The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1850-05-29
Speech, Of MIR. Webster.
TN sENATE-Taeslay, MAY II.

Mr.. fulee having addressed the Senate in sup
poii Of his resolution calling upon the Presi Den
for certain information in relation 10 tho cvssl
erpedisioa, Mr. Webster made Tho fo,owing 40
ply:
Mr.. Wsssrsk. alr.. president, 1 rcgye
that The honorable member from wiscoa
sin has ihonght il Necessary 10 oilsr lhs
amendment which he has proposed, be.
canse il seems rather offensive in lbs terms.
u is moi. perhaps. quite reeularm demand
by what authority an act has beea done
snill i,e inquiry be first answered wI,e,l,-
er such an act has been done. hope,
therefore, that the honorable member iii!
sec The proprieiy OF Withdrawing the
amendment. u he does not, however,
shal vote for the whole resolution.
Mr.. President. am somewhat surpris.
ed al some Of the propositions stated By
the honorable member from Florida. he
says i looks TO him as h his were a de.
claraiion Of war without the authority Of
Congress. Against whom! or agains,
VIII Il country!
Mr.. YuLEE. Not declaration of war.
said that the instructions involved an act
war.
Mr.. WEBSTER. An act Of war, then.
Against whom! Against what Govern
ment, what country, what colony, what
provincei !, is important that we should
govern ourselves by some distinct un,Ier.
standing Of the neu,raI zgies Of this Gov.
eminent. and Of the dniies Of ali die cix.
zens OF this Government. established by
standing law. lf we mean 10 be neural.
as between Government and any party
assailing il al home or abroad, we are 10
ronsider what our treaty stipuIaiions are in
the first place. an,lupon what relations we
stand 10 the. Government of that country.
New every Indy knows the stipnlalieus
ofpeace. amiiy. and good viii contained
N all orr treaties with Spain; and proba.
hly every member Of the Senate knows,
that in the diplomatic history of this conn.
Try. at different times within the last thirty
years. so far as the Executive Governmcn,
could pledge the country 10 particular
line Of policy. over and over and over
again we assured the (;orarnment Of
Spain tina, il .Sasin siicuId not voluntarily
rfAnaulsh Cuba TO any European Power
the United States would do towards her
every Office Of kindness and good will 10
maintain her in possession Of that island:
that the United States would look with
great jealousy aud great alarm a, any vo.
luntary surrender Of Cuba to Enrepean
Power; and that if Spain would absiain
from that. she might he assured of The
good offices and good will of the United
STATES. aud The friendship Of fhe Uni,ed
States TO m1intain her in possession of The
Island. / DO not mean 10 say how far
those communications To The Spanish Gov.
vernmenl bind Congress or the country.
! only mean TO say that they hare been
made at different times. as Ear back al
least as Gen. Jackson's alnin,sira-
ton; and they have been made CIR
the purpose of impressing on Spain he
great Importance it oer peace and her
regard for Us. and Of preserving cha. island
~ her possession and under her authority
These signlfira,ions Of the purpose OF The
Executive Government have been uniform
and they have been published sror Time
10 lime. and never heard Of a com ii am,
nd them IN any part If the country.
But now LET US como TO the direc, oue..
ion. What is il that Is complained of
! is said that The President of the Uni,cs
States has directed a pniien of the naval
ornament Of The country 10 the coast or
;nha Tor a certain specific purpose; and
the facts are as they are generally be. |
leved to be. for purpose not only per. !
eclly constitutional to be executed on the
'art OF the Executive Of the Government. j
at purpose made his especial duty bv q
os'iive statnie. lfthcre Is any case, il 4
case Of this kind. A military expe. /,
ltion has been fitted nut, ~ begun To he i
ted oui, in The United States, 10 set !