Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1845-06-26

W04A1 49,
Z ~rIitate, and might break off negotiation. But if
q 1eg citation does not promise favorable results, and
Is soon as a reasonable prospect of adjustment by
s hat means were past, we would terminate the joint
md establish a territorial Government. If, then,
treat Britain chose to resist, we would meet force by
&force.
If that day should ever come, (Which may God
Havert,) the consequences of the struggle are beyond
the reach Of human eyes. Some Of them, however,
I've may reasonably anticipate and, in regard to all,
four countrymen have no just cause of apprehension.
The final result of the warlike operations would
S~probably be the extinction of British power on this
1continent. At first, no doubt we should suffer i'm
ymensely from want of adequate preparation to meet
Sthe vast disposable force under the control Of Great
britain. 1t seems a weakness of republican govern
Ement not to prepare itself for such emergencies. Jeal-
lousy Of great establishments, especially those which
fare supported by the State, seems inseparable from
popular Institutions. Such, at least, has been our ex-
fperlence. Great Britain, on the other hand, is thor
soughly prepared with well disciplined and numer-
Eous armies, with ships of war lowering on every sea,
with warlike stores and munitions, collected without
Estint of expense or labor, for piany years. She has
naval stations on every coast, fortresses, and troops,
wherever there are islands which she could seize, and
"a belt of frowning fortresses all round the globe
with these well appointed means at hand, she would
fstrike heavy blows in the first year of the war, in
4 flcting upon US greater sacrifices, probably, than il
2would have cost US to keep adequately prepared forI
shalf a century.
4 But the vigor and elasticity of this people would
sbear them up against these assaults and losses; theirI
almost b~oundless, would be developed With
fgreater rapidity than the calm times of peace could
shave produced all kinds of manufactures possible tot
Jus would take root and every means which the peo-s
3ple could command, would be brought out, to serve!
the purpose of defence and annoyance. Every ele-;
sment of disaffection in the neighboring provincess
swould be nourished into rebellion. Republican arr
Fm,o. uonld planf tha fapJor1 &C royolt IN tbo;- eotl X
We should offer their inhabitants freedom from the
sgalling colonial yoke exemption from the swarms of
foreign officers who infest their homes self-goyern- {
;ment in Its best and truest acceptation, and a unions
with our circle of free States. We should point outs
TO them, if indeed it be not already impressed on tbeirs
minds, the difference between the two systems, ass
they appear upon the opposite side of the st. Law-f
.rence and the lakes. If they did not profit by the les-S
son and the occasion, they would prove themselves of
IA different spirit from what we take them to be. s
On our southern border Mexico would probably be-
stimulated by the offers of England, added to the irri-a
.%tation which she now naturally feels, to join in thes
:war; and the consequences of it would be, that the
country would be oyerrun by invaders from thes
South and Southwest. What means of defenceS
she has on her open frontier, we do not see.
IA western hunter will carry provisions enough on his
back, to subSist him ten DAYS, and by that time, bes
.would place himself in the habitable and fruitful partss
sof Mexico. All the efforts of England, both at theS
and North, would be exhausted on the seal
lcoGsts. She would make no impression on the inte-s
5rior and from the interior would be organized forcesS
(which, aided by the disatected population north of
Jus, and the weakness. of the races south, would carry
american dominion from the ancient seat of the Az-s
tees to the Arctic sea-. I
Upon the ocean itself the contest would be long and
bloody but it is our conviction that it would end ina
breaking down the maritime superiority of England. Z
I'VE would not underrate English power on the sea. {
I'VE know it well but we do not fear it. We knows
.fbaf har naorcapfilo arfpo - ,nr N fbtrl -ra, - -, ~
iours and we believe that, in the long run, in a war;
many years, as this would be, the armed marines
would become proportlonate to the commercial. Ins
that case, considering the greater number Of posSes-s
isions which England has to defend, and the largers
number of ships to convoy, the two navies would
come to something like an equality of disposable forcelE
sAnd if that were to happen, who can doubt the rel
suit We have now, it has been estimated, 200,000E
men employed in navigation. If one-half of themf
lcould be placed in armed vessels, they would consti-s
5tute a greater force than England has ever had uponE
1.-THE sea. 8
] There are other results of war between this coun-f
TRY and England, perhaps even more important than<
sany operations of arms, which we will briefly glanced
'at. One of them is the complete and final emanci-A
spation of the American mind from English influence. !
How great this influence even now is we have too
.often occasion to observe and deplore. E
There is among the people Of this country a heredi-s
'tary and undue respect for the name Of England, an
excessive admiration of her past history, and an ex-F
estimate of her present power. These areS
1.-The remnants of colonial ideas, which half a century,
.of Independence and two bloody wars, one of themk
If0ng ard full of circumstances of evaporation, haveE
been sufficient 10 eradicate. The facts Of our his-k
ltOry have run far ahead of our opinions. With az
government of our own choice, and laws of our own Z
we receive from abroad the most effective of
al laws-laws for the mind. If we do not act as we
commanded, we think much as we are comfnand-
led from Europe. From this injurious and fisgrace-s
thraldom we are gradually emancipating ourselVes.E
Is war will do it at once. Z
Another result would be the publication of -Four owns
atmosphere. "The cankers of a calm worldF
a long peace are no fiction. They are undeni-s
liable realities. Offices go to those who need, not too
Those who are needed. Politics become a trade Les-S
Iser qualities have as much appreciable value, and ares
with fewer scruples, than great ones. Butt
when the State is in danger, patriotism and abilityE
take precedence Of selfshneSs and mediocrity. Thek
first effect of a collision would be to bring the ablestn
land best men uppermost. g
Let us not be misunderstood. For none of thcses
3reasons do we desire a war. Far from it. We de-
'precate it, We would do every thing we could conf
with our obligation and future safety to avoidk
lit. But if it come, we shall consider it not an un-k
linked evil. Z
If this article had not already been extended as far
Jas is reasonable to ask the attention of the reader, wei
should have gone into some further topics connectedk
with the relations between America and England.
may, perhaps, return to them hereafter. Suffice
lit at present to add, that in what we have said, we
sdesired to keep in view the distinction between theS
mass of the English people and the government of
For the former, we have respect and sym-s
3pathy. They are of our kindred and our flesh. But
sthe latter is a selfish and insolent oligarchy. ItstroveE
ito Cypress us once, and is therefore our hater now. Z
lit is that we combat, and their spirit that we detest. +
! If ever the government of that country becomes sol
3popular as to admit into it the irst authority and iniu-s
5ence of the people, (and there are indications that
ssuch a change is coming over the spirit of our father