Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-04-29


ses; and 80 ar uiernaoo. questions have been
raised upon them the right Is clearly ours But TO
me peaceful setlemsn, OF heus mutual spr' Of sonei
on aud orbearance OF the drst importance Thares
room much hope character OF the nssoua
concerned anil 50 lons there Is hope Is wise and
AMI OF Wisdom Jear Ge ,sorsi ard 10 prepare for a.
nations 60 TO war day OF battle more
ready occupy this Of strength .nd fear not lie
LEGISLATION shall provide. nthc Navy, there is but
ons sentiment and feeling this subject; IT'S avert
wrong the stars and stripes shall not be ssaeedon the
April ., ls,ap
So much for the essay OF Lieut.. Maury, and the
auda6lc object which prompted it; bu, it may no,
prove undressing consider the probabilities Of
collision with the great power with which We are at
issue on this and other matters, and, should that COL
lis'on unhappiy occur, OF the probeble effects upon
the future des,inies Of both nations.
Ii cannot be denied tina, the native propensties of
both people are essentially warhke; both are OBJ.
snatey tenacious OF what they consider TO 30 their
rights, and equhly perseverng IN protecting those
rights whenever, ard wherever invaded. These
propensiiies would unavoidably involve them in
difficulties and conflicts with each other, and with
other natiors, had there not existed among both,
other propensies an,agonstical the former. Both
people sprung from the ancestry, have all the
sympathies OF kmdred. eeme9led by the still strong.
ec ties Of interest. Both nations arc commercial,
intelligent, humane. generous, religious enjoying
similar laws ami Institutions; and is IL possible that
all these bonds OF goodwill can be lightly Severedl
We will not believe 1t. What is war; a horrible
human shambles, IN which mytAds OF human
beings. bearing the image the living God, are i'm.
uio!ated to the moloeh ofpasson or ambition. The
Lydian King, after he had become the captive of
1 81 -. -. 81
brief bu, expressive language: "ln peace, sons
bury their fathers, in war, fathers bury their sonsn
We viii nc: stop TO depict the awful calamtss
which bo:h nations must suffer from such a conflict,
IN the destruction Of property and lie, and the
breaking up Of all the ties have above enuniera.
ted; but will pass on to the considerations of inter.
esi, which, after all, are the surest guarantees oe
peace.
In Presenting this view, we will endeavor to show
what each nation mas to gain, and what she may
Jose by war; and we begin n, home.
However melancholy the reflection, it mus, be
confessed, that since ii came under the protection
ola National Constitution, this country has ntver
been IN such state of pecuniary embarrassment as
at this moment. But, connected with this fac,
there is inquiry of intense interest I,it real or
NtihciNll We answer-and We 10 so with hope
/, is artificial, not real. There is vast difference
between the condition Of strong man, thrown into
swoon by over depletion, and him, whose vita
stream flows slowly and languidy, from age and
nhrmities. The recuperative powers of nature will
N due time, restore the former 10 his won,cd ener
-ies, though his nervous system may have suffered
from the shock, and he may for time need sup
port. Our country is like the strong man: liz
-.
| Physician has been too free and rapid depletion.
| In this condition of our finances and confessedy
IN bad state OF preparation to resist aggression
from great naval power, it is not to be denied that
IN the commencement OF a war, we would probably
sustain heavy losses in our commerce, and on our
Atlantic border, it is far from mpro bable, that
calculations on our seeming weakness may invite
this aggression but we shall presently see how
little this can be relied upon by any hostile power.
In one important feature, country differs alto.
seiher from European countries. In this, nine
tenths of It's yeomanry directly interested in the
soil IN Europe, ninety. nine IN hundred have no
fee simple tenure OF property. In this country,
every citizen obeys with Placrity the call of his
country, and at an hours warning repairs to It's
standard. lie is not indeed decked out with scar
let coat and gaudy plume, nor does be know how
to walk with measured step; but he has an accu
rate eye, steady hand, and a bold heart, ami he
ieels that he IS fighting for his wife, children, pro
perry and country In months, were il necessary,
We can place along our borders 100000 men, and
in the same time, our Yankee brethren would clea r
the Atlantic OF English commerce, with a swarm OF
Privateers as destructive as the Locusis OF Egypt.
Now, what has Eng land TO gain by an attack upon
usl We owe her S2O0,OOO,OOO. The annual in
terest and exchange may be estimated at $4,000
600. Now, TO say the least oft, payment Of prn.
cipa and interest will be suspended during war,
and the holders OF these claims will be reduced to
besgary and discomfort We are now her most
valuable customer; but let a war come again, and
she loses us as customer, not only during lis con-
tinuance, but to oil future time; and what will be
the condition Of her manufacturers, and how will
she keep in subsection starving population, goaded
on to anarchy 10y Charlisi leadersl
II might be well to ask herself, whether it would
be impossible TO land on the coasts OF Ireland ffty
thousand Amsrico-Hibernians with 300, 900 stand
OF Arms and munitions Of war; Ii might be well
for her to calculate how she is TO save Canada from
conquest Il will also enter into her calculations
whether the other powers Of Europe will remain
{ long neutral in such a conflict The very princ.
pie OF maintaining the balance Of power, will bring
some OF them to our support; and then, she may
have not only to contend for empire on the sea, but
for safety on her own soil.
In view Of oil these considerations Of the folly,
nay. Madness Of two nations so enlightened on the
score OF their own interests, rushing into war; we
have no serious apprehension of such an event; and
least Of all, do We fear it from the absurd preten
SONS Of the British Government in regard to the
Right of Search; but should it come, from this or
any other Of the causes Of irritation that now exist
irghuul rs It may be, there can be no doubt our
country will come out Of the ordeal with unarnished
honour, and that England will do what Cfnsus did
by crossing the Halys-dismember a great Empire
We have already shown that the embarrassed
condition OF this country is nrifcial-produced by
train OF unfortunate experiments, the folly Of
which experience has now fully demonstrated, and
which the returning good sense Of the community
will correct. England, too though periodically De.
pressed by causes more deeply rooted in her insii
tutions IS, in the main, prosper Gus and happy
Both are making daily advances in the arts Of peace
morality, temperance and religion; but should a
state Of var arise, the picture will be most wofuy
reversed If voc should prove victorious in tho
contest, that immense tract OF country extending
ron the Gulf Of St. Lawrence TO the Pacific, and