The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-06-09


tresses and troops, wherever there are islands which
she could seize, and belt of rowning fortresses all
round the globe. With these well appointed means
at hand, she would strike heavy blows in the hrst
year Of the war; nfictng upon us greater sacrhcss'
probably, than il would have cost us to keep ade-
quately prepared for half century
| But the vigor and elasticity of this people would
bear them up against these assaults and losses;
their resources, almost boundless would be devel-
| oped with greater rapidity than the calm times OF
peace could have produced all kinds Of manufac-
lures possible to us would take root; and every
means which the people could command, would DE
brought out, to serve the purpose of defence ana
annoyance. Every element Of disaiiecuon IN Inc
neghboring provinces would be nourished into re-
beIlion Republican armies would plant the stand
ard Of revolt in their soil. We should offer their
inhabitants freedom from the Calling colonial yoke
exemption from the swarms OF foreign officers who
infest their homes: selfgovemment in It's best and
truest acceptaton, and union with our circle OF
free States. We should point out to them, II IN
deed it be not already impressed on their minds the
difference between the two systems, as they appear
upon the opposite side of the st. Lawrence and the
lakes. If they did not profit by the lesson and the
occasion, they would prove themselves of different
spirit from what we take them to be-
| On our southern border Mexico would probably
be stimulated by the offers of England, added to the
irritation which she naturally feels, to join in
the war; and the consequences of it would be, that
the country would be overrun by invaders from the
invaders from the South and Southwest What
means of defence she has on her open frontier, we
do not see. A western hunter will carry provi-
sions enough on his back, to subsist him ten days,
and by that time, he would place himsefin the hab-
liable and fruitful parts of Mexico. All the efforts
of England, both at the South and the North, would
be exhausted on the sea coasts She would make
no impression on the interior; and from the interior
would be organized forces which, aided by the dis
affected population north of us, and the weakness
of the races south, would carry American dominion
from the ancient seat of the Aztecs to the Arctic
sea.
| Upon the ocean itself the contest would be long
and bloody; but il is our conviction that It would
end in breaking down the maritime superiority of
England. We would not underrate English power
| on the sea- We know it well; but we do not fear it.
| We know that her mercantile marine is not a third
greater than ours; and we believe that, in the long
rum in war of many years, as this would be, the
armed marine would become proportionate to the
commercial. In that case, considering the greater
number of possessions which England has TO de-
end, and the larger number of ships to convoy, the
two navies would come to something like an equa-
ty of dsposable force. And if that to happen.
| who can doubt the result We have now, it has
| been estimated, 100000 men employed in naviga-
ton. If one-half Of them could be placed in armed
vessels they would constitute greater force than
| England has ever had upon the sea.
| There are other results Of between this
country and England, perhaps even more important
glance at. One Of them is the complete and final
emancipation of the American mind from English
| influence How great this influence even now is
we have too often occasion to observe and deplore.
| There is among the people Of this country he
redtary and undue respect for the name of England
an excessive admiration of her past history, and
exaggerated estimate of her present power. These
are the remnants of colonial IDEAS which half centu
nv independence and two bloody wars, one ofthem
long and full Of circumstances of evaporation have
not been sufficient to eradicate. The facts of
history have run far ahead of our opinions. With
a government of our own choice, and laws Of our
own making, we receive from abroad the most eff
/ fectve of all lawsA-laws for the mind. Ii we do
not act as we are commanded, we think much we
| are commanded from Europe. From this injurious
and disgraceful thraldom we are gradually emanc
pating ourselves. A war would do il at once.
Another result would be the publication Of our
own political atmosphere. ttThe cankers of a calm
world and long peace" are no fiction They are
lundenable realities. Offices go to those who need,
not to those who needed. Politics become a
trade. Lesser qualities have much appreciable
value, and are associated with fewer scrupes than
great ones But when the state is in danger, pa
triotsm and ability take precedence of selfshness
and mediocrty. The first effect Of a collision would
be to bring the abest and best men uppermost.
| Let us not be misunderstood. For none of those
reasons do we desire a war. Far from it, We
deprecate it. We would do everything that we
could consistently with our obligation and our flu
tire safety to avoid it, But if come, shall con-
slider it not an unmixed evil.
| II this article had not already been extended Us
far as is reasonable to ask the attention of the read
er, we should have gone into some further topics
connected with the relations between America and
| England. We may, perhaps, return to them here
after. Suffice it at present to add, that in what we
have said, desired to keep in view the distinction
between the mass of the English people and the gov
eminent of England For the former, we have re-
spect and sympathy. They of our kindred and
our flesh. But the latter is a selfish and insolent
oligarchy. II strove to Cypress us once, and is
therefore our hater now. 1t is that combat, and
their spirit that we detes
| If ever the government of that country becomes
so popular to admit into it the just authority and in
uence of the people, (and there indications that
such change is coming over the spirit of our ia
therland,) we may reasonably expect to see cor
responding change in our mutual relations. Then
we may hope to England sincerely our friend
and fellow. Then, instead of hostile diplomacy and
hostile forces, may we have between us only mes
sengers Of friendship and of good.
| ID. ID. +. -