signified to him that hostilities had commenced; that a party which General Taylor had sent out two days before had all been cut off; that he had called on the governors of Texas and Louisiana for volunteers—a large auxiliary force of five thou sand men; and asking to have a law passed authorizing the President to raise volunteers. Not Congress alone, but the whole country, knew General Taylor's army to be in a position of extreme peril. His dispatch closed with these words, which, from so great and brave a man, meant a great deal: "If a law could be passed authorizing the President to raise volunteers for twelve months, it would be of the greatest importance for a service so remote from support as this."

The bill, as originally reported from the Committee on Military Affairs, contained no preamble. The proposition, in the form of a preamble, which was subsequently appended to the bill, was prepared in the Committee on Military Affairs by Mr. Haralson; but that committee did not report it to the House.

The first motion submitted in the House, which embodied the principle subsequently incorporated in the bill, was made by Mr. Brinckerhoff, of Ohio, in the following words:

"Whereas, by the act of the Republic of Mexico, a state of war exists between the United States and that republic:

"Be it therefore enacted by the Senate and House of Rep resentatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby authorized, in order to prosecute the same to a successful termination, and to resist any attempt which may be made on the part of any foreign nation to exclusive jurisdiction over any part of the territory of the United States, or any territory in dispute between the United States and any foreign govern ment, and to sustain the rights of the United States to, and to repel invasion upon said territory, and for these purposes to employ the naval and military forces of the United States, and such portions of the militia as he may deem advisable to call into service."

Mr. Brockenbrough, of Florida, followed up this motion by a notice of an amendment, which reads thus:

66

Whereas war has been declared and made upon the United States by the Republic of Mexico:

"Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives

of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That all the respective countries, governments, citizens, and people of the United States and Mexico are in a state of war, and their respective rights and duties with regard to each other, and all neutral nations, are to be regulated accordingly.

"Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, That the President of the United States is authorized and requested to retaliate the Mexican invasion, and to take possession and hold as much of the Mexican territory as may be in his power, until peace be concluded; and that he have authority to accept the services of any number of volunteers not exceeding fifty thousand," &c. Mr. Jacob Thompson, of Mississippi, gave notice of the following amendment:

"Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That war be, and the same is hereby declared to exist between the Republic of Mexico and the United States of America and their territories, and that the President of the United States is hereby authorized to use the whole land and naval force of the United States to carry the same into effect."

Mr. Boyd, of Kentucky, moved to strike out the first section of the bill, and insert the following:

"Whereas, by the act of the Republic of Mexico, a state of war exists between that government and the United States:

"Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That, for the purpose of enabling the government of the United States to prosecute said war to a speedy and successful termination, the President be, and he is hereby authorized to employ the militia, naval and military forces of the United States, and to call for and accept the services of any number of volunteers not exceeding fifty thousand, who may offer their services either as cavalry, artillery, infantry, or riflemen, to serve twelve months after they shall have arrived at the place of rendezvous, or to the end of the war, unless sooner discharged; and that the sum of ten millions of dollars out of any moneys in the treasury, or to come into the treasury, not otherwise appropriated, be, and the same is hereby appropriated for the purpose of carrying the provisions of this act into effect."

Mr. Schenck, of Ohio, sent up to the clerk's table, where it

was read in part, the following amendment, which he gave notice of his intention to offer at the proper time:

"Whereas it has been communicated to Congress by the President of the United States that this government is now engaged in a war with Mexico, and a call has been made on Congress for means to prosecute hostilities on the part of the United States; and

"Whereas Congress is informed that in a war thus commenced, losses have occurred to the army of the United States employed by the President on the bank of the River del Norte, and that such army, if not already lost, is in an exposed and perilous situation, and requires immediate and speedy relief and re-enforcement; therefore,

