Newspapers / North Carolina Republican (Goldsboro, … / July 28, 1847, edition 1 / Page 1
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' . - -'.'I.. ' .... ..' , ; . 1 - ; . - . 5 - .) " 1 ,,!. ,J ' i! - . . t . . (".. i .. ' : . "' v '' 'f - ' ' ' ' r- .if. , , , . . , ' . -i ":.,'" .i ' .' , ' '. ;i. -i -'-. r . - ' .: " 1 , BY V. B. GULICK: NElBEEN;E.'C.,-EMESl) ;,:V0L. lrK0:J2& at il' e ' i ri. I r j;. ts te "i id I nl, CIRCULAR: Voters of the Bightb Congres- TVi THE NAL'pIsfEICT, COMPltlSIiro THE CoUN- "ties or Wayne, Pitt, Greene, Lenoik, Jones, Cartaret, Craven, Beaufort, HnE Washington, Tyrrel. : pELtOW CITIZENS : At a Convention, held at Newbern, on the Qth of June last, in which seven Counties of the District were represented, I had the hon ' r to be designated as the candidate of the Democratic party, to represent you in the next Congress of the United States, Having been confined at home in attend ance at the sick-bed of a dear relative, much the time since the Convention was held, I have not had it in my power to visit so much 0f the District as I would gladly: have done ; tlierefore I take this method to comrnunicate t3 you the views rente'rtain.,oii ;th mtercst-' (r political subjects now 'before you, and 4 ,4tyre National Legislature. ; j -b kccepting the nomination so honorably red me by the ' Convention, I was not vare of the great responsibility assumed. Jve, so far, passed my life as a private far viewing with deep interest the great jj'tpal events of the day, as they became jtory before my eyes ; but witliout a wish aspiration fur oifice, or to become a parti- '..'Ino.lor T rYirnr trulv sntr ih:t I lixro It I ; without" prejudice the political movc- n : . :irnl inana'ji'inent of the p-rt'n t nm-tip ;ivi!ise opinions have divided our country, and niat every vote I ever gave has been given im4cr a conscientious conviction oi rignt. While I ice! a 'diffidence m ray ability to iblain the principles I profess with eloquence ml power, I teei confident I can make my- I uiiueiiiiwu uy iuu greui uuuy oi me vo s uf the Distiict' wlio are, 'like myself. teen, patriotic and honest, and do not" vvwa punnc sci van i, tutr more, oecause ne .. '. i il. 1 1 r jio X' S tiiat kind of logic and clocjuence that cnVbk'S him to make the worse appear the Wtterjlide. ' 1 have talents enough to .tell the trutli, arid, from me you shall have no thing ;bf t the tmth. - '1'iiej iiist sebjeety on which I propose to ve you iny vieAvs, concerns the Treasury -of the United States. ; The Constitutional Treasury. ' You readily bring to mind the difficulties rnphi'siod iy the whig leaders, in congress amf out, oii tl is subject, so very prolific of debate and abu.-e. A lew words plainly and truthfully spoken, Will comprise the whole history of what has been held up as such a iiipnster by whig orators. It is unnecessary to O'Over the old question of the- United States JJank as a fiscal agent ; all, ornearly all. are now, as far as J. knbw agreed to consfder that aa fbsslete ifoti.' Nor will I go irtto the particular history of the Pet ISank svtetn : Dwause it is well kt.own, after a trial, it was found -to. esabarrass the country. Y all know thit in 1837, Simultaneously, every ian,from Maine to Louisiana stopped pay ment ; and that, vvithii j& eoty of pvMic money in what was then called the Treasury, viz. the vaults of the banks, our goverient was left without a ' dollar, or the possibility 6f drawing.- a dollarf for the current expenses , Woiild you, fellqw citizens, fee willing to ee your' government -.in ..soch-a predicament a 1 gain ? I would no,, nor will any of yoA, on ;ool disKissionate. reflectiofl. Still, because the separation of the.-public funds ; from the power of the banks had been a irie&sure of ' nr. Van.Biiren's, the first aet of the whig Congress which came intoower in 1841, was b repeal the law of separation and leave the money, no $chere$ yes, tto where. They quarrelled with John TyJer, the President ot heir own .choice, abotit fiscal agents, and such kind of schemes, until bo:h the Whigs and'their accidental President, as they were pleased to call him,; became tired and Con gress adjourned, leaving the treasury, as was wittily said by a whig meinber ; of Con- ; jress. in John Tyler's breeches pocket. At any -itf1, it w.s left solely arid wholly at the eon- ' fol.o'f the President, subject only to his own dividual disposal. John Tyler happened be more honest than the whig- leaders gave ipi credit forr and I do not know that any J'ss occurred, while left by the whig congress yilhouiyke protection, of the law. When flnes K. Pojk came into office, in his first apssagG to Congress in Dec. 145, he says, he money of tlie Treasury is deposited in !ie State Banks, but without" adequate provi--"n made by law to secure it against casual defalcations, suspensions &c;, and ie re 'mmended ' that , a constitutional treasury 'C created for the safe keeping of the public laoney.". The details of the, law provide for treasury, such as was contemplated by the Jmcrs of the Constitution, , and no other, fellow citizens, read the law 'cooly and calm- and decide whether it is not sconstiution- . 