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first　blood　of　the　war　was　shed；that　it　was　not　within　an

inhabited　country；　or；　if　within　such；　that　the　inhabitants　had

submitted　themselves　to　the　civil　authority　of　Texas　or　of　the

United　States；　and　that　the　same　is　true　of　the　site　of　Fort

Brown；　then　I　am　with　him　for　his　justification。　　In　that　case　I

shall　be　most　happy　to　reverse　the　vote　I　gave　the　other　day。　　I

have　a　selfish　motive　for　desiring　that　the　President　may　do　this

I　expect　to　gain　some　votes；　in　connection　with　the　war；　which；

without　his　so　doing；　will　be　of　doubtful　propriety　in　my　own

judgment；　but　which　will　be　free　from　the　doubt　if　he　does　so。

But　if　he　can　not　or　will　not　do　this；if　on　any　pretence　or　no

pretence　he　shall　refuse　or　omit　it　then　I　shall　be　fully

convinced　of　what　I　more　than　suspect　already　that　he　is　deeply

conscious　of　being　in　the　wrong；　that　he　feels　the　blood　of　this

war；　like　the　blood　of　Abel；　is　crying　to　heaven　against　him；

that　originally　having　some　strong　motivewhat；　I　will　not　stop

now　to　give　my　opinion　concerning　to　involve　the　two　countries　in

a　war；　and　trusting　to　escape　scrutiny　by　fixing　the　public　gaze

upon　the　exceeding　brightness　of　military　glory；that　attractive

rainbow　that　rises　in　showers　of　blood；　that　serpent's　eye　that

charms　to　destroy；he　plunged　into　it；　and　was　swept　on　and　on

till；　disappointed　in　his　calculation　of　the　ease　with　which

Mexico　might　be　subdued；　he　now　finds　himself　he　knows　not　where。

How　like　the　half　insane　mumbling　of　a　fever　dream　is　the　whole

war　part　of　his　late　message！　　At　one　time　telling　us　that　Mexico

has　nothing　whatever　that　we　can　getbut　territory；　at　another

showing　us　how　we　can　support　the　war　by　levying　contributions　on

Mexico。　　At　one　time　urging　the　national　honor；　the　security　of

the　future；　the　prevention　of　foreign　interference；　and　even　the

good　of　Mexico　herself　as　among　the　objects　of　the　war；　at

another　telling　us　that　〃to　reject　indemnity；　by　refusing　to

accept　a　cession　of　territory；　would　be　to　abandon　all　our　just

demands；　and　to　wage　the　war；　bearing　all　its　expenses；　without　a

purpose　or　definite　object。〃　　So　then　this　national　honor；

security　of　the　future；　and　everything　but　territorial　indemnity

may　be　considered　the　no…purposes　and　indefinite　objects　of　the

war！　　But；　having　it　now　settled　that　territorial　indemnity　is

the　only　object；　we　are　urged　to　seize；　by　legislation　here；　all

that　he　was　content　to　take　a　few　months　ago；　and　the　whole

province　of　Lower　California　to　boot；　and　to　still　carry　on　the

war　to　take　all　we　are　fighting　for；　and　still　fight　on。　　Again；

the　President　is　resolved　under　all　circumstances　to　have　full

territorial　indemnity　for　the　expenses　of　the　war；　but　he　forgets

to　tell　us　how　we　are　to　get　the　excess　after　those　expenses

shall　have　surpassed　the　value　of　the　whole　of　the　Mexican

territory。　　So　again；　he　insists　that　the　separate　national

existence　of　Mexico　shall　be　maintained；　but　he　does　not　tell　us

how　this　can　be　done；　after　we　shall　have　taken　all　her

territory。　　Lest　the　questions　I　have　suggested　be　considered

speculative　merely；　let　me　be　indulged　a　moment　in　trying　to　show

they　are　not。　　The　war　has　gone　on　some　twenty　months；　for　the

expenses　of　which；　together　with　an　inconsiderable　old　score；　the

President　now　claims　about　one　half　of　the　Mexican　territory；　and

that　by　far　the　better　half；　so　far　as　concerns　our　ability　to

make　anything　out　of　it。　　It　is　comparatively　uninhabited；　so

that　we　could　establish　land…offices　in　it；　and　raise　some　money

in　that　way。　　But　the　other　half　is　already　inhabited；　as　I

understand　it；　tolerably　densely　for　the　nature　of　the　country；

and　all　its　lands；　or　all　that　are　valuable；　already　appropriated

as　private　property。　　How　then　are　we　to　make　anything　out　of

these　lands　with　this　encumbrance　on　them？　or　how　remove　the

encumbrance？　　I　suppose　no　one　would　say　we　should　kill　the

people；　or　drive　them　out；　or　make　slaves　of　them；　or　confiscate

their　property。　　How；　then；　can　we　make　much　out　of　this　part　of

the　territory？　　If　the　prosecution　of　the　war　has　in　expenses

already　equalled　the　better　half　of　the　country；　how　long　its

future　prosecution　will　be　in　equalling　the　less　valuable　half　is

not　a　speculative；　but　a　practical；　question；　pressing　closely

upon　us。　　And　yet　it　is　a　question　which　the　President　seems

never　to　have　thought　of。　　As　to　the　mode　of　terminating　the　war

