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Embree, Elisha : Speech of Hon. Elisha Embree, of Indiana, on the Bounty Land Bill. Delivered in the House of Representatives, Wednesday, May 3, 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." Seven pages, complete. Pages are clean and intact except for light age toning throughout, small occasional spots of foxing or discoloration, a few small dampstains limited to margins along spine, and moderate chipping and splitting along spine. A Very Good copy. A speech that was originally delivered before the United States House of Representatives on May 3, 1848 by Elisha Embree (1801-1863), an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative from Indiana from 1847-1849. He was a Whig. In this speech, Embree discusses a bill about granting bounty lands to U.S. military veterans who served in the Mexican-American War with an amendment to include veterans who also served in the War of 1812 and the Indian Wars. Embree is generally supportive of the bill and questions any who oppose it. He argues in favor of the merits of the two previous wars while denouncing the latter. For example, Embree argues that the War of 1812 and Indian Wars were wars of defense and patriotism. He contrasts them with the Mexican-American War. He, like many of his other Whig colleagues, became opposed to the Mexican-American War on the grounds that they viewed it as a war of conquest. Please note that Embree expresses views that many Westerners in the U.S. at the time held regarding Indigenous Peoples. For example, in discussing the Indian Wars, Embree perceived that Western pioneers had inherent "border rights" and that "hordes of savages ... infested [the] western frontiers." However, much of Embree's speech is his denunciation of President James K. Polk's handling of the Mexican-American War and the series of land acquisitions made by the U.S. under his administration. Embree voices his opposition to key land issues under Polk's administration including "the claim to the whole of Oregon," "the annexation of Texas," "the extension of Texas from the Nueces to the Rio Grande," "the seizing upon and holding New Mexico and California," and "'to swallow up' the whole of Mexico--according to the classic language of a Democratic Senator." Embree argues that the prosecution of the Mexican-American War only added to national debt, inspired a "love of conquest," and created more turmoil regarding the question of slavery in free territories. Embree goes into further detail about the Mexican-American War and also laments the apparent free passage of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna back into Mexico. While he denounces this war, he ardently supports military veterans and the service of Generals Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott. Toward the end of his speech, Embree adamantly argues in favor of the proposed bounty lands bill and amendment. He says of the amendment, "But we should go further. We should provide for the soldiers of the Indian wars, and the war of 1812. We should go back to 'other men and other times,' and pay up the long arrearages of national gratitude due to the gallant and long-forgotten brave.". Book. Book Condition: Very Good. Binding: Soft cover

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