'l treasury, and the only one consistent with !'le constitution. You may have been told ;!le money has been stolen by the officers, or toat Jraud has been cdmmittedby the trea-r,'rs- It is false ; not a dollar has. been lost I otjie government You may have been j M, thai it increases government patronage ; 1 1 !S not so I it diminish ps rrnvp rnrannf nnfrnri- -1 m proportion to the difference between J Q V X HlV ivniTornmnnt r.CP. J AU xl JU. lj hecrs, stockholders and dependants of the Her ""b"1 uc "e recipients oi go 'ent favour. Fellow citizens, have you, -1 jfW party prejudice, examined the subject? J ?Uh mp. it is the onlv const! tntir.T,l Igj : 7 J ...i.iuiiaiinau- l , hichthe public moneys can be kent. , - uesi anq me nest ; ana that the wh r Yit,v dve attempted to deceive m repre- ( rniw,g-u such a monster, and ItfVm humbug.; : mat their I ! The Tariff. : a'circujnecessary to be so concise in writing i 1 wjsl a r ort enough to be read by all, (and I J 1 wj :Tery voter to know my oDinions,)that hilu.rt r A siaie my own views, on the Prn ;";e Ian"v wlth out stopping to 'werohip,:.. 1 Tu. rJlluns. .. ' - r iariffof 1846, although, perhaps, not perfect, is as near a fair and equal tax as could be obtained in our wide-spread country ; our interests are so diversified, it would probably be hnpossible to ky a tax unobjectable to alL I believe all Republicans agree in paying such tax as is necessary for the support of Government, and that tax should Be raised by duties on imports. Now, fellow citizens I cannot loot upon the law which lays these du ties, as anything but a law for raising so much revenue as the government requires Tor its economical expenses. . IfT in laying such du ties, you4 lay such a tax on one article as pre vents its importation, of course you Ipse the amount of revenue it would pay, if imported and ypu enable the manufacturer to make the article here and j fix his own price for it as he can have no foreign competition. Here there is a double injury to the country: first, me loss to the revenue, and, secondly, you. the consumers, are shaved in the price. Such -"leianii law, passed b.y .the. Whig vugress or -lSiArtie eTe taxed "so4 vum iijcecjuue importation m oo niavrtuoe& , m pmer instances, ,so as to prevent you, the farmers, receiving4hcmat a fair aralue, and whilq every article used by the farmer (except two,! which I will name by and by) paid a tax, millions of dollars in val ue, of articles for the .use of Northern Manu facturers, came free of duty. Was this fair? Was it just? i In the first' place, all the articles which the farmers, use paid a tax, a high tax, for the benefit of the manuniclurer iwhile allor nearly all the articles used by him. came in free of duty. Andjhis tarifFthe whig, leaders call protective. " Protection !" Strange term to designate injustice ; for every dollar so protected out of your pockets into those of the manufacturer, is, to say the least, gross injus tice to you and your children, who have equal claims under the constitution with all your fellow citizens. The tarifl of '42, or whig ta riff, yas made expressly unilavowedly with the view to tliis 'protect in ; so gross are many of its provisi6ns.that its friends dare not come out openly and tell the people that such arti cles as you require for ur daily use, pay taxes according to value, but they cloak some of the most egregious frauds under law yer's Latin, called the minimum prir cipaL ,'rhus a piece of common cotton cloth, or com mon calico, is not taxed according to its cost or value, but is held to cost and be valued at o or 4 times its actual cost, and the tax is laid on this asm ne. I value, a vile cloak to render less iippaientthe fraud perpeir.ited, many of these goods, actually costing 5, 6 or 7 cents a yard, are made to. pay oh the assumed value of 20 cts. a yard. Articles of luxury, and such as are only in the reach of the wealthy, are thus allowed to be brought into the country, under a duty less than that paid -by the articles in common use by the farmer and labouring classes. f- By the tariff of '46, this odious prinaiple has been destroyed, and all articles now pay in proportion to their atztnal value. All the articles of prime necessity to farmers and me chanics" are introduced under much lower rates than by the tariff of '42 ; still Mr. Don: nell opposes the Tariff of 1846. By the tariff of '46, the list of free articles' for the special benefit of the manufacturer, is reduced four-fifths; and although the duty is small on many of the articles, they pay something towards the support of the govern ment Under the tariffof '42, for which the Whigs contend, the article of salt was made to pay in effect about 12 cents per bushel; under the tariffof '46, salt is taxed according to value, and pays less than 3 cents per bushel. The articles of tea and coffee are free of duty under Wh tariffs, that of '46 as Well as that of 42. 