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Thompson, John Burton : Speech of Mr. J. B. Thompson, of Kentucky, On the Affairs of the Nation, and in favor of General Taylor's election to the Chief Magistracy. Delivered in the House of Representatives of the United States, June 30, 1848

J. & G. S. Gideon, printers., Washington, D.C.

Original publisher's beige paper wrappers. Text printed in black ink. No date, circa 1848. 5 3/4" x 9." Sixteen pages, complete. Pages are clean and intact except for light age toning, small occasional spots of foxing or discoloration, and slight chipping and splitting along spine. A Very Good copy. A speech about the Mexican-American War and other contemporary events that was originally delivered before the United States House of Representatives on June 30, 1848 by John Burton Thompson (1810-1874), an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative from Kentucky from 1840-1843 and 1847-1851 and a U.S. Senator from Kentucky from 1853-1859. Thompson was a Whig when he served as a U.S. Representative but changed membership to the Know-Nothing Party when he served as a U.S. Senator. In this speech, Thompson summarizes events in the Mexican-American War while voicing his overarching opposition to it. He denounces the war as one based on conquest and views the subjugation of other countries to the U.S. as being contrary to principles the U.S. was built upon. Much of his address is about the earlier stages of the war and factors leading up to them such as the annexation of Texas, U.S. Minister John Slidell being dispatched to Mexico, and the Tyler-Texas Treaty. Thompson also references noted figures related to the war such as Jose Joaquin Herrera, Mariano Paredes, President James K. Polk, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Lewis Cass. Thompson ardently supports ZacharyTaylor as the Whig nominee for the 1848 presidential election and casts doubt on the character of the Democratic presidential nominee, Lewis Cass, and his fitness for office. Thompson briefly addresses the question of slavery and the ongoing tensions between free and slave states. He speaks of the Missouri Compromise and Wilmot Proviso as well. In the back is a brief Appendix solely containing reprinted correspondence from Taylor to Captain J. S. Allison in which the former briefly states his political stance on some national issues and how he feels about the presidency. Taylor was notable for being relatively apolitical and was reluctant to accept his nomination as the Whig candidate. However, in his correspondence reprinted herein, Taylor states, "I have frankly avowed my own distrust of my fitness for that high station [U.S. presidency]; but having, at the solicitation of many of my countrymen, taken my position as a candidate, I do not feel at liberty to surrender that position until my friends manifest a wish that I should retire from it." Taylor also affirms to the addressee, Captain Allison, that he is a Whig but not an "ultra Whig," is conservative in his beliefs about using the Executive veto and only deems it necessary "in cases of clear violation of the Constitution or manifest haste and want of consideration by Congress," strives to carry out the wishes of the people for improvements on "highways, rivers, lakes, and harbors," and supported the Mexican-American War but views war as undesirable. The following is one of Taylor's last statements in the Appendix: "My life has been devoted to arms, yet I look upon war, at all times, and under all circumstances, as a national calamity, to be avoided if compatible with national honor.". Book. Book Condition: Very Good. Binding: Soft cover

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