The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-06-20
Abe LlncoIn's PoiItIcal Record. .

An Illinois correspondent OF the ST. Louis
Republican thus shows up the Congressional
records Of the Republican candidate for the
Presidency: tr--
Since Abraham Lincoln has been nomi-
mated for the Presidency, his friends are
trying hard to make him out the greatest
man in America. But unfottu uately his
history will not sustain such characte -
Whist has Lincoln ever done that he should
be called great, or worthy of the Presidency
of q great nationi Absolutely nothing -
He has been a member Of the State Leais.
lature of Illinois two or three times, and for
one session member of Congress-and that
completes his political career up to this time.
While in Congress he was celebrated for
only one thing. viz: opposition to the Meri.
can War and that, too, after the war had
been in successful operation for nearly tUo
gears. He took his seat in Congress in De.
cember, lS47, the battle of Buena Vista
having been fought in the February previ.
Gus. Did Lincoln, while q Congressman,
endeavor to bring the war to an honorable
ter rmina alton, or was he engaged in the dis.
cussion of measures intended to embarrass
our Government, and encourage the Mexi.
cans in their acts Of hostility Let bis re.
cord speak.
On the goth day of December, lS47, Hon.
VIM. A. Richardson, of Illinois, introduced
the following resolutions relative to the
war:
ResolUed, That the existing war with
Mexico was just and necessary on our part,
and has been prosecuted with the sole pur.
pose of vindicating our national rights and
honor, and OF securing an honorable peace
ReS0tUed, That the rejection of our re pe at
ed overtures OF peace, leaves this Govern
ment no alternat but the most vigorous
prosecution OF the war, in such manner, con-
| sistent with the laws OF nations, as will
make the enemy Ieel all its calamilies and
burdens, and until Mexico shall agree to a
just and honorable peuce, providing satisac,
tory indemnify 10 money or territory for past
injuries, including the expenses of the year.
Resolved, That the amount of the indem.
nifty must necessarily depend upon the OBJ.
stinucy OF the enemy and the durution of the
wur.-[ Vide Con. Globe, ls47, p. SO.
Mr.. Lincoln voted against these resolu.
tions, as he said in his speech 10 the House
on the 18th of January, 1913, from which
the following will explain his position. Mr..
Lincoln said
But in addition to this, one of his col.
leagues, (Mr. Rchardson) came into this
House with resolution in terms expressly
indorsing the justice of the Presidents con,
duct in the beginning OF the war. So that
he found himself here, If he was inclined to
give the President his supplies, and say no.
thing about the original justice of the war
if he was inclined to 60 with him, to look
ahead, and not back-in position that he
could not do SO. He should feel compelled
to vote on this resolution in the negative"
Does not this show clearly, that Lincoln
not only opposed the justice OF the war, but
would even have voted against "the Presi
dents SuppItes' ii that question had come
up by itself ! Richardson's resolutions were
for the honorable prosecution of the war, but
Lincoln opposed them, and thereby placed
himself on the record in favor OF d.honor.
able termination of the same. In short, he
ives in favor OF Withdrawing our troops, and
telling Mexico and the world that we had
been engaged in an unjust war of aggression
When resolutions Of thanks to Gen. Tay.
lor were introduced in the House, January
8, l848, Mr.. George Ashum, the Presi.
dent OF the late Chicago Convention, moved
to add as an amendment, the following -
"In a Ddr unnecessarily and unconstitutional.
ly begun by The Presideht of the United States !"
Lincoln voted for this amendment. (See
Con Globe, 1913, 95) Hence it appears
that Lincoln desired to thank Gen. Taylor
TOR "obtanlng victory over the enemy ct
Buena Vista which, for its signal and bril-
liant character, is unsurpassed in the militia
ry annals OF the world" but "in ,oar un-
necessarily and unconStitutionaly begun"-
That ia the kind oil thanks ihut Lincoln de
sired to give General Toylor "snd the off.
GERS and soldiers of the regular army, and Of
the volunteers under his command" In
another place in Lincoln's speech on the
war, he thus spoke of the President "The
blood OF this war, like the blood of Ab,i
was crying from The ground against him :"
Thus it will be seen that Lincoln regarded
the blood that our soldiers shed in Mexico.
as crying from the ground against them.
like the blood Of the murdered Abel. Were
our officers and soldiers in Mexico murder.
ers p! Lincoln answers, in effect, that ktev
,oere! For this speech see Congressional
O'ooe, 1913, page 100.
But the most noted, as we'll as the mos,
ridiculous net of Lincoln's Congressional
career, was the introduction into the House,
on the 22d OF December, l847, of his "spot"
re olutions. This was alter the war had
been going on for about twenty months
Among other whereaSes and resolves, the
following are the pilh Of the "spot" mani
testo:
sand whereas, this House is desirous to
obtain full knowledge OF the facts which
go to establish whether the particular spot
on which the blood of our citizens was shed,
was or was not at that time our own soil
therefore,,
"Resolved by the House of Representatives.,
That the President OF the United States be
respectfully requested to inform this House,
"lst. Whether the spot on which the
blood of our citizens was shed, as In his
message declared, was or was not within the
Territory OF Spain, at least after the treaty
of 1919, until the Mexican revolution.
"2d. Whether that spot is or is not with.
in the territory which was wrested from
Spain by the revolutionary government of
Mexico.
"3I. Whether that spot is or is not with
in settlement Of the people, which settle.
ment has existed eve- since long before the
Texas revolution, and until its inhabitants
fed before the approach Of the United States
army" -s
Thus you see that Abraham Lincoln, in
stead OF trying to produce measures to bring
the war to an honorable termination, was
wrangling about the "P9rtsc~Iar spot" upon
which the first blood was shed. But "Old