The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1845-05-30
From the Charleston Mercury,
WAR SPECULATIONS.

has discovered some notes in the political
atmosphere that escaped the first examina-
ton; and are not without their meaning
The New York Post says:
ct is true, as we learn from undoubted
authority, that the war clause has been in
serted in the English policies of insurance.
The rumor that eight thousand men had been
ordered to Canada, appears to be without
foundation, as is also The story purporting
that British an of war had been sent to
the Columbia river"
AS to this last statement, it would seem
10 be contradicted by the following paragraph
of the London Times of April 10:
"When we reflect on the difficulty oi
Transporting even party of settlers across
the whole continent of America, on the i'm
practicabiity Of operating beyond the from
ties of the Union, either to the south or to
the west, aid on the impossibilily of reaching
the Columbia by sea except in time of peace,
we are disposed 10 regard the actual danger
Of an attack on our settlements on the Oregon
as purely llusory; and ,ce haze no doubi
raut long before this intelligence reaches the
forts on the coast of the Pacific, they ,rill
haze been placed By Sir G.. Seymour, and
the squadron under his command, in an eff
cient state of Defence"
And the Washington Union, in which we
find this extract, adds, that " other intima-
tions Of the same nature are thrown out,
though more obscurely, in other numbers of
the Tines for the past month p"
The New York Ne,rs drawn an augury of
peace from the completion of the Illinois
loan. It says:
" 1t has been announced that the London
creditors of Illinois have loaned the Sl ,6OO.-
900, to that State, for the prosecution of the
Illinois canal. When it is remembered that
one party to this loan (Mr. Baring) is men,
her of Sir Robert Peel's government, the
fact of the loans being decided at this juno
ton, is very significant of peaceful inten-
tions. The Mexican accounts are equally
peaceful. That State has not made such
demonstrations as was expected, and the
fact that she has offered independence to
Texas on conditions of her remaining so,
narrows down the question TO the mere fact,
whether the mere difference between dis
tiuct independence, and confederation with
the Union, is of itself of such importance TO
Mexico, as TO involve her in war TO prevent
it? 1t would seem that it is not, and that
the offer is mere step towards abandoning
the whole question"
Whether il be peace or war, it is certain
that the shadow is deep enough to make
men reflect very seriously, and even to spc-
culate on details. Thus, a writer in the
London Morning Post of the 18th ult. says
that in case of a war with The United States,
il will be the duty of England to erect forti-
Gcations on the water side of such towns as
Kingston, Toronto, Hamilton, Queenston and
Lewiston. The writer says that these towns
are now entirely undefended, and are easily
accessible to an enemy, who would first
select these points, " as the Americans did
in the last war;" 1t is recommended that
the town of Hamilton form the basis of this
line of defence. The writer who is now in
London calls himself British settler in
Canada.
A writer in the Lon3sn Times, evidently
dreaming of at least the possibility of
thrashing, makes the following pertinent in
quiries:
Sis,-As there is some probability of a
war between this country and the United
States of America, | beg to call the atten-
lion of the public 10 the above subject through
your Journal.
would ask,-Are our 50 gun frigates,
which fire about 570lb. at broadside, fair
match for the American first class" frga-
tes, rated at Al, but carrying Sc guns, and
which fire from 760lb. to S50lb?
And what chance will our two deckers of
70 and so guns have against theirs, rated at
IA indeed, but carrying from 80 to 81 guns,
with the heaviest ordnance, and half Of their
crews Englishmen?
1t may be said that the English, too, have
ships of 80 guns-but how many? And
are they sent to places where the Ame-
ricans will send, and are sending theirs?
At the Bermudas there is 70, and in the
Pacific an 80 gun ship.
If, in the event of war, the Admiralty
sent out vessels equal, or nearly equal, to
The United States, ships, i. e., line-of-bat-
tie ships of 80 guns, and frigates mounting,
like theirs, "a Founders on the main deck,
firmly believe with every one acquainted
with this subject, that the Americans would
soon lose most Of their navy, and conside-
rable portion of their excessive vanity; but,
if the British so and so gun ships are 10
meet their heavy 56's and 94's six such un-
equal battles during the last war teach me
that the result will be disastrous.
And another correspondent in the same
anxious mood. feels bound, " in the present
crisis" to give the British nation the benefit
of such hints as the following:
"On late accession, when in the United
States, | visited the State dockyard in New
York, and was shown over the ship Colum-
bus armed with so guns, all long 42 Founders,
with Paixhans chambers. throwing theref fore,
e