney.
by the authority Of General Taylor had called Tor
seven companies from Texas, the then acting Gov
ornor, ON .he 2Jth June, 1896 addressed him let
ter, saying that the sparscness Of her population,
the exposed condition of her frontier together with
recent petitions from citizens of some frontier coun-
tics for two companies of mounted Inen for their
proteCuOn, Obliged blm 10 request that the call be
made some other State. Doubtless this was all
perfectly true but it shows how justfable General
Taylor was when he pcnncd the sentence on which
the Senator commented with such unjust severity.
The law docs not allow volunteers 10 be received
for less period than one year. Those Of Texas
were not willing TO serve 50 long. They proposed
a term of six months, and were therefore mustered
into service only as militia for three months ac-
cording to the Law OF Congress. But the Senator
says:
"W hen at last they called upon, what did
they do, Like chafcd lions they were anxious TO
pursue the enemy, for II was the first time they had
the prospect of encountering them on equal terms,
but they we're restrained and were unacquainted
with Mexican warfare. Lieutenant colonies from
the interior were permitted to lead troops
through tho dense chapparals and jungles of Mex
leo, wnist the brave Texans were restrained or
taken tu the southern plains there to meet beneath
burning suns lingering death by disease"
Strange that the Senator from Texas has mis-
conceived the events of that period. The men of
Texas were not restrained These lions had no oo.
casion to chafe by reason of General Taylor's re-
fusal to allow thcm To engage the enemy. When
they joined his command he was anxious to retain
them in the service longer than the three months,
which was the utmost period of service to which
militia could be held, and volunteers could not
I ha