Page:Speeches, correspondence and political papers of Carl Schurz, Volume 2.djvu/217

Rh Precisely; that is it.

Precisely; and yet John Tyler, who is the only great authority of the Senator from Indiana, does not arrogate to himself the right as President of the United States, without consulting Congress, without having any authority from the National Legislature, to issue an order to commit belligerent acts.

The last clause contradicts your argument.

I beg the Senator's pardon. The facts in the case contradict his.

Will the Senator allow me to ask him a question?

Certainly; I will at last yield to the Senator from Nevada.

I should like to ask the Senator how that war actually begun; whether, after this warning, Mexico did not enter over the line, and war commenced, and Congress never did declare war, according to my recollection?

Congress declared that war existed by the act of Mexico.

The President sent a message to Congress after the disobedience of this warning that war was actually existing, and Congress passed a resolution, “Whereas war exists by the act of Mexico,” etc.

If the Senator from Nevada is through I will give him my attention. This happened two years afterward, and the war was accepted as having been originated by the republic of Mexico.

How was it originated? Was it not by disobeying that warning and by resistance on the part of the United States to that disobedience?

Will the Senator from Missouri give me the date of that document?