'These are the two articles before al luded to, as the only ones the tariffof '42 left free, which are used by the farmer I speak of them now, because I have been misrepre seirted on this subject. : " - M r Domiell argues that the Tariff of '46 is too low, and will not yield sufficient revenue to pay the expenses ' of the Government, and pay the debt which has been created by the Mexican War. 1 am of opinion tht .tthe Ta riff of '46 will prove fully sufficient, and am not willing-' to increase the taxes one cent, unless time proves me in error, of which' I am hapy to say, there- is now no prospect. , But if, as I have said again and again, it becomes necessary to raise more revenue, the ijirticles of Tea and Uotlee are lair objects oi laxation. . A small tax on them would yield 2,000,000 of revenre, and it wduld be as equitable per haps more equitable, than any tax that could be laid, inasmuch as these articles are in gen eral use, North and South, East and! Vest every section using them. Should oUr coun try's necessities call for increased duties, I say as I have said before, that I would Vote a small, tax on tea and coffee, as a w ar tx,jto cease with the war ; for the reason, that I thought them fair objects of .taxation.! No complaint is made on the salt tax, an.atticle absolutely necessary to life, both of man and beast ; and yet it is well known that yoii the farmers- of North Carolina, pay more ofthis tax than the State of New York; andjine half of the New England Spates ; and b re storing the whigtanflol 1842, you would lay tloct fnnr times as much tax on sal t as you now pay. a The War. . Mr. Donnell charges Mr. Polk with mk ihg the war, &c, &c:; placing, as I contend, our country in the wrong and Mexico m j:ie riVht. I cannot subscribe to such a doctnie. To say nothing of the causes of the warj wh:h existed previous to May, 1846, 1 am willing to take the ground that the Administration did right in every position then taken. if we allow that the march from Corpus Chi is ti to the Rio Grande was, as .the Whigs J lege, the cause of the war, still I say it w is the right; it was the-duty of Mr. Polk, is Presidentto defend every inch of our soil ; -and the soil of the left bank of the Rio Gran le ;c mnrh thfl soil ofthe United States as tl fe Island of'Orleans. It was known, that by dr- der of Paredes, the Mexican President, a lar 2 army had collected on the right bank of tl : T?,'n mnr!p . with the avowed intention of 1; i vading Texas, then a state of this Union ;4 urA thP. rjommander of bur forces m thdt neighborhood, had recommended, as the bejt pian to Tepel them, a position on the left bank of that river. It was the only position our army ; could;; take, , consistent with the safety of the National honor. If it precipita ted the war, the fault was not Mr. Polk's, nor Gen. Taylor's, but the fault of that Constitu tion that compelled Mr. Polk, as President, to protect bur soil from foreign invasion. In Gen.- Taylor he had a good adviser,' and a ready, capable and willing executive offi cer. The war, already determined on by Mexico, was met in v the way such things should ever be met by Americans. An Irish man once said, the best way, to avoid danger is to meet it fullin the face. So Mr. Polk thought, and so Gen. Taylor acted. K sf l But it has been said the left bank cf the Rio Grande is not American soil, that ivdoes not belonsr to the' United States; This is al- together . an after-thought. The 'Mexican Generals and goyernioent did not, either then,- beloref orince, think so ; Jor they haaac- kiiovvledffed it as' part of Texas. It the Nue ces was the boundarv. whv did Gen 1 Woll, tne . iviexican -uenerai, wnen commanamg matpartmenl, order all Mexican Htizer and soldiers to the other side of the Rio Grande ? If the Mexicans thought the Nue ces was the boundary, why have they in all "their demands and proclamations, which from time to time are fulminated 'against the Uni ted States, never declared it1? They all say, that as a pondition on wh'ich they . will treat (or peace, the American army must be with drawn from their soil totlie left bank of the Rio" Grande; never has the Nueces been