Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-05-27

Important poSltlOnS In our Government;
whose services and talents, and character
give him great consideration with his coun-
trymenj who possesses European fame
and whose opinions are quoted at this mo.
ment IN London and Paris as indications
of our policy, and of the final result of this
controversy? Is it we'll thus to announce
to the world our incapacity to defend our
selves2 For that IS in fact the result. A
Government dissolved, or rather changed
10 despotlsm, a country ruined, and even
tually It's fragments a prey to ambitious
generals, as the empire of Alexander was
partItIoned among his lieutenants! War,
then, becomes not measure of safety,
but signal of destruction to the Ameri-
can people. We are poweress to defend
ourselves. If we are struck upon one
cheek, we must turn the other; not in
spirit of Christian charity, but in the des-
pair of hel plessness. We are bound toge-
Their by fair-weather government, inca
pable of riding out the storms of foreign
aggression. Submission must be our re-
fuge, for beyond submission is destruction.
We shall exhibit the extraordinary specta-
Gle of great people, great in all the ele-
ments of power and prosperity, saying to
the world, in effect, we cannot contend
with England. We are at her mercy, for
even success would ruin US.
Now, sir, this is not so. There is not
one man within the sound of my voice
whose heart does not tell him, such has
not been your paSt-Such 1ciU not be yOur
future. The honorable Senator, in look.
ing at the real calamitles of war, which
seek neither to conceal nor deny, has sui
fered himself TO overrate them. They
have struck him more forcibly than they
should do. The experiment of two wars
with England, into which we entered, and
from which we issued gloriously, puts the
stamp of error upon these sad forebodIngs.
How they pushed us forward, in character
and position, among the nations ct the
earth, need not tell; nor need | say, that
the march of this country, in all that con-
stitutes the power and happiness of peo-
pie, is practical proof that those conflicts
left no wounds upon our institutions, and
but temporary checks on our prosperity.
The honorable Senator has appealed to
past history, in proof that in presenting
these views he acted in no unmanly fear
for himself, and that if war comes, he
would be among the last TO finch. No,
Mr.. President, no one In this nation doubts
that his course would be firm and patriotic
should war be forced upon US. But he will
permit me also to appeal; to appeal from
the Senator of 1916 to the Representative
Iof 1912. He is the UHimus Romanorum
the last of the Romans the sole survi-
vor among US of a generation of statesmen
who have passed from the legislative SER
vice of their country. The last Of the ac-
tors, not of the signers, who gave to the
world our second Declaration of Indepen-
dence, scarcely inferior in its causes and
consequences to the first. He came here
young, unknown to his country. He left
these halls with maturity of fame which
rarely fails to the lot Of any statesman. |
was then upon the frontier, and we'll do |
remember with what straining eyes and
beating hearts we turned towards the Ca
pitol, 10 know if the honor and interests
of the country would be asserted and
maintained. There were then two men
here, upon whom more than upon any
others, perhaps more than all others, de-
volved the task of advocating the war,
and of carrying through the measures Of
the administration. And nobly did they
perform their duty. They were the homo.
rable Senator from South Carolina, and a
retired statesman, Mr.. Clay, from whom,
thcngh it has been my fortune to differ in
the party contests that divide us, yet it has
always been my pride to do justice to his
eminent qualities, and to his high services
Ito his country, especially during the las
contest with England. They were The
leaders of that great legislative war, who
like the Homeric heroes, threw themselve
into the middle of the fight, and fought tht
battles of their party and of their country
with equal talents, frmness, and success
AS to the evils of war, he of US is bliEt
10 all historical experience, who does no
see them, and blind to all historical know
ledge, who does not acknowledge them
/, There is no such representative of III
States here. We all acknowledge tn
evils otr war, both moral and material
We differ as TO their degree, and as to tn
power of this country to endure and infilc
them. While the condition of Englan
presents great means of annoyance 1t pre-
sents also palpable elements OF weakness
am not her panegyrist. shall not
t accused of that. But if | see the deiec'
3 of her national character, can also sc
: her redeeming virtues. am senslbl
+. alive to the acts of injustice she has don
US. The feeling is deposited at my heart
core. But do not shut my eyes, elthe
n to her power or to the virtues she actual
s possesses. | need not tell what she hi