house,
in good health themselves, and that they may find their families all
very happy to receive them.

But, Sir, to speak more seriously, this war was waged for the object of
creating new States, on the southern frontier of the United States, out
of Mexican territory, and with such population as could be found
resident thereupon. I have opposed this object. I am against all
accessions of territory to form new States. And this is no matter of
sentimentality, which I am to parade before mass meetings or before my
constituents at home. It is not a matter with me of declamation, or of
regret, or of expressed repugnance. It is a matter of firm, unchangeable
purpose. I yield nothing to the force of circumstances that have
occurred, or that I can consider as likely to occur. And therefore I
say, Sir, that, if I were asked to-day whether, for the sake of peace, I
would take a treaty for adding two new States to the Union on our
southern border, I would say, _No!_ distinctly, No! And I wish every man
in the United States to understand that to be my judgment and my
purpose.

I said upon our _southern_ border, because the present proposition takes
that locality. I would say the same of the western, the northeastern, or
of any other border. I resist to-day, and for ever, and to the end, any
proposition to add any foreign territory, south or west, north or east,
to the States of this Union, as they are constituted and held together
under the Constitution. I do not want the colonists of England on the
north; and as little do I want the population of Mexico on the south. I
resist and reject all, and all with equal resolution. Therefore I say,
that, if the question were put to me to-day, whether I would take peace
under the present state of the country, distressed as it is, during the
existence of a war odious as this is, under circumstances so afflictive
as now exist to humanity, and so disturbing to the business of those
whom I represent,--I say still, if it were put to me whether I would
have peace, with new States, I would say, No! no! And that because, Sir,
in my judgment, there is no necessity of being driven into that dilemma.
Other gentlemen think differently. I hold no man's conscience; but I
mean to make a clean breast of it myself; and I protest that I see no
reason, I believe there is none, why we cannot obtain as safe a peace,
as honorable and as prompt a peace, without territory as with it. The
two things are separabl