named, except by their friends in the United StaUs. If Gen. ''Taylor was on Mexican ground, in May '46, why did not the whig Senators, when voting freely for men and mo ney to be sent him, all Vote for the resolu tion offered by Mr; Crittenden to restrain him from aii inrasion of Mexico. They knew he was defending our own soil, and it hkd not theh occurred to them that capital might be made by repudiating our national honor,' and declaring the army, they appeared so anxious to succour, to be already invading Mexico. But says Mr. Donnell, u How will you pay the expenses of the war and obtain indemnity for Mexican spoliations ?" I answer fearlessly, we will hold the ports of Mexico now in our possession, and yielding' a large revenue un der the judicious tariff adopted by our President,', and the territory now in the possession, until the whole be paid;; and I say I can prove the security is ample. T will not say like Mn Donnell, fl I'll tax the people .higher to pay it, lay new taxes, and impose a new tariff ; Tdo not believe one cent increas ed revenue will, be required. The amount of im posts now, is far greater than the amount for preceding yjbars, and a prospect of steady increase. In two ports only in Mexico, al ready over a half a million is known to have been received, and we have the actual posses sion of the whole of new Mexico and Califor nia. It has been asserted that the Mexican government has no national territory, no pub licland. The assertion is groundless. The coast of California, for a distance of about 1200 miles, is entirely pubii6 land, with the excep tion of some half dozen small settlements ; the whole country is unsettled and almost un inhabited, with only a population of Indians and roving tribes of less than 50,000 souls. i he tame may be said of New Mexico. the increased value to our immense com merce in the Pacific ocean, would be hun dreds of thousands of dollars could our sailors have those fine ports for their rest and repairs : and nothing could be better as an act of retri butive justice. In these very ports, many of the robberies, piracies, and spoliations of which we have so long complained, were committed -and for these very robberies, the Mexican government promised long since to indemnify our ciuzeus. . - - Gen. Taylor. I come now to speak ofthe subject on vhica my opponent fease3 his strongest hopes of suc cess; that is, the popularity and justly acquired fame ot (jren. 1 ayior with which he hopes so to blind men as to induce them to support those who claim to be his friends, par excellence, and thus to cover over all their own political sins and tergiversations. f ! If we look back to the political history of our country" only a few short years, we can hardly bring ourselves to believe that the course now indicated by the whiff leaders ever could be adopted. f f or Gen. 1 ayior, I feel as much respect, love and gratitude, as any man can feel. He deserves of his country well. He has done his duty, wherever duty has called himJ But of Gen. Taylor, except as a gallant and faith ful officer, who has been the most active agent in prosecuting . this war aainstMexico, we know nothing ; yes I say, we linovv nothing of his views ofthe civil polity of our country. tie has taken no part in civil government, and tlie great Whir leader has loug since de clared military qualifications are not a suffi cient title to the Presidency. Mr. Donnell says I he goes for Gen. Taylor. He says Mr; Polk has made an unnecessary and unjust war. Has not Gen. 1 ayior been an efficient engine in Mr. Polk's hands to cany on this war Mr. Donnell says, the constitutional treasury must be repealed, and the public mo ney placed in the banks. I do not believe that a man, who like Gen. Taylor has expe rienced the difficulties under which the finan cial concerns ofthe country have laboured in the time of former administrations, and the re gularity, . ease and safety of the present will be willing to go back to the old system, even if the Whigs held their present position. Mr. Donnell condemns the present tariff, and insists on the restoration ofthe whig prin ciples of protection and minimums, " now as effectually exploded as the obsolete idea" Will Gen. Taylor agree ..with him in this,' and, a- dopting his views, follow his advice ? " If he, does, it win, in my opinion, pe a complete re volution in Gen. Taylor's fixed principles, es tablished for years. No man can say, no man dare say, Zachary Taylor is less attached to the nnnciples ot tree trade than Ueo. JV1 Duff'ee. ' The Whigs say they would show Mexico we want none of her territory, none of her indemnity r i will (jren. 1 ayior say so l His opinion expressed in . the Gaines letter is, that we should take and maintain the line