Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from Speech of Mr. Calhoun, of South Carolina, on the Bill Making Further Appropriation to Bring the Existing War With Mexico to a Speedy and Honorable Conclusion, Called the Three Million Bill: Delivered in the Senate of the United States, February 9, 1847
The first and leading consition that ought to govern should be to select a line that would fully accomplish the objects to be effected in making the war avoiding the appearance, however, of taking any portion of the coun try on the mere principle of a war of conquest. But what may be required in reference to this consideration may be enlarged by the other considera tions he would now proceed to state.
The first and most important of them is, that in selecting a defensive line, it should be such as to possess, in the greatest degree, such natural ad vantages as would require the stnallest sacrifice of men and money to defend it; and among others, such as would afford every facility for drawing prompt ly supplies of men and provisions from the adjoining country. The next cousi deration in making the selection is, that the country covered by it should be convenient and desirable for us to possess, if in the ultimate adjustment of the difference between us and Mexico, it should become the established boundary of the two countries. I go further, and add, that it should be such as would deprive Mexico in the smallest possible degree of her resources and her strength for, in aiming to do justice to ourselves in establishing the line, we ought, in my opinion, to in?ict the least possible amount of injury on Mexico. I hold, indeed, that we ought to be just and liberal to her. Not only because she is our neighbor; not only because she is a sister repub lic not only because she is emulous now, in the midst of all her difficulties, and has ever been, to imitate our example by establishing a federal repub lic; not only because she is one of the two greatest powers on this conti nent of all the States that have grown out of the provinces formerly belong ing to Spain and Portugal; though these are high considerations, which every American ought to feel, and which every generous and sympathetic heart would feel, yet there are others which refer more immediately to ourselves. The course of policy which we ought to pursue in regard to Mexico is one of the greatest problems in our foreign relations. Our true policy, in my opinion, is not to weaken or humble her on the contrary, it is our interest to sees her strong, and respectable, and capable of sustaining all the relations that ought to exist between independent nations. I hold that there is a mysterious connection between the fate cf this country and that of Mexico, so much so, that her independence and - capability of sustaining herself are almost as essential to our prosperity, and the maintenance of our institutions as they are to hers. Mexico is to us the forbidden fruit; the penalty of eating it would be to subject our institutions to political death.
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