ButIhaveintroducedGeneralCass’saccountsherechieflytoshowthewonderfulphysicalcapacitiesoftheman。Theyshowthathenotonlydidthelaborofseveralmenatthesametime，butthatheoftendiditatseveralplaces，manyhundredsofmilesapart，atthesametime。Andateating，too，hiscapacitiesareshowntobequiteaswonderful。FromOctober，1821，toMay，1822，heeattenrationsadayinMichigan，tenrationsadayhereinWashington，andnearfivedollars’worthadayontheroadbetweenthetwoplaces！Andthenthereisanimportantdiscoveryinhisexample——theartofbeingpaidforwhatoneeats，insteadofhavingtopayforit。Hereafterifanyniceyoungmanshouldoweabillwhichhecannotpayinanyotherway，hecanjustboarditout。Mr。Speaker，wehaveallheardoftheanimalstandingindoubtbetweentwostacksofhayandstarvingtodeath。ThelikeofthatwouldneverhappentoGeneralCass。Placethestacksathousandmilesapart，hewouldstandstock—stillmidwaybetweenthem，andeatthembothatonce，andthegreengrassalongthelinewouldbeapttosuffersome，too，atthesametime。ByallmeansmakehimPresident，gentlemen。Hewillfeedyoubounteously——if——ifthereisanyleftafterheshallhavehelpedhimself。
But，asGeneralTayloris，parexel1ence，theherooftheMexicanWar，andasyouDemocratssayweWhigshavealwaysopposedthewar，youthinkitmustbeveryawkwardandembarrassingforustogoforGeneralTaylor。Thedeclarationthatwehavealwaysopposedthewaristrueorfalse，accordingasonemayunderstandtheterm\"opposethewar。\"Iftosay\"thewarwasunnecessarilyandunconstitutionallycommencedbythePresident\"beopposingthewar，thentheWhigshaveverygenerallyopposedit。Whenevertheyhavespokenatall，theyhavesaidthis；andtheyhavesaiditonwhathasappearedgoodreasontothem。ThemarchinganarmyintothemidstofapeacefulMexicansettlement，frighteningtheinhabitantsaway，leavingtheirgrowingcropsandotherpropertytodestruction，toyoumayappearaperfectlyamiable，peaceful，unprovokingprocedure；butitdoesnotappearsotous。
Sotocallsuchanact，tousappearsnootherthananaked，impudentabsurdity，andwespeakofitaccordingly。Butif，whenthewarhadbegun，andhadbecomethecauseofthecountry，thegivingofourmoneyandourblood，incommonwithyours，wassupportofthewar，thenitisnottruethatwehavealwaysopposedthewar。Withfewindividualexceptions，youhaveconstantlyhadourvoteshereforallthenecessarysupplies。
And，morethanthis，youhavehadtheservices，theblood，andthelivesofourpoliticalbrethrenineverytrialandoneveryfield。Thebeardlessboyandthematureman，thehumbleandthedistinguished——youhavehadthem。Throughsufferinganddeath，bydiseaseandinbattletheyhaveenduredandfoughtandfellwithyou。ClayandWebstereachgaveason，nevertobereturned。FromtheStateofmyownresidence，besidesotherworthybutlessknownWhignames，wesentMarshall，Morrison，Baker，andHardin；theyallfought，andonefell，andinthefallofthatonewelostourbestWhigman。NorweretheWhigsfewinnumber，orlaggardinthedayofdanger。Inthatfearful，bloody，breathlessstruggleatBuenaVista，whereeachman’shardtaskwastobeatbackfivefoesordiehimself，ofthefivehighofficerswhoperished，fourwereWhigs。
Inspeakingofthis，Imeannoodiouscomparisonbetweenthelion—heartedWhigsandtheDemocratswhofoughtthere。Onotheroccasions，andamongthelowerofficersandprivatesonthatoccasion，Idoubtnottheproportionwasdifferent。Iwishtodojusticetoall。IthinkofallthosebravemenasAmericans，inwhoseproudfame，asanAmerican，Itoohaveashare。Manyofthem，WhigsandDemocratsaremyconstituentsandpersonalfriends；andIthankthem，——morethanthankthem，——oneandall，forthehighimperishablehonortheyhaveconferredonourcommonState。