we would accept as indemnity in our negotiations Will Gen.' Taylor admit -he has been the willing," tne acii ve xooi xa mr, xroiKin carry ing on his, Mn- Polk's lunjust, cruel, ahd' murderous war, against an innocent: and in jured people If he .doespt, how can the VVhigs, who have .sovoften stigmatized this war, in such ' terms; support; him In short, it is the neigni oi-aosurdity tor-men, preach ;tl7 the doctrine the Whig leaders do; to pre tend to xpect to save themselves by clinino- to the exaueu iame oi uen. yj. ayior. i ; Fillow Citizens, I appeal ' to your patriot isnf--a patnotismnever- doubted -to save your country from the disgrace attempted to be cast, ou4 uer oy aeciaring tne war in which we axepotf engaged as unjust, unnecessary and mu'rderous. ' iuv;v :. I have as briefly as'possible. given you my views, . If you approve them, with due re- spett ljSai(Cjpw support. ' . - Lam your ob't Serv't, : - "I Wm. k lane. -Wayne Co., July 16th 1847." Tennessee. It is within the knowledge of every body that the Hon. Aaron V. Brown, the present gover . nor, and Gen. Neill S. Brown, are addressing the citizens of Tennessee on the subject ofthe relative claims of the two political parties to the public support and confidence. Among the able and eloquent addresses which the 1 guber natorial canvass has produced, the following extract from a speech of Gov. . Brown, at Clarksville, is among the most prominent and powerful. Union. . I . r And now (said Gov. Brown,) I come to ask the question, Who advised the march of our army to the Rio Grande,?' General Taylor himself! In his letter of the 4th Qctober, 1845, he Lays: ,s'' -- :f - ' :'.'. lh or thesereasons, our position thus far has, I think, been the best possible But now that the entire force will soon be concentrated, it may well be questioned whether the) views of government will be best carried out by our remaining at - this point. It is with great deference that. I make any suggestions on topics that may become matter of delicate negotiation ; but if our gpvernment, in settling the question of boundary makes the' line of the Rio Grande an ultimatum, I cannot doubt that the settlement will be greatly facilitated and hastened by oyr taking possession at once ofone or two suitable points on, or quite near that river. Our strength and state of prepara tion, should be displayed in a' manner fnot to be mistaken. However salutary may be the effect produced upon the border people ;by our presence here, (Corpus Christi,) we are too far, from the frontier to impress the government of Mexico with our readiness to vindicate by force of arms, if necessary,' our title to the Rio jrranue. - Uur advance to theRio Grande will itself produce a powerful effect, and it may be that the common navigation of the river will not be disputed.' Here you see (said Gov. Brown) he advised the march as well calculated not to provoke war, but to preserve peace. He advised it as necessary and proper to vindicate our title to that river; and to secure its joint navigation - He advised it as an4able general and $. wise statesman. The President followed it ; and now the strange spectacle i is presented, that i ayior, wno gave the aa vice, is to oe exaitea to the presidency, whilst the President, who followed it, is to be pulled down with dishon or from it. It is no answer to say that Taylor only advised it in the event that the govern- nent, in settlings the boundary, should make the Rib Grande an ultimatum ; for 1 have shown that the government had so settled and : . ' .1 .1 negotiated tne boundary in otner woras, mat Congress had so settled it ; settled it by receiv ing a merri ber residing in the disputed territory setded it by having been notified fori more than a year that the American army had been located in the disputed territory. Such infor mation had been reported to congress, and was, lying upon the table of every member Of that body from day to day for months together, without complaint and without objection. If, then, the government, and not the Presi dent, had the settlement of that question, the government had settled' it repeatedly anl conclusively settled it. i '' ! " In the face of these recorded and Undenia ble facts, my competitor still insists that-the march to the Rio Grande was 5 the cause of the war and citels Mr. Calhoun as his author ity. Mr. Calhoun did say so in one of his speeches ; but I have shown my competitor several times that he was corrected the very next morninor'bv tha rmhlieation of Marks's letter. Marks was; not authorized by Oen. Arista to communicate anything to Gen. 1 ay ior. He was acting on 'his own individual opinions and responsibility; ; ', ' iaucn ior Mr. Calhouns autnoruy. . .. What are the opinions of Mr. Benton my competitor's favorite jvitness. as to. boun daryas t0 the inarch of the army to that river?'' - ".