"Speech of Mr. Garrett Davis, of Kentucky, on the Army Bill and the War with Mexico : Delivered in the House of Representatives, U. S., May 14, 1846."Published by: J. & G.S. Gideon, 1846. Measures approx. 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 inches; 16-pp. With binding tape; some foxing; front page with some spotting, etc.. Used; Good condition.
Following description taken from the Center for Greater Southwestern Studies:
"Garrett Davis, of Kentucky, was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a Whig and served as a chairman on the Committee of Territories from 1839-1847. He accuses President Polk of usurping his war-making power by aggressively seeking war with Mexico. He makes the argument that Gen. Taylor was ordered to invade a part of Mexico that was neither a part of the United States or Texas. In making his argument, he discusses the historical boundaries of "Speech of Mr. Garrett Davis, of Kentucky, on the Army Bill and the War with Mexico" is a historically significant anti-war address delivered in the U.S. House of Representatives on May 14, 1846. Published originally as a 16-page pamphlet by J. & G.S. Gideon, this text captures the intense partisan friction and constitutional debate surrounding the outbreak of the Mexican-American War.
Garrett Davis, serving as a prominent Whig Representative from Kentucky, used this address to fiercely criticize the expansionist policies of the Democratic administration. His main arguments focused on:
1). Executive Usurpation: Davis openly accused President James K. Polk of unconstitutionally usurping the war-making powers reserved strictly for Congress. He argued that Polk intentionally provoked hostilities by sending General Zachary Taylor’s troops into disputed territory along the Rio Grande.
2). The "Fraudulent" Preamble: Days prior, on May 11, Congress pushed forward an army appropriations bill containing a highly controversial preamble stating that a state of war existed "by the act of the Republic of Mexico." Davis, along with other anti-war Whigs, famously protested this language as "base, fraudulent, and false," arguing that the U.S., not Mexico, initiated the conflict.
3). The "Fraudulent" Preamble: Days prior, on May 11, Congress pushed forward an army appropriations bill containing a highly controversial preamble stating that a state of war existed "by the act of the Republic of Mexico." Davis, along with other anti-war Whigs, famously protested this language as "base, fraudulent, and false," arguing that the U.S., not Mexico, initiated the conflict.
4). The Dilemma of Patriotism vs. Principle: Like many of his Whig peers, Davis faced a difficult political dilemma. While he adamantly opposed the origins of the war and the expansion of slavery into western territories, he ultimately felt compelled to vote in favor of funding the military bill to protect American soldiers already deployed in harm's way.421 Our 27th year on
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