Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-08-17
mr. Bell and the Mexican War.

We have heard privately that democratic
speakers at several points. have endeaFored
to make the impression that Mr. BELL, du-
ring the Mexican war, voted against furnish
ing the necessary supplies for carrying on
the war. 4 correspondent of the Bonner
having stated that Mr. MCNEILLY made such
a charge, the Union and american, OF yester-
day, says:
What supplies may have been regarded as
necessary" was clearly matter of opinion.
But one thing is quite rain that Mr.. Bell,
with COrwin, Hale and the other OppOsers of
the war, did vote against that bill ito fur
nish supplies to carry on the war" commonly
known as the Ten Regiment Bill. If we are
not mistaken in our recollection, that was
the only bill of that character he ever had a
chance to vote against In the conclusion
of his speech against that bill be used this
language:
'-Sir, if any should now desire tn know my
poor opinion upon the proper mode of termi-
mating this war. | say to them TO make the
best treaty with any existing government
you can If you must have the territories of
New Mexico aud California, get eessiOn OF
them; if you cannot do that, came back to The
RIO GraHde, to the boundary you claim title
to- and thus sIUe your honor.
TRY AS TOU WOULD a CITY DOOMED To DEsTRUC-
TON BY FIRE FROM HEAVEN
Col. HAYNES, also, on Broad Street, the
other night took occasion to quote the last
sentence Of the speech of Mr.. BELL, as above
quoted, in contrast with the military prov
ess of Gen LANE 4 very few words will
serve to expose the absurdity of the charge,
nd tha Of =
against Mr.. BELL. The speech from which
this extract is taken, was made in the Senate
of the United States on the 2nd Of February
1913, on bill to raise for q limited tune. ali
additional military force, commonly known
as the Ten Regiment Bill. At that time the
American army numbered 1900 soldiers,
aud held possession of the chief strong points
of the country, including the Capital with
all their defences-while the Mexican army
had been beaten and scattered. The country
was in the power of our armies, which were
fully able to hold it against all contingent
cies. They were free from danger from any
quarter. The raising of an additional force
was therefore unnecessary. But Mr.. Bell
then believed that the policy of the admins
tration was to overrun the whole of Mexico
and TO establish there military Protecto-
rate, and the final annexation of the entire
country to the United States, and that the
bill was but a means to effectuate this policy
1t was against this policy that Mr.. BELL
planted himself on that occasion, and no;
against necessary supplies" That speech
was one of the ablest and most powerful that
he ever delivered, and overwhelmed and put
to route the conquest and annexation forces
While he was engaged in that mastery effort
of craftsmanship, the very day, a treaty Of
peace was concluded between the two eoun-
tries which embraced substantially the re.
commentator of Mr.. BELL made in the above
passage; and on the 10th of March following
the treaty thus concluded was ratified and
confirmed, with slight amendments, by the
Senate, receiving the votes of &c democrats,
among whom were Mr.. TURNEY, of this State
Mr.. BELL himself voting for it. This speech
did more to bring about that result, and stop
a useless effusion of blood and an unneces-
sary expenditure of money, than all the
other speeches made on the subject of that
war, put together. 1t will never cease to
reflect honor upon its matchlesS author a q
man and statesman.