--. :;- V- 'X: 1 In sayinc this. T not rnnsider the march to the Rio Grande to have been the cause of the war, any more than I consider the British march on Concord nd rinoton to have been the cause ofthe American revolution, or the crossing of ths RnLVnn W Csser to have been thecause of the civil 1 war in Rome. The march to the Rio Grande brought? on the collision of armsl but so far from beincr the cause of the war, it was itself the effect of these causes.' f , ' ;; ., ';!.. p . ' . M ; This authority of his favorite witness throws my competitor back on the position, that, after all the annexation af Texas was the true cause of this Mexican war. In assuming this pos ition, his competitor differed with all his whig friends from Tennessee, and with Messrs. Ewing, Gentry, Crozier, and Milton Brown in particular. Governor Brown read from the speech , of the latter gentleman, decla ring f that he took issue with, any one who assumed tha position. How his competitor would settle that issue, so boldly tender ed by Mr. M. Browny wheri he reached the western' district, he did not pretend to know ; but he was willing to take it, that annexation was the cause of the war and would now de mand of his competitor why lie and his party friends of this State had annexed her i When John fTv! eCAlL ted down treatyand said tlie right tune had not ' arrived Lr it. consummation. TheibUowing winleVthev ramp nrwnrA n'nT " V11I- . J . .t . r . ,7 uuuiaieu uiai me rirrht time had then come; and Aln-Mi'Iton Rr and Senatoroster offered resolutions in eir respective. Houses forxthe consummation 0f mat great measure, .in the Houses of Rep resentatives, every whig from this State finally voted for them. ; Mr, Brown wrote to Governor Jones that his proposition, was an original whig prppo$Ui6i kad received only a reluctant support fcbm-i the democrats '. He wrote, also, thar what he had done was entirely consistent with the course and' the doctrines of the whig party in the presidential campaign oi the preceding summer, and that 1 exas was.then free as anv nation on thp - ..-.' - f ""TT globed WfeJL doesBot aliUhis show that annexation, though at. first rejected by the wnigs oi tnis fetate, was hnally adopted and sanctioned by them 1 I repeat (said Gov. B.) that it was generally adopted and sanctioned by tnem. wny, sir. did you do so f Whv. if von knew that War would come of it, did you do so ? You prophesied that if done in the wav and at the time it was proposed by Mr. Tyler, wnn tne sanction and aDDrooation ot tien- eral Jackson and the democratic party, that war would be the consequence. But you never did prophesy that it would produce war if done at the time and in the manner propo sed by Mr. Foster and Mr. Milton Brown. rou said expressly to the contrary. Now, it was finally done in your own way, and in your own time, and still you cry out that it has produced the war. Well, I repeat, then, why did you do it My competitor (said Gov, Brown) often says I prophesied falsely Avhen I lised to say tljat war would not come of it. Why, sir. you said the same thino-: for no member of yourx party : in Congress from this State ever said or belived that war would come of it, as finally adopted upon your own proposition. .It was only your prophecy that it would have 'come it annexation had taken place at that time 'and in the manner it was fiast. proposed. But it has come, says my competitor. Ay, it has come, but not of annexation, not ot the march ot the army, to the Rio Grande! no, it has come ofthe course pursued by you and your party Mexico had slumbered for nearly ten years over 'her title-rshe had heard 111 the great powers of Christendom declare that she had no title ; butwhen she heard from my competi tor and his party, in 1844,': that she did iiave a title to Texas that it would be downright robbery to take it away by annexation her hopeo revived, her cupidity was awakened, her thirst for power and dominion over a por tion ofthe. Anglo-Saxon race was increased; and thus this war. with all its debt and nor rors, might well be laid at the door of, my cuinpeiiKJj auiu. uis party iiieuus. x ucy guvc "aid and comfort to "Mexico in asserting her claim to Texas, whatever they may have done in the way of giving aid and comfort to her m maintaining it tn tns war. i ou, sir, saiu Gov. Brown.) by your speeches and argu ments, and your whole tribe of public speak ers in 1844. substantially told Mexico to as sert her title that it was a good one so good, that ia any war which might come from her asserang ii, neaven liseu wouia iukc amcs with her acainst vour own country. And now, sir, (said Gov. B.,) if war has come