"Be it enacted, That while Congress will not sanction or approve the forcible occupation, under the orders of the Presi dent of the United States, of territory between the Rivers Nueces and Del Norte, by the armed forces of the United States, nor of any hostilities which have been carried on by order of the President against the government or people of Mexico, yet, to enable the President of the United States to relieve and extricate the army of the United States from the position in which it has been involved, and to prevent any invasion or encroachments upon the territory of this Union, and to protect and defend, to the fullest extent, the citizens and people of the United States, as far as the same may be in any way affected or endangered by hostilities with Mexico, the President is hereby authorized, in addition to all the present military and naval forces of the United States, to call for and accept the services of any number of volunteers not exceeding fifty thousand, who may offer their services, either as cavalry, artillery, infantry, or riflemen, to serve six months, or twelve months, or two years, as the President, in his discretion, may think best, who shall be mustered into service, and armed and equipped at the expense of the United States. Provided only, that said volunteers shall furnish their own clothes, and, if cavalry, their own horses.

"Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That, for the same purposes, the President is authorized to call into the service of the United States, and to employ such portions of the militia as he may think necessary."

[Sections three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, and

eleven of the bill (one or two of them slightly modified) follow.

Mr. Roberts, of Mississippi, moved to amend the first section of the bill by adding thereto the following:

"Whereas a state of war exists between the Republic of Mexico and the allies thereof, and the United States of America and their territories:

"Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States is hereby authorized to use the whole land and naval force of the United States to carry the same into effect, and to issue to private armed vessels of the United States commissions, or letters of marque and general reprisal, in such form as he shall think proper, and under the seal of the United States, against the vessels, goods, and effects of the government of said Republic of Mexico, and the people and allies thereof."

Mr. Tibbatts, of Kentucky, moved an amendment, adding the words, "and to cause the said territory to be invaded."

Mr. Douglas, of Illinois, moved to strike out certain portions of the first section, so as to make it read as follows:

"That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby authorized to employ the naval and military forces of the United States, and such portions of the militia as he may deem advisable to call into service, for the vigorous prosecution of the war now existing between this country and Mexico."

Mr. Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, moved to amend the sentence in the fourth line by adding, "for the vigorous prosecution of hostilities now existing between this country and Mexico."

Mr. Thurman, of Ohio, moved to amend the amendment by striking out the word "hostilities," and inserting "war."

Mr. Elias B. Holmes, of New York, offered the following amendment:

"Provided, That the provisions of this (the first) section do not, nor shall they be deemed to apply to that portion of the country west and south of the River Nueces, except so far as to withdraw, and, if need be, to rescue our army from the region of the Rio Grande."

Mr. Chipman, of Michigan, offered the following substitute amendment:

"Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That whereas the existing government of Mexico has, by an open and avowed act of hostility, violated American soil, and wantonly and unprovokedly shed the blood of American citizens, therefore war is hereby expressly declared by this government against Mexico; and the President of the United States be, and hereby is authorized to employ the naval and military forces of the United States, and such portions of the militia as he may deem advisable to call into service, for the efficient prosecution of such war."

Mr. E. H. Ewing, of Tennessee, offered the following amendment:

"Strike out all after the word 'that,' in the second line of the first section, down to the word to,' in the ninth line, and insert, in lieu thereof, the following:

"In consideration of the relations existing between this gov. ernment and the government of Mexico, and in consideration of the recent collision that has taken place between the armies of Mexico and the United States on the Rio Bravo del Norte, the President of the United States be, and he is hereby authorized," &c.

Mr. Brockenbrough, of Florida, now accepted as his own, and offered the proposition of Mr. Jacob Thompson.

Mr. Delano, of Ohio, offered the following amendment to the eleventh section:

"Provided, That nothing herein contained shall be considered as approving the conduct of the President in taking armed occupation of any territory lying between the River Nueces and the Rio del Norte, and claimed by Mexico as never having constituted part of the province of Texas during the time that Texas constituted part of the Mexican Republic."

None of these amendments were agreed to, except that of Mr. Boyd, which was offered as a substitute for the first section. Some other amendments, not of an essential character, were also agreed to, and the bill, with the amendments, was then reported to the House. The previous question was ordered, and the amendments, with two exceptions, were concurred in without a division.

One of these exceptions was the preambular amendment of