equal and full means on both sides, I will venture that the State
Register has thrown before its readers more of Locofoco speeches in a
month than all the Whig papers of the district have done of Whig speeches
during the session.

If you wish a full understanding of the war, I repeat what I believe I
said to you in a letter once before, that the whole, or nearly so, is to
be found in the speech of Dixon of Connecticut. This I sent you in
pamphlet as well as in the Globe. Examine and study every sentence of
that speech thoroughly, and you will understand the whole subject. You
ask how Congress came to declare that war had existed by the act of
Mexico. Is it possible you don't understand that yet? You have at least
twenty speeches in your possession that fully explain it. I will,
however, try it once more. The news reached Washington of the
commencement of hostilities on the Rio Grande, and of the great peril of
General Taylor's army. Everybody, Whigs and Democrats, was for sending
them aid, in men and money. It was necessary to pass a bill for this. The
Locos had a majority in both houses, and they brought in a bill with a
preamble saying: Whereas, War exists by the act of Mexico, therefore we
send General Taylor money. The Whigs moved to strike out the preamble, so
that they could vote to send the men and money, without saying anything
about how the war commenced; but being in the minority, they were voted
down, and the preamble was retained. Then, on the passage of the bill,
the question came upon them, Shall we vote for preamble and bill
together, or against both together? They did not want to vote against
sending help to General Taylor, and therefore they voted for both
together. Is there any difficulty in understanding this? Even my little
speech shows how this was; and if you will go to the library, you may get
the Journal of 1845-46, in which you will find the whole for yourself.