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ful territory, then they must take it subject to this slavery restriction. This I considered the most direct and efficient way of arresting their policy, and deterring them from the further prosecution of their scheme of territorial and sectional aggrandizement. These were briefly the considerations of expediency which influenced and secured my vote in favor of the amendment to the bill containing the proviso; but, at the same time, I must be permitted to say, that I am not in favor of the introduction of slavery into any part of Mexico from which it has been excluded by the common consent of all her citizens; and I trust that we shall never be called upon to contemplate the anomalous spectacle of a free people involved in arms, and battling with a heroism and a courage worthy of the best of causes, for the sole purpose of extending the area of slavery; and may we never be called on to witness our own government exhibiting all its power and all its strength to force the institution on a reluctant people in any quarter of the globe. This is the sentiment which, as a slaveholder, and the representative of a state in which this institution of domestic slavery is recognized by law, I entertain upon this great and vital subject. It is a very dif ferent, and, as I conceive, a far more momentous question than the abolition of slavery in the States. As the institution now exists in the States, the general government has no power over it. It is entirely subject to their own laws and to the control of their respective Legislatures, and can not and should not be abolished, except by the consent of the people thereof. No man is more disposed than I am to abide implicitly by the compromises of the Constitution on this delicate and important subject, or would go further to defend the rights of the States in regard to it; but, at the same time, I hold, and am free to declare, that if the authors of this scheme of territorial plunder will persist in their violation of the spirit and compromises of that Constitution by seeking to strengthen and fortify their sectional interests and sectional objects in the acquisition of foreign territory on our southern and southwestern border, then they must take it, so far as I am concerned, subject to this restriction as to slavery."

It is known to the country that, on the 3d day of January last, a resolution, in the form of an amendment to an original joint resolution, passed the House of Representatives, declaring

the war with Mexico to have been "unnecessarily and unconstitutionally begun by the President of the United States." The record of that transaction is thus given in the "Congressional Globe :"

"Mr. Houston, of Delaware-previous notice having been given-introduced the following joint resolution of thanks to Major-general Taylor:

"Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the thanks of Congress are due, and they are hereby tendered, to Major-general Zachary Taylor, and, through him, to the officers and soldiers of the regular army and of the volunteers under his command, for their indomitable valor, skill, and good conduct, conspicuously displayed on the 22d and 23d days of February last, in the battle of Buena Vista, in defeating a numerous Mexican army, consisting of four times their number, and composed of chosen troops, under their favorite commander, General Santa Anna, and thereby obtaining a victory over the enemy, which, for its signal and brilliant character, is unsurpassed in the military annals of the world.

"Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to cause to be struck a gold medal, with devices emblematical of this splendid achievement, and presented to Major-general Taylor, as a testimony of the high sense entertained by Congress of his judicious and distinguished conduct on that memorable occasion.

"Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to cause the foregoing resolutions to be communicated to Major-general Taylor in such manner as he may deem best calculated to effect the objects thereof.'

"Mr. Evans, of Maryland, desired to offer an amendment, which he sent up to the clerk's table, and moved the previous question on the adoption of the amendment and resolutions.

"The speaker stated that the resolutions were not now open to amendment.

"Mr. Cummins inquired if they could now be considered as a matter of course, if objections were made.

"The speaker replied, that the resolutions having been received, they would now be read a first time by their title. After the first reading, if objections were made, they would lie over for a second reading until to-morrow.

"The resolutions having been read a first, and, no objection being made, a second time,

"Mr. Jamieson moved their commitment to the Committee on Military Affairs.

"Mr. Evans now proposed to offer his amendment, and renewed his demand for the previous question thereon.

"The speaker replied that, their commitment being called for, that question was first in order.

"The question then being on committing to the Committee on Military Affairs,

"Mr. Gayle demanded the yeas and nays.

"Mr. Jamieson withdrew the motion to commit.

"Mr. Schenck renewed it.

"Mr. Houston, of Delaware, said he apprehended there would

be no objection to the adoption of the resolution.

No gentleman in this House would vote against a resolution of thanks to General Taylor and the officers of his command.

"The speaker reminded the gentleman from Delaware that debate was not in order.

"Mr. Evans again intimated his desire to offer the following amendment:

"Resolved, That the capitulation of Monterey meets with the entire sanction and approbation of this Congress, and that the terms of that capitulation were as creditable to the humanity and skill of the gallant Taylor as the achievement of the victory of Monterey was glorious to our arms.'

