The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-10
THE DAILY UNION.
THE ANTI-wAR ouTcRY.

THE ANTI-WAR oUTCRY.
We give in another column communication from
the pen of Mr. Robert Owen in which he declaims
eloquenlly about the horrors Of war. Mr.. Owen is
very amiable philosopher. He is well known as
the apostle Of system which Processes to aim at
the conversion Of the earth into paradise Of peace
Justice, and universal charity. we entertain the
sineerest convictions ofthe purity of his motives and
the integrity Of his designs. But we think Mr..
Owen takes an exaggerated and mistaken view Of
the sgrs Of the times-he msgnihes the symptoms
which, in his opinion, indicate the impending dan
ger of war, and regards the present crisis in the
affairs of Great Britain and the United States with
the dazzled eye Of an enthusiastic social reformer,
who faneies that glorious opportunity is thus af-
forded OF pressing on public attention certain dsr
ling schemes rather than with the cool and prseti-
cal sagacity Of a statesman experienced in the con-
uoversies which disturb the intercourse Of civilized
nations, and who seeks their settlement on the plain
and Ineligible principles Of common sense. Yet,
with perfect goodwill, give the publicity of our
columns To Mr.. Owens communication. The mod
of the article aud the respectable ehsrac
ter of its author, fully entitle il to due share of
public attention.
The utteranee Of the ant.war cry, by such phi.
losophers as Mr.. Owen, is easily enough explained
and justified They conseientiously opposed 10
all wars. But we confess our inability to explain
satisfactorily the vehemence and fury with which
this ant-war cutlery has been raised in some other
quarters Pray what has there been in the policy Of
the administration hitheno-what is there in ts pres
positonto justify this violent and fierce denun
istion Of waTlike measures, which is now so loudly
uttered The opponents Of the administration have all
along proceeded on the ground that "the notice" ia
tanamount TO a declaration Of war. On that assump-
ton, all the opposition to the measure has been
based. But that is altogether false position. On
the floor Of Congress- and in the columns Of the OPP
position journals, we hear continually the charges
rung on this assertion. "Let exhaust all peaceful
measures-let US employ all peaceful means-for
Gods sake let US first try all peaceful influences,
is the perpetual burden Of the opposition song.
Now, what has the Executive been DOING What
is its present policy The sincerest desire to pre-
serve peace has actuated the administration through
out this controversy. The same desire is cherished
still But that well-intentoned peaceful policy has
had mingled with it not particle Of inglorious
timidty. Earnest and settled conviction Of right
an earnest and settled determination maintain that
right-have all along characterized that policy. But
is it just to brand the administration as guilty of
chershing reckless desire to plunge the country
into war, because has, with unfnching adherence
to right, pursued its peaceful policy On the con-
trary, what man Of intelligence does not feel per-
suaded that if there had been any Ainching on the
part of the administraton-any ignoble shrinking
Of .haart he n
war would have been immeasurably augmented
Stern adherence to right-unshaken maintenance Of
just clams-thai is at once the way Of duty and of
peace.
| Again and again we have said, with all the en-
phasis possible, that we deprecate war. We regard
war as the most terrible calamity that can bea any
people, save the loss Of its sacred rights and its
tional honor. But we have not so learned our duty
to country-we have not so learned the way Of
honor. truth, and recuude, as to be prepared to
purchase immunity'from war by sacrifice, or any
thing approaching to sacrifice, Of righteous claims
which we have distinctly and decidedly an
nounced before Heaven and all men. The path of
duty is clear before this nation. There can be no
turning aside, either to the right hand or the left.
From the very first, our government has evinced an
important controversy. The intelligent judgment
Of all civilized nations will acquit Of any reckless
haste in hurrying the matter to a conclusion. Our
claim has been fully established. The administra-
ton have offered to compromise it by surrenderng
half Of what we consider our own property. Who,
them we ask, are the that are needlessly agta-
ting the public mind, and disturbing business affairs
by apprehensions Of war; Not the administration or
its friends, but the opponents of that administration
the men. They are the men who reoklessly
spreading alarm throughout the community. They
are the men who, like the fool in the Proverbs
are scattering abroad frebrands, arrows and
death, endeavoring to shake the confidence of our
own people in the justice of our claims; and, by
their dvisive course, encouraging our enemies to
the assumption Of still nsoent and overbear-
ing postion-thus contributing, in the mos, efficient
manner, to precipitae that deplorabe termination of
the controversy which they affect so sincerely to
deprecate.
But we have, we do believe treated this anti-war
outcry with greater Difference and ceremony than it
merits. We regard it as altogether unsupported by
facts In respect, however, the outcry is a
favorable sign Of the times. 1t affords conclusive
evidence Of the frmness and patriotic impulses of the
administration. If the slightest tendency to shrink
from the maintenance of the national right and ma.
,ional honor had been manifested--if any symptom
of tmidity had been exhibited, what swelling
tide of Indignation would have cast up against it the
charge of pusiilanimity and cowardly desertion of
our rights Let the opposition, then, scream as
loudly they may "war''-"war"--"war." 81
thank thee, Jew, for teaching me that word"
The following paragraphs from Gov. Wrights
message were accidentally omitted by our foreman
in making up the extracts we had marked from that
hnrnnenf We hnaien 10 annt,lu The nnniaainn