The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1860-08-18

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rprsneAs pssn ~ Tsnunsb L. 4 NnselA-1
.At NJ. IAneean a. eho 1aexseaA uver.
NJ Ansas d>sl hes bsea said By Mr.. Uncolni
pelltioa oppouanls II regard 70 his action ont ID,
subject Of the Mexican War; and in the canvas
Of 1855 with HI. Douglas that gentleman a1t
his Newspaper organs made . very disgenuous bu
eAarAcas1iseic attempt TO fasten upon Nr. Nncolr
. charge Of having voted against supplies Of tA'
American Army IN Mexico The charge w
without foundatitu in fact. and utterly untrue 4
WIN n. Lined. soea hajssas Il Congress.
Gen. Scott had been nearly three months in pop
seasion Of Tie City 81 Mexico. All the great bat
ties Of that var had bsea fought, and The psg6
I iupe Hidalgo on the I'd Of February, ls4s, hsd
progressed very far toward . favorable ,conclf.
sion. The American Army, however, was st1l
In Nexico; and vaFiouD supply measures, resol4-
tious q skaaka acss for extra pay, and for tie
relief Of the widows and orphans Of officers and
soldiers who had fallen in he war, were brought
before ths Thirtisth Coogvsss and passed. Nj.
Liscoas veasd h Issor u eyey measure Of az
lid saaies capse 6efdvs Obngrsss A careful o..
amination Of ths jousaals and the Congressional
Globe discloses the fact that fourteen Acts and
eight Joint Resolutions Of the character referred
TO, were passed by this Congress- OF these, three
Acts and two Joint Resolstions we're passed UNI
der . call for the ayes and nays the remainder
without We have the assurance Of those who
served in Congress with M. Lincoln-both his
political friends and opponents-that he voted ip
favor Of al the latter; while a. TO the former,
the House Journal contains the proof. .S
Tbs 6rst Of these Acts which passed the House
by ayes and maya viii be found in the U. s. Stat.
utes at Large. page 2l5, chap. %, being "An Act
further 70 supply deficiencies in the ApprOpria-
tions for the service Of the Fiscal Year ending
the thirtieth Of June, eighteen hundred and for;
various sums distinctly for the benefit Of volun.
teers IN the Mexican War, amounting to 81, 50s,-
939 a. Mr.. Lincoln's name is recorded in the
Affirmative. (See House Journal, Let Session,
S0th Congress, pages 520l.) ss
The next Act will be found in the Statutes At
Large, page 2l7, chap. 20, being "An Act to au-
thorise loan mot TO exceed the sum of sixteen
millions of dollars" hisAct was passed to pro-
vide money TO meet appropriations in general,
including those for the Mexican War, and would
not have been necessary but for that war. Mr.,
Lincolns name stands recorded in the afirma-
tive. (See House journal, pages 426-7)
The last Act of this character passed by Ayes
and Nays will be found in Statutes at Large, page
274, chap. l04, being IAN Act to amend an Act,
entitled An Act supplemental to an Act entitled
an Act providing for the prosecution of the ex1
listing war between the United States and the
Republic Of Mexico, and for other purposes ~
The Act among other things provided for Civ
Ing three months extra pay to officers non-com-
missioned officers, musicians and privates, en-
gagged in the Mexican War, and to their relations
In case Of their dying in the service. Mr.. Lin
coins name is recorded in favor of this Act
(See House Journal, page 1857
Two Joint Resolutions spoken of will be found
In Stat at Large, pages SSs and 1884, They
were expressive of the thanks Of Congress to
Major General Winfield Scott and Major General
Zachary Taylor, and to the troops under their
command respectively, for their distinguished
gallantry and good conduct in the Mexican cam
Paign Of ls47. Mr.. Lincoln's name is recorded
In favor Of both resolutions (See House Jour
nal, pages S6S-6.) :, -
These are the only instances that occurred
while Mr.. Lincoln was in Congress in which sup
posed, under call Of the Ayes and Nays, for the
American Army in Mexico; and in each case. he'll
isrecorded in the Affirmative.
Mr.. Lincoln held, in common with the entire
Wing party Of that day, that the war with Mexico
was UNNECESSARILY and pnc0nstitutiOnally begun;
and all who desire to know the reasons on which
the WING party based this opinion, will find them
most ably Get forth in speech delivered in Con
gress by M. Lincoln, January l2, 1913; and
which may be found in the Appendix to the Con-
gressional Globe, let session SOth Congress, be
ginning at page %, Previous to the delivery Of
that speech, Mr.. Lincoln bad intentionally re-
Trained from taking exceptions publicly to what
ne honestly believed to be the unjustifable con-
duct Of President Polk in precipitating the coun.
try into war with Mexico. The following ex-
tract from the speech contains the reasons which,
In his judgment, demanded departure from this
line of policy: r2tsrET-S a
when the war began, It was my opinion that
On thoes Who, because II Knowing too EtGe, or
because Of knowing too much, could not con-
ecientiorsiy approve the conduct of the President
(in the beginning Of it, should, nevertheless, as
good citizens and patriots, remain silent on that
point, at least till the var should be ended II
Some leading Democrats, including ex-P President
Van Buren,, have taken the same view, as nm
derstand them; and I adhered TO It, and acted
upon it. until since took INV seat here. and | |
think should still adhere to it. were il not that
the President and his friends will not allow it to
be 20. Besides the continual effort Of the Pres
ident to construe every silent vote given for sun
plies into nm endorsement of the lustice and
wisdom Of his conduct; besides that sinpulariy
candid paragraph in his late message, in which
he tells VI that Congress, with great unanimity
lonly two in the Senate and fourteen in the
House dtase9ting) had declared that by the act
OF the Republic Of Mexico . state Of war exists
between that Government and the United States
wnen the same Journals that informed him that,
when that declaration stood disconpectcd from
the question Of supplies, sixty-seye in the
House, and not fourteen, merely, voted sgainst
II besides this open attempt to prove by telling
the trsM uhat b ooald not pfDve by telling the
'oeok hs6t, -demandinr of IN who viii nof sub.
mt % bs naisepresenSed, in Justice to them.
selves to speak out; besides an this. one Of NV
tMr. Richardson 1t very early day
70 me session, brought ii ! set Of resolution.
sAPfeasiy endoraing The original justice Of the
~ on me part Of The PRECEDENT Upon these
resolutions when they shall be put ON their mas.
~. .1an oe compsxs1 70 vote 90 that can
not be silent If would - s. ~
A. before observed, III. Lincoln did NOT stanl
Aooe 70 holding these views. They we're held
ny oy the entizs Wing party, bothiat
calhoun and those Southern mem who ct that
anne NAG adopted his peculiar political opinions.
me following, from the Houss Journal, LIST ses-
no0 S0th Congress, pAges lSS4 January 30,
lsSsl shows the position Of ths Wing party on
n pursuance of pssvions notice, Mr.. John
". Houston asked, and obtained leave, and in.
IsQduced joint. resolution Of thanks to Major
ssslA Easses spnd which vas reed . arse and