and　securing　peace；　the　President　is　equally　wandering　and

indefinite。　　First；　it　is　to　be　done　by　a　more　vigorous

prosecution　of　the　war　in　the　vital　parts　of　the　enemy's　country；

and　after　apparently　talking　himself　tired　on　this　point；　the

President　drops　down　into　a　half…despairing　tone；　and　tells　us

that　〃with　a　people　distracted　and　divided　by　contending

factions；　and　a　government　subject　to　constant　changes　by

successive　revolutions；　the　continued　success　of　our　arms　may

fail　to　secure　a　satisfactory　peace。〃　　Then　he　suggests　the

propriety　of　wheedling　the　Mexican　people　to　desert　the　counsels

of　their　own　leaders；　and；　trusting　in　our　protestations；　to　set

up　a　government　from　which　we　can　secure　a　satisfactory　peace；

telling　us　that　〃this　may　become　；　the　only　mode　of　obtaining

such　a　peace。〃　　But　soon　he　falls　into　doubt　of　this　too；　and

then　drops　back　on　to　the　already　half…abandoned　ground　of　〃more

vigorous　prosecution。〃　　All　this　shows　that　the　President　is　in

nowise　satisfied　with　his　own　positions。　　First　he　takes　up　one；

and　in　attempting　to　argue　us　into　it　he　argues　himself　out　of

it；　then　seizes　another　and　goes　through　the　same　process；　and

then；　confused　at　being　able　to　think　of　nothing　new；　he　snatches

up　the　old　one　again；　which　he　has　some　time　before　cast　off。

His　mind；　taxed　beyond　its　power；　is　running　hither　and　thither；

like　some　tortured　creature　on　a　burning　surface；　finding　no

position　on　which　it　can　settle　down　and　be　at　ease。



Again；　it　is　a　singular　omission　in　this　message　that　it　nowhere

intimates　when　the　President　expects　the　war　to　terminate。　　At

its　beginning；　General　Scott　was　by　this　same　President　driven

into　disfavor　if　not　disgrace；　for　intimating　that　peace　could

not　be　conquered　in　less　than　three　or　four　months。　　But　now；　at

the　end　of　about　twenty　months；　during　which　time　our　arms　have

given　us　the　most　splendid　successes；　every　department　and　every

part；　land　and　water；　officers　and　privates；　regulars　and

volunteers；　doing　all　that　men　could　do；　and　hundreds　of　things

which　it　had　ever　before　been　thought　men　could　not　doafter　all

this；　this　same　President　gives　a　long　message；　without　showing

us　that　as　to　the　end　he　himself　has　even　an　imaginary

conception。　　As　I　have　before　said；　he　knows　not　where　he　is。　　He

is　a　bewildered；　confounded；　and　miserably　perplexed　man。　　God

grant　he　may　be　able　to　show　there　is　not　something　about　his

conscience　more　painful　than　his　mental　perplexity。



The　following　is　a　copy　of　the　so…called　〃treaty〃　referred　to　in

the　speech：



　　　　　〃Articles　of　Agreement　entered　into　between　his　Excellency

David　G。　Burnet；　President　of　the　Republic　of　Texas；　of　the　one

part；　and　his　Excellency　General　Santa　Anna；　President…General…

in…Chief　of　the　Mexican　army；　of　the　other　part：

　　　　　〃Article　I。　General　Antonio　Lopez　de　Santa　Anna　agrees　that

he　will　not　take　up　arms；　nor　will　he　exercise　his　influence　to

cause　them　to　be　taken　up；　against　the　people　of　Texas　during　the

present　war　of　independence。

　　　　　〃Article　II。　All　hostilities　between　the　Mexican　and　Texan

troops　will　cease　immediately；　both　by　land　and　water。

　　　　　〃Article　III。　The　Mexican　troops　will　evacuate　the　territory

of　Texas；　passing　to　the　other　side　of　the　Rio　Grande　Del　Norte。

　　　　　〃Article　IV。　The　Mexican　army；　in　its　retreat；　shall　not

take　the　property　of　any　person　without　his　consent　and　just

indemnification；　using　only　such　articles　as　may　be　necessary　for

its　subsistence；　in　cases　when　the　owner　may　not　be　present；　and

remitting　to　the　commander　of　the　army　of　Texas；　or　to　the

commissioners　to　be　appointed　for　the　adjustment　of　such　matters；

an　account　of　the　value　of　the　property　consumed；　the　place　where

taken；　and　the　name　of　the　owner；　if　it　can　be　ascertained。

　　　　　〃Article　V。　That　all　private　property；　including　cattle；

horses；　negro　slaves；　or　indentured　persons；　of　whatever

denomination；　that　may　have　been　captured　by　any　portion　of　the

Mexican　army；　or　may　have　taken　refuge　in　the　said　army；　since

the　commencement　of　the　late　invasion；　shall　be　restored　to　the

commander　of　the　Texan　army；　or　to　such　other　persons　as　may　be

appointed　by　the　Government　of　Texas　to　receive　them。

　　　　　〃Article　VI。　The　troops　of　both　armies　will　refrain　from

coming　in　contact　with　each　other；　and　to　this　end　the　commander

of　the　army　of　Texas　will　be　careful　not　to　approach　within　a

shorter　distance　than　five　leagues。

　　　　　〃Article　VII。