Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1852-10-21
From the Ohio State Journal
4 Vile SANDER RepeIled- Brilliant Speech of
Cen Srntf IN the Cerl1anS

to a tree and fogged fifteen Germans, while
in Mexico.
I Other charges, Of his having hanged others,
cruelty and unjustly. were also referred to.
Never We we witnessed scene more i'm
posing. than when the old chiftan, with quick
aud Indignant response, repealed the false
and malignant charge. Lofty in stature, and
standing at least four inches above the taliest
Of those among whom he stood, his form
seemed gigantic, with heightened color
and with flashing eye. and a wave Of his hand
that expressed a calm defiance of all assail-
ants, he uttered his emphatic protest against
such assaults as that paragraph presented.
New, and before unknown to me, are
such things as have been told me. They sur
prise and they pain me. They at once con-
Germ all that value personally, and aim a
blow at all that, wherein, if l know myself, |
have the highest pride. hey attack my
( own identity The principles for which,
/ had believed, need never search my own
/ bosom in vain, are here undermined or denied
me 4! | am met with charges Of injustice and
cruelty-whil5 leading an American Army
+ Though Mexico, and while participating alike
/ in its trials and rriumphs,
Gentlemen. it was my lot to lead an Amer
( lean army upon a foreign field. | went, re-
solved 10 sustain In the fore front Of my
/ progress, the high tide-waler-mark of our
own American, civilization, in all its moral
and civil vrtuTe. The standard Of our own
and not the practices Of that foreign country,
was the standard which | sought for the
government of mems passion and the control
( of the license and excuses of war. Alike to
Americans, whether native or of foreign birth,
and to Mexicans, / declared my purpose, and
exhibited my principles of action.
| promulgated the martial code. Doubt
leas YOU all have heard it. | deemed it ne
cessary. | could DO nothing without it. 1t
announced the spirit Of our progress, and
held amenable to punishment all who forgot
manhood, and threatened to bring shame up
on our aag-dishonor to our arms-or a re-
pr0ach upon our virtue Without 1t, we
had not conquered, OF if we had conquered,
the brightest trophy, of our conquest had been
wanting, 1t would have been a physical lri-
umph and physical triumph alone. HUI
manity would have disowned US. [ promul-
gated that order. Read 1t, and read it again,
gentlemen, and then bear me witness, that it
was il my heart, as it was almost hourly on
my lips, for continued months, 10 carry with
American arms, and under the American flag,
even into an enemy's country, all the ele-
meuts Of social order, and that regard for per-
sonal right, belonged to our own free insli-
tutious in the United states.
Yes, I sought 20 carry with me, and re-
SUlNEU 10 mania al all ndLdEuSs among my
own command, and also that people among
whom we should be thrown, that high stan
dard Of yiTture. and honor, which we boosted
at home. Had / not been less than an Amer
lean, and recreant to the highest interests of
humanity, and the age we rejoice in. if | had
done less They say I hanged some Ter
mans, and tied up and logged others. Gen
tiemen, some persons lcs-s hanged in Mexico.
Whether any Of them were Germans or not
| know not. But for JUhai-yes, for what
were they hanged hanged one for murder,
gentlemen: | harge one for rape upon an
innocent young female, and for profane and
wicked Church robbery. al kHsr the Lalg
that was over them. Every man of them
knew he would be held as answerable for
vile msdeeds against the laws Of God and
man, as if he were upon American soil
For such crimes they st.fered-for such
crimes and here, In Your own OhIo-a land Of
aw-would have brought down upon them
severe penalties, and with equal Justice
Some did suffer death But their trial was
fair, impartial and upon the same principles
of solid law upon which they wouid have been
acJudge guilty, here, among YOU. Do some
say hanged fifteen Germans, and that others
We're arranged and logged without cause or
trial. Gentlemen. | know nothing of it
1t is talse-ft Is lie an invention. gentle
men--A LIE. / see aged citizens before me.
| see eminent lawyers here. And, gentlemen
you see re much crcled. But Is IT not for
cause For one, 1ch0. for fifty ytGrs has scarce
lY ege@ lcuhtea. rose, slept or eaten, or to-
ken cup Of cold 1cafcr, an The field, the tOlUn.
or the emp, but that his thoughts tcere Of his
couHEy-her Uirtues-her cn0rn-ker h0usz;
to be thus Gssaiied,-it Is 1IoNsTRoUs-jt is
rNroLER BILE Gentlemen, | did, with a
high hand, sustain the law, which, with up
rghtuess In my heat, ] determined to sus
tain. dad hang for murder / did hang
for rape ! did hang for treason! and
logged thieves and pick pockets! For, gen
tlemen, let me again ~ay, | not only carried
with me, but | resolved, with every resource
| could command TO sustain fsarlessIY and et-
tectuaAy, IN lis virtue and its choiceset bIes-
sings, not only my own command but to
detenCeless and peaceabIe MeXicaus, that
cIvllzatlOn-yes, that Christian civilization,
Of which | was proud to believe that army
might appear a worthy representative.
But, gentlemen, l was no respecter Of per-
sons. american or Aerican-natire torn or
foreiSn born ,Ct9eUsr bHe1g the tar and obey
Ell a H0t-Jch0sUer, Teckuess Of his own re-
possibilities, and the rights of others. tram
pied unisr fo0t and set al nqugh the law that
was over al, did hang for the crimes stated,
and l would have hung an hundred seekers
Of innocent blood, and violators of female
-'it'-tJ Al 81 many tlH otGil tlie o44tiltt+io
And for this, perverted and mjsshaped, | am
made answerable 10 a charge against which
every feeling revolts, and which my whole
nature and my whole life repel. No, gentle
men, 1t Is lie. (yhe charge as made, or that
any we e wrongfully punished,) fqbe and
GROUNDLEss lie. | am not unthanAfu to my
good friend who has told me of these things
1t was right. But gentlemen, I stand here
before you, and declare, as | have already de-
claTed, and again declare, that the principles
that governed my command in Mexico, are
those of my life. To that life in my conntry's
service, l need not appeal in vain for an ans
wer now. With equal freedom and conf
dence do l throw myself upon the honest YER
diet of every man, who with me, served his
country in the fields of Mexico"
The New York Day Book, warm oppon-
ent of SCOTS election, says:
Every body knows, who knows any thing,