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Lahm, Samuel : Speech of Hon. Samuel Lahm, of Ohio, on the Mexican War. Delivered in the House of Representatives, March 29, 1848

Printed at the Congressional Globe Office, Washington, D.C., 1848

Original publisher's beige paper wrappers. Text printed in black ink. 5 3/4" x 9." Fourteen pages, complete. Pages are clean and intact except for light age toning, occasional foxing or spots of discoloration, several small dampstains limited to margins along edges, and some chipping and splitting along spine. A Very Good copy. A speech about the Mexican-American War that was originally delivered before the United States House of Representatives on March 29, 1848 by Samuel Lahm (1812-1876), an American lawyer, politician, and military officer. Lahm served as a Democratic U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1847-1849. He also served in the Mexican-American War as a Lieutenant Colonel and Brigadier General and commanded the 2nd Brigade, 6th Division of Ohio. In this speech, Lahm voices his views on the issue of free and slave states and the Mexican-American War. Most of his speech is about the war, but about one page in the front is dedicated to Lahm's opposition to the expansion of slavery. In aligning with his own belief of what proper representative politicians should do, Lahm has adopted the views of his constituents regarding the issue of slavery. He and his constituents advocated for a compromise in which current slave states could remain but all free states should remain free as well. He states that while he opposes the expansion of slavery, he believes that the Wilmot Proviso, which would have guaranteed all new territories acquired from Mexico would be free of slavery had it passed, was "ill-timed" and should not be appended as a stipulation to any conflict resolution with Mexico. Lahm proceeds to discuss his resolute support for the Mexican-American War and President James K. Polk and his administration on various points. In several parts of the speech, Lahm openly criticizes the Whigs and goes so far as to say that any individual who believed Polk "unconstitutionally" and "unnecessarily" started the war, an accusation brought forth mostly by the Whigs, was an enemy of the country. Lahm argues in favor of the annexation of Texas and that it was justified because Texas had exhibited enough qualities as a sovereign state to be considered one and Mexico made no advances to officially incorporate Texas in a period of about six or seven years. He also argues that all negotiations on the side of the U.S. were done in good faith, including the sending of U.S. Minister John Slidell to Mexico, and that Mexico was being hostile and belligerent in rejecting Slidell and other negotiating measures and marching their troops to the border. One of the last points Lahm argues is that Zachary Taylor had moved his troops from Corpus Christi to the Rio Grande to negotiate, not to instigate conflict, with Mexico by referencing past correspondence and forwarding the idea that the Rio Grande was Texas's rightful boundary.. Book. Book Condition: Very Good. Binding: Soft cover

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