Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-02-10
MR.. CALHOUN AND THE MEXICAN WAR.

Mr.. CALHOUN AND THE MEXICAN WAR.
To show something of the competency OF the
"Southern Press" as political adviser, we copy
from it the following paragraph correcting the
most extraordinary bunder we remember to have
seen in ary American journal:
1--WE were mistaken the other day in saying that Mr..
Calhoun was the only senator that opposed the Next
Senator Berrien also spoke against the pre-
smbe which in fact the declaration OF war, and with
Mr.. Calhoun refused TO vote for the bill on its passage
a. did also Mr.. Evans, OF Maine. Mr.. C1ittenden
ted for the bill but verbally excepted to the preamble
MIR. Davis of Massachusetts, and MIR. Clayton, eft Della
ware voted against the bill There twenty sena-
tors who voted against the preamble separate vote,
and Mr.. Mangum, Mr.. Crttenden Mr.. Archer and Mr..
Berrien, all spoke in opposition to it. Mr.. Calhoun
was however, the first to make opposition and was the
only OF his party, believe, that did, except MIR.
McDutfe, who voted against he preamble separately,
but for the bill with the preamble finally"
twill be remembered, the bill made provision for
the raising oftroops to send to the aid Of Gen. Tay-
ior, then supposed to be in imminent danger on the
Rio Grande. The preamble TO the bill recited as
a reason for the measure that war had been COM
menced by the act of Mexico. The Wing Sena-
tors, almost without exception opposed the pre-
amble, as the Wings of the House did also when
the bill was before that body and as the whole
issue involved in the war was presented in the
preamble, the Wing party in Congress thus from
the outset declared opposition to the war policy of
Mr. Folks administration. Had their counsels
prevailed we should have avoided the long train
of evils which the Mexican war has brought upon
our country, and foremost of all the distractng
agitation of the slavery question. The Southern
Press is now obliged to acknowledge that the
Wing party is entitled to this praise at the hands
of the Southern people, few of whom there are
that do not bitterly regret the war and It's troublous
acquisitions. As to Mr.. Calhoun, it is true that he
did object to the preamble of the war bill, but he
made memorable disclosure of the want of that
frmness, which his admirers so constantly ascribe
to him. As Secretary of State under Mr.. Tyler
he had enjoyed full opportunities of knowing
the state of our relations with Mexico, and par.
ticularIy the assurance given by himself thai
the Texas boundary question would be SET
tied auicaby and on liberal terms. Wing
Senators were acting comparatively in the
dark, but he kne,o that hostilities could only
have been commenced by the unfortunate march
of our army to the left bank of 1.-THE Rio Grande
He might probably have arrested the fatal haste o.
Congress to declare war through the preamble to
a law. But his boldness was unequal to the oc.
casion, and he permitted the administration tc
carry its point by default Afterwards, whilst
the war was pending, he exhibited vacillation
and timidty equally remarkable. Mexico, he elo-
quently said, was TO the United States 'sthe for
hidden fruit and his whole argument was a
powerful demonstration of the folly of acquiring
Mexican territory; but when he came to define
his own policy. he proposed, in obedience to what
he considered the demand of public sentiment to
take the Who'll e country lying North of the lati-
tude of Tampico HIS course with reference te
Internal Improvements is equally open to stric.
ture. But we care not to revive these portions
of Mr.. Caihoun's history, and hav only alud-
ed to them in orderto rebu he fallaces of a Ger
tain deluded party in the Southern States, who,
having canonized that statesman for themselves,
expect all men to worship his memory. Great,
he certainly was in the powers of MS intellect,
buta safe and consistert statesman he as Ger
,ainly was not; nor have we ever been satisfied
that he possessed that high quality for which he is
most commended by his followers, moral courage.