Sir, I hope, with no disrespect for the applicants, and the aspirants, and the patriots (and among them are some sincere patriots) who would fight for their country, and those others who are not ready to fight, but who are willing to be paid,—­with due respect for all of them according to their several degrees and their merits, I hope they will all be disappointed.  I hope that, as the pleasant season advances, the whole may find it for their interest to place themselves, of mild mornings, in the cars, and take their destination to their respective places of honorable private occupation and of civil employment.  They have my good wishes that they may find the way to their homes from the Avenue and the Capitol, and from the purlieus of the President’s house, in good health themselves, and that they may find their families all very happy to receive them.

But, Sir, to speak more seriously, this war was waged for the object of creating new States, on the southern frontier of the United States, out of Mexican territory, and with such population as could be found resident thereupon.  I have opposed this object.  I am against all accessions of territory to form new States.  And this is no matter of sentimentality, which I am to parade before mass meetings or before my constituents at home.  It is not a matter with me of declamation, or of regret, or of expressed repugnance.  It is a matter of firm, unchangeable purpose.  I yield nothing to the force of circumstances that have occurred, or that I can consider as likely to occur.  And therefore I say, Sir, that, if I were asked to-day whether, for the sake of peace, I would take a treaty for adding two new States to the Union on our southern border, I would say, No! distinctly, No!  And I wish every man in the United States to understand that to be my judgment and my purpose.

I said upon our southern border, because the present proposition takes that locality.  I would say the same of the western, the northeastern, or of any other border.  I resist to-day, and for ever, and to the end, any proposition to add any foreign territory, south or west, north or east, to the States of this Union, as they are constituted and held together under the Constitution.  I do not want the colonists of England on the north; and as little do I want the population of Mexico on the south.  I resist and reject all, and all with equal resolution.  Therefore I say, that, if the question were put to me to-day, whether I would take peace under the present state of the country, distressed as it is, during the existence of a war odious as this is, under circumstances so afflictive as now exist to humanity, and so disturbing to the business of those whom I represent,—­I say still, if it were put to me whether I would have peace, with new States, I would say, No! no!  And that because, Sir, in my judgment, there is no necessity of being driven into that dilemma.  Other gentlemen think differently.  I hold no man’s conscience;