Speech Of Mr G P Marsh Of Verm

Author : G. P. Marsh
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781331164432
Total Pages : 22 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (644 download)

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Download or read book Speech of Mr. G. P. Marsh, of Vermont, on the Mexican War written by G. P. Marsh and published by . This book was released on 2015-07-11 with total page 22 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from Speech of Mr. G. P. Marsh, of Vermont, on the Mexican War: Delivered in the House of Representatives of the U. S., February 10, 1848 The House being in Committee of the Whole on the State of the Union, and having under consideration the bill authorizing a loan not exceeding $18,500,000, Mr. Marsh, of Vermont, said - Mr. Chairman: I propose to avail myself of this occasion, to do what I have not yet done in this place - to express, namely, in the fewest possible words, my own opinion, and, as I suppose, that of a large majority of my constituents, respecting the causes, character, objects, and tendencies of the war in which we are engaged, and to assign the reasons which will compel me to vote against all measures designed for the prosecution of hostilities professedly commenced for defence, but which have been, and are, waged for purposes of aggression, invasion, and conquest. It is said that it is too late to investigate the causes of the war, and that the only remaining question proper for the consideration of Congress is, what measures will tend to bring it to the most speedy termination, and enable us to conclude a peace upon terms most advantageous to ourselves. This would, indeed, be so, if it were true that a state of war, however commenced, absolved us from all duties towards those of our fellow men who have become our enemies. But there are those, and I profess myself of the number, who can discern no sound distinction between the principles of public and private morality, and who believe that war, like private violence, can lawfully be resorted to only as a necessary means of securing already existing rights, not of creating new and independent claims. It becomes, therefore, material to ascertain the origin, causes, and purposes of every war, before it is possible to determine when its lawful ends have been accomplished, and what measure of reparation the victorious party is entitled to exact. In inquiring into the origin of the present war, it is essential to distinguish between its primary causes and its proximate occasions. That its first cause was the annexation of Texas, no man disputes; and there is as little doubt that its immediate occasion was the occupation of the left bank of the Rio Grande by the army of the United States, in obedience to the order of the President. The war is the natural and legitimate consequence of annexation; but, though a natural and legitimate, it does not follow that it was a necessary, result of that measure, and therefore this Administration may be chargeable with its guilt, although the original offence was committed before the present Executive came into power. If the Administration knowingly omitted any proper means to avert, or voluntarily adopted any measure calculated to precipitate, so dire a calamity, if it refuses to accept the terms which are believed to be now offered by prostrate and suppliant Mexico, it is responsible, before God and man, for all the consequences of its acts or its neglects. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.