the writings-2- 第6部分

the　army　into　the　midst　of　a　settlement　of　Mexican　people　who　had

never　submitted；　by　consent　or　by　force；　to　the　authority　of

Texas　or　of　the　United　States；　and　that　there　and　thereby　the

first　blood　of　the　war　was　shed；　there　is　not　one　word　in　all　the

which　would　either　admit　or　deny　the　declaration。　　This　strange

omission　it　does　seem　to　me　could　not　have　occurred　but　by

design。　　My　way　of　living　leads　me　to　be　about　the　courts　of

justice；　and　there　I　have　sometimes　seen　a　good　lawyer；

struggling　for　his　client's　neck　in　a　desperate　case；　employing

every　artifice　to　work　round；　befog；　and　cover　up　with　many　words

some　point　arising　in　the　case　which　he　dared　not　admit　and　yet

could　not　deny。　　Party　bias　may　help　to　make　it　appear　so；　but

with　all　the　allowance　I　can　make　for　such　bias；　it　still　does

appear　to　me　that　just　such；　and　from　just　such　necessity；　is　the

President's　struggle　in　this　case。



Sometime　after　my　colleague　＇Mr。　Richardson＇　introduced　the

resolutions　I　have　mentioned；　I　introduced　a　preamble；

resolution；　and　interrogations；　intended　to　draw　the　President

out；　if　possible；　on　this　hitherto　untrodden　ground。　　To　show

their　relevancy；　I　propose　to　state　my　understanding　of　the　true

rule　for　ascertaining　the　boundary　between　Texas　and　Mexico。　　It

is　that　wherever　Texas　was　exercising　jurisdiction　was　hers；　and

wherever　Mexico　was　exercising　jurisdiction　was　hers；　and　that

whatever　separated　the　actual　exercise　of　jurisdiction　of　the　one

from　that　of　the　other　was　the　true　boundary　between　them。　　If；

as　is　probably　true；　Texas　was　exercising　jurisdiction　along　the

western　bank　of　the　Nueces；　and　Mexico　was　exercising　it　along

the　eastern　bank　of　the　Rio　Grande；　then　neither　river　was　the

boundary：　but　the　uninhabited　country　between　the　two　was。　　The

extent　of　our　territory　in　that　region　depended　not　on　any

treaty…fixed　boundary　（for　no　treaty　had　attempted　it）；　but　on

revolution。　　Any　people　anywhere　being　inclined　and　having　the

power　have　the　right　to　rise　up　and　shake　off　the　existing

government；　and　form　a　new　one　that　suits　them　better。　　This　is　a

most　valuable；　a　most　sacred　righta　right　which　we　hope　and

believe　is　to　liberate　the　world。　　Nor　is　this　right　confined　to

cases　in　which　the　whole　people　of　an　existing　government　may

choose　to　exercise　it。　　Any　portion　of　such　people　that　can　may

revolutionize　and　make　their　own　of　so　much　of　the　territory　as

they　inhabit。　　More　than　this；　a　majority　of　any　portion　of　such

people　may　revolutionize；　putting　down　a　minority；　intermingled

with　or　near　about　them；　who　may　oppose　this　movement。　　Such

minority　was　precisely　the　case　of　the　Tories　of　our　own

revolution。　　It　is　a　quality　of　revolutions　not　to　go　by　old

lines　or　old　laws；　but　to　break　up　both；　and　make　new　ones。



As　to　the　country　now　in　question；　we　bought　it　of　France　in

1803；　and　sold　it　to　Spain　in　1819；　according　to　the　President's

statements。　　After　this；　all　Mexico；　including　Texas；

revolutionized　against　Spain；　and　still　later　Texas

revolutionized　against　Mexico。　　In　my　view；　just　so　far　as　she

carried　her　resolution　by　obtaining　the　actual；　willing　or

unwilling；　submission　of　the　people；　so　far　the　country　was　hers；

and　no　farther。　　Now；　sir；　for　the　purpose　of　obtaining　the　very

best　evidence　as　to　whether　Texas　had　actually　carried　her

revolution　to　the　place　where　the　hostilities　of　the　present　war

commenced；　let　the　President　answer　the　interrogatories　I

proposed；　as　before　mentioned；　or　some　other　similar　ones。　Let

him　answer　fully；　fairly；　and　candidly。　Let　him　answer　with　facts

and　not　with　arguments。　　Let　him　remember　he　sits　where

Washington　sat；　and　so　remembering；　let　him　answer　as　Washington

would　answer。　　As　a　nation　should　not；　and　the　Almighty　will　not；

be　evaded；　so　let　him　attempt　no　evasionno　equivocation。　　And

if；　so　answering；　he　can　show　that　the　soil　was　ours　where　the

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　messag