from Polk against a weak and innocent nation ; and annexation, it was your annexation ; and if I fear that all the blood you have shed will your prophesies that war would-come have some day cry, like Abel's, from the ground been fulfilled, you have wrought their fulfil against you." . Oh ! did he give him such a r ment by encouraging Mexico to "assert her greeting as this?. If he did, that son had ra claim. That assertion of her claim, is this ther have died on the bloodiest field of Mexico, very war which we are discussing than to have heard such a rebuke from the And now, said Gov. B., I have said all that lips of one whom he so much honored and my time will allow on the justice of the war loved. But no; he gave him no such saluta on its being a war of self-defence, against the tion. ',You kindled bonfires and illuminated invasion of Mexico. ' Let me now ask, when all your dwellings on their retur. Honor was the justice or the necessity of this war first arid kindness, and everything that gratitude questioned in Tennessee? Not when tissued could bestow was theirs. Wouldryou now my proclamation twelve months ago for volun- pluck one proud feather from the war plwme teers to engage in it No, not then ; for when of the soldier, by telling him that all his toils, I called for three thousand, lo l thirty thousand and labors, and sufferings, had been, not to ofthe brave and hardy sons of Tennessee rush- serve his country, but only to glorify the ad ed to our standard. Whigs and democrats ministration of a mere man) And what of equallyand alike rushed forward to the calk that brave and gallant soldier who has not But they came not alone ! ifathers and moth- arid will never return ? He fought hard and ers and kindred, and friends came with them nobly in the battle at last he; is stricken down to the place of rendezvous, to see their final by the enemy. There he lies his manly departure. When drawn up in line, just be- form stretched upon the earth, the glaze ot fore the orders were given to embark on board death is coming over his eye-balls, the last the boats, you might have seen the tall fine- looking young volunteer leaving the line arid wending his way to some group stationed on the beach. W7here is he going ? To shake hands with his father forthe last time,or to kneel j . .i j i ui 1 belore nis momer io receive ner last uiessiug. i What is it that sustains his noble heart at such a trying moment ? It is the proud thought that, although parting with liis nearest and best fxiends, he is going to fight for his country in a just cause, vv nat is n max manes nis mother willing to give up her child perhaps her onlyhild to all the hardships and all the perils of so distant and so hazardous a cam- paign It is because she is an American wo- man, and would surrender not only her child, but if necessary, would lay 'down her own life tor the services of her country, 'po. go, my son ; it is like death to part with you, but go and drive back vthe insolent invaders of bur soil, and, if necessary, carry the war to the en- emy's country.' The parting is over, and the young volunteer springs back into line, and on he goes, never once doubting that he is going, in the emphatic language of Mr. Clay, to avenge the wrongs of his country. So went forth our brave andi gallant volunteers, and so ien auu uiuuguiau ui men janarea ana inenas who were left behind. But one sentiment then pervaded all classes and all parties in Tennessee. When did you first hear any- thing to the contrary of all this ?, It was when Congress was about to assemble, Mr. . Web- ster came down from the north like a roaring lion, crying impeach the Preadent,1 for invol- ving our country in war.. The Whig mem bers from Tennessee responding too readily to Mr. Webster's sentiment,; cried out, This is James ICPolk's war and my competitor, re- spending too readily to them, boldly cries out, m this very canvass, This is James K. Polk's war, waged by him to glorify, his administra- tion"- fa an unnecessary war. brought about by an unconstitutional order ofthe President j - t . """q w W w . this sudden auestioninff of the jushce, the. ne- cessityjind propriety of this; war.is jhe wort of wnig' politicians hi vuugicu"1. . tiarty of ime couritrTgeneidm bid. i But the work of.tile'l!gitIciasof;', the lasf CgresThey saw thebld issues one by' one evaporating before them. -3'hQ bank was dead ; distribution was dead ; the protective tariff of 1 842 was dead ; and ;noth-J ing germed to be-left to'them but a new 'part ft. with issues and ncvs'elemektfi to compose it. I firmly -'and conscientiously believe that such, a scheme was formed at VTKashingtony and is now in the process ofconsumation in the Uni ted States. TFill Tennessee now unite in