"Some conversation ensued between the speaker, Mr. Evans, Mr. Schenck, and others.

"Mr. Houston, of Delaware, to obviate all difficulties, moved the previous question on the original resolution.

"The previous question was not seconded.

"The speaker again announced the question to be on the motion to refer to the Committee on Military Affairs.

"Mr. Henley moved to amend, by adding instructions to the committee to add the words 'engaged as they were in defending the rights and honor of the nation.' On this he asked for the yeas and nays.

"Mr. Ashmun moved to amend the amendment by adding the words in a war unnecessarily and unconstitutionally begun by the President of the United States.'

"Mr. M'Lane said, before he recorded his vote, he desired— "The speaker interposed, and informed the gentleman from Maryland that debate was not in order; if the resolution became the subject of debate, it would go over until to-morrow. "Mr. M'Lane said he had an amendment to offer.

"The speaker said no amendment was in order at present. "After some further conversation, the yeas and nays were ordered on Mr. Ashmun's amendment to the amendment, and, being taken, they resulted as follows:

"Yeas: Messrs. John Quincy Adams, Ashmun, Barringer, Barrow, Belcher, Botts, Brady, Buckner, Canby, Clingman, Cocke, Collamer, Conger, Cranston, Crowell, Crozier, Dickey, Dixon, Donnell, Duer, Daniel Duncan, Garnett Duncan, Dunn, Eckert, Edwards, Alexander Evans, Nathan Evans, Fisher, Fulton, Gayle, Gentry, Giddings, Goggin, Grinnell, Hale, Nathan K. Hall, J. G. Hampton, Haskell, Henry, John W. Houston, Hubbard, Hudson, Irvin, Kellogg, Thomas Butler King, Daniel P. King, Lincoln, M'Ilvaine, Marsh, Marvin, Mullin, Nes, Newall, Preston, Putnam, Reynolds, Julius Rockwell, John A. Rockwell, Root, Rumsey, St. John, Schenck, Shepperd, Sherrill, Slingerland, Caleb B. Smith, Truman Smith, Stephens, Andrew Stewart, Strohm, Sylvester, Thibodeaux, Taylor, Tompkins, Richard W. Thompson, John B. Thompson, Toombs, Tuck, Van Dyke, Vinton, Warren, and Wilson-82.

"Nays: Messrs. Beale, Bedinger, Birdsall, Black, Bowdon, Brodhead, William G. Brown, Charles Brown, Cathcart, Chase, Beverly L. Clark, Howell Cobb, Williamson R. W. Cobb, Cummins, Daniel, Dickinson, Faran, Featherston, Ficklin, Fries, French, Green, Willard P. Hall, Moses Hampton, Harmanson, Harris, Henley, Hill, George S. Houston, Inge, Charles J. Ingersoll, Jamieson, Jenkins, Andrew Johnson, Robert W. Johnson, George W. Jones, Kaufman, Kennon, Lahm, La Sere, Sidney Lawrence, Leffler, Ligon, Lord, Lumpkin, M'Clelland, M'Clernand, M'Dowell, M'Lane, Mann, Meade, Miller, Morris, Morse, Murphy, Peaslee, Peck, Phelps, Pilsbury, Rhett, Richardson, Richey, Robinson, Rockhill, Sawyer, Sims, Smart, Robert Smith, Stanton, Starkweather, Charles E. Stuart, Strong, Thomas, James Thompson, Jacob Thompson, William Thompson, Thurston, Turner, Venable, Wick, and Williams-81. "So the amendment of Mr. Ashmun was agreed to.

"Mr. Houston, of Delaware, inquired if it would be in order to move to lay the amendment, as amended, on the table.

"The speaker replied in the negative.

"Mr. Cobb asked for the reading of the amendment as amended.

"Mr. Hale asked for the reading of the resolution as well as the instructions, as amended.

"The instructions, as amended, having first been read, Mr. Cobb rose and said: The amendment offered by the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Henley], as amended by the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Ashmun], presents such a remarkable issue, that I must propose to discuss it.'

"The subject, accordingly, lies over until to-morrow, under the rule."

The term "to-morrow" is here used in parliamentary application, and may mean an indefinite duration of time. The House had dealt with the subject no further when we closed this memoir.

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