The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-25

p::s ss.s 81 H. IN ss 81 :: ssH: ]:
whetF the3 ho< Mites aepunted TO that sort
ofwG whid mal satis yefion, and whether
the slnc reasons Mich Apply in the one case
operas in otl,% hQpt shall succeed in
s!s0xaag thiGlmpenlkct war ~ have been such 4
satisfaction as y perfect war would have been,
according to the admission ofuii.
Sir, it was . war In which we spent great
deal Of money. II was war in which We shed
blood II was a war which we pursued for
something like two years, until we forced q set
Element and just treaty Of pence. Ia. show
what we did, will read short extract ffom 4
speech delivered by Mr.. BENTON, Of Missouri
on this question, ia the first session Of the 29tIl
Congress, august 10, l846,) in which we shall
find a-brief history OF what we did at that time.
He says
"The injuries to our commerce, for the salts
faction of which this bill provides, commenced
in the year 1893, with the commencement Of the
war between Great Britain and France, and con.
tinued till the treaty with the First Consul
signed on the 30th of September, in the year
1900. Seven years were the period of these
and seven years Of more extraor-
binary exertioas for the protection OF It's citi-
zens were never made in any country. All the
means Of protection were resorted to--embas-
sizes, military and naval preparations, taxes, loans
letters OF ma'que and reprisals. convoy to MGR
chant ships, exclusion OF French vessels from
our ports, non-intercourse with France, the
condemnation Of her vessels, retaliation upon
her citizens, &c. And in the month Of July,
1898, Congress cut the last cord OF friendly IN
tercourse with France by passing solemn act
all our treaties with her. and placed
the two countries in state Of actual hostilties.
The famous combat Of Captain Truxton, in the
United States frigate Constellation, with the
French frigate L'lnsurgente, was one of the
fruits Of that war, and, although the most signal
was by no means the only instance Of fierce and
bloody collision between the French and Ameri-
cans Of that day.
Besides the extraordinary embassies, the
military and naval preparations, the loans and
taxes, were immense, and almost incredible for
a young nation Of five millions Of people. Be-
tween the year 1893 and the complete restoration
Of friendship with France in the spring of 1901,
the appropriations for the army were above
twenty millions OF dollars; those for the navy
exceeding fifteen millions; the authorized loa =
were above twenty-five millions of dollars du.
ties on imports were increased; direct taxes
were laid; the stamp act and excise made their
appearance among lis. The statute-boox from
1893 to March 4, 1901, is thickly sprinkled over
with acts for these taxes. loans, and appropria-
tons; nor did they remain dead letters upon the
book. The taxes were collected ships-of-war
were built the regular army was augmented
provisional army of ten thousand men was
raised; Washington was called from his retreat
to take the command; ships of-war conveyed
the merchantmen. At home the tax gatherer
entered every house, the exciseman was abroad
the stamp-master retailed his little bits of pa
per no contract between man and man was
good for more than twenty dollars unless on
taxed paper. Such were the burdens which
our fathers bore for seven long years to protect
these claimants, or procure redress for them
expenses and efforts almost incredible in a
young nation Of FIVE millions of people, and
which, to be equal ed by our present population
in any similar emergency, would require every
item Of expense or exerton to be multiplied by
four. After all, with all the duties on imports
increased, and with all the resources Of excise,
direct taxes, and stamp net the expenses OF
these extraordinary exertions were not met
A large debt was created, much Of it bearing
eight per cent. interest, and the burden Of which,
both principal and interest, fell on postcrity."
Here, sir, as an appendix to that speech, is an
extract from speech delivered by Mr. Bib, of
Kentucky, on the same subject-an extract filled
with references to laws which sustain the his
tory of the war just given, and which we passed
in relation to the hostilities we were then wag-
ing with France--an extract filled with such
voluminous references to the laws by which we
laid taxes, raised troops and equipped fleets,
that could not think of taxing the patience Of
the Senate by reading them all 1t would puzzle
anv man, even the most ingenious, to give de-
fintion of war which did not include such hos
tilities as these-hostilites in which treasure
was freely expended, and blood was shed in the
armed conflict between nations. But it has
been said, and argued with considerable ingeu-
uty by the senator from Connecticut that these
hostilties which we waged wanted all the cha
racteristics of war; and therefore cannot be urged
satisfaction for the claims Of our citizens in
relation to indemnity. Sir, this is matter
which does not depend upon the mere opinion
of the senator from Connecticut or myself; for
it once came before our Supreme Court for its
decision, and we have their views upon the
question. With the leave Of the Senate, will
see what was decided on that occasion in rela
ton TO the character Of these hostities
The case is to be found in 4th nollas, D. 81.
II is the case of Bias US. Tingy, which came up
upon question Of price, in which q claim for
salvage was prosecuted-a claim which turned
on the question, whether a vessel taken from
the Ere ch was vessel taken from an enemy
and that brought up the whole subject as to
the nature of the hostilities we were then wag-
ing with France, on account of these claims
Upon Tint subject the judges were unanimous.
They all decided that it was war--that it was
public war, coming under the denomination Of
what is cled an imperfect war. Hear what
they say. Judge Washington VS.:
"The decision of this question must depend up
on another; which is, whether at the time Of pcs
sing the act of Congress of the 81 Of March, 1899,
there subsised state Of war between the two ma
tons i may, believe, be safely laid down that
every contention by force between two nations in
external matters, under the authority Of their re-
spectlve governments, is not only war, but public
war. II it be declared in form, it is called solemn,
and is of the perfect kind, because whole ma
ton is at war with another whole nation, and all
the members OF the nation declaring war are
authorized to commit hostities against all the
members of the other, in every place and under
every circumstance. In such war all the mem
bers act under general authority, and all the
rights and consequences Of war attach to their