the- , formatiofft)f anysuch anti-war party ? fFill either vhigs or democrats sro-into-such an ar rangement You belong tojap suph pai ty ; now. You have escaped fromjueh-a vortex as yet trill my 'untijreh"ever'TntGi if by uniting with these who denounce this war as unjust and unnecessary or a war of aggres- sion on a weak, helpless, and innocent nation ? I appeal to the glory of the past- to the honor : ofthe present, and to all the proud hopes of tlie ' future, to prevent it. And why should you unite with those who declare this war to be James IC Polk's war? Did James K Polk declare it? No, he did not; ou know he did not. He advised it, and ' Congress declared it. So James Madison ad vised the war of 1812, and Congress declared it. Then it was called James Madison's war by the blue-light federalists of the north ; now it is called James K. Polk's war. Whv not call f Mr. E wind's war, Mr. Gentry's, Mr. , or Mr. Cocke's or Mr. Milton Brown's war? They all voted for it, and dc-" clared on "the face cf the bill that it was bro't abou ; by the act of Mexico. Now, my com petitor. will have it to be James K. Polk's war brought about, not by any wrongful act ot Mexiteo, but by the unconstitutional order of ¬ the iPresident. Not by any wrongful act of Mexjpo ! Gracious ' God ! look at this very invasion. It was to re-enslave' a brave and gallant people who had achieved1 their indr. '; pendence by years of blood and suffering.--"The had achieved it by the acknowledgement : of nearly all the civilized nations of the earth ; j they had achieved it by the solemn act of bur country admitting them into our glorious Union they had achieved it, and the flag of our country,- proudly waved over them for their safety and protection. To invade Such a people, for the purpose of r.eenslaving them, , was the greatest outrage recorded in the an nals of crime and of blood Not to have re sisted and prevented the foul deed,' would have disgraced and dishonored this pioud re public forever. You did Tesist; and the uni form success of your arms furnishes proof that justice and Heaven are on your side. You did resist ; and the noble men who proud ly bore your banners at Monterey, Vera Cruz, arid Cerro Gordo, are' now, at home in your midst. " How did you greet them; on their re turn t How did the old man, leaping on his staff, hobbling his way down to the river bank toteceive his son, how did he re-' ceive him ? Did he say to him, " Welcome back, my son ; but would to God you had you 'had never gone. ... ; I have lately learned from our members of Congress, from our whig candidate for gov ernor, and from the public papers, that you have been fighting in the war of James K. death-rattle is gurgling in his throat he is ' dying in a foreign land, far from home, and kindred, and friends. What is it that sup- ports him in this last struggle ? What is it but the hope of heaven and the consolation of ; : i n t " .i uying m a just cause t vu, j. wuuiu umuiuKe a speech in Congress, or anywhere else, that might rob him of that hope and consolation, or shake his confidence in the cause lor which ' he was dying, for all this world could give or taKc irom me. rso, no ; let mm uie witn me confidence of that gallant volunteer from Illi- nois. He was stretched on the earth, stricken down by the enemy's balls he . was nearly gone, but his hand yet clenched the trusty sword with which he had fought so long and so valiantly. One of his comrades came by him in the midst of the fight ; he reached him v his sword, and said : luTake it, rjiy friend; it can be of no more-service to me now take it, and tell our brave comrades, to fight.on, fight on, our cause is just." These were his last words ; and oh ! that they were written in letters of gold oh every glorious banner that' has been unfurled in this war ! Tennessee is even now making arrangements to erect a monument to the gallant dead who have fallen m battle m uus year, xoawm reui ju. he) the massy column, with its lofty summit towering to the skies. You will engrave the name of Allen and Elliott, and Martin, Ewell, and Kirkpatrick, and all the lest ; but with what honorable 'memorial of their gjoj101 deeds ? A very . distinguished member oi Congress from Tennessee comes foriR,Jlr . his inscription :Died Jbers of conquest and plunder. ? J"' - thin K from this State propose about the me. And last of ah comes "y "JW Monterey, inscription. What l84r mBn ttn- - (or Buena Vista,) m the year p necessary "71 his adimnistration.,J wagedby hun to .. w nnment with-' ' i t "j ,fT. Kniwui t Oh! 7 . - noiroT stnnd.-' Thfi r.
North Carolina Republican (Goldsboro, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
July 28, 1847, edition 1
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