The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-04

haps more than upon all Others evolved H.. ,. -
advocating the WAR and Of carrying hro,NIa ~ "
measures Of the administration. And not' nc
they perform their duty. They were the bory, I,u
senator from South Carolina, and a retired 500
man, Mr. Clay, from whom, though il ha. hss0
my fortune to differ in the party contests that dvSa
us, yet It has always been my pride to do iuste. 10
his eminent qualities and to his high services 10 h.
country, and especially 10 his services during onr
last contest with England. They were the &c..
OF that great legislative war who, like the Hon,,;
heroes, threw themselves into the middle OF the Ash
and fought tho battles OF their party and of Ihsi,
country with equal talents, frniness and snee.s,
As 10 the evils Of war, he OF US is blind 10 al
historical experience who does not see them ,rJ
uniathful TO his position who does not scknowjedg.
them. There is no such representative Of AZ.
States here We all acknowledge the evils Of wa
both moral and material. We differ as TO their de.
gree and 10 the power OF this country TO endur,
and 10 inAict them. While the coadtion Of Rns
land presents great means Of snuoyaace, IL presents
also palpable elements Of weakness, | sm not her
panegyrist. shall never be accused OF that Bot
II see the defects Of her national character, can
sec also her redeeming virtues. am sensibly alive
to the acis Of injustice she has done us, The feel
ing is deposited at my hearts core, But do no,
shut my eyes either to her power or TO the virtues
she actually possesses | need not tell what she
has done TO attract the admiration OF the world; for
her deeds Of war and peace are written upon many
bright page OF human story. She has reached COM
manding eminence among the powers of the earth
a giddy eminenee; and believe she will find II an
unstable one. ! do not, however estimate her pres.
ent position as high as many do, and consider
as unsafe as almost any one can. The elemsnt, AZ
her weakness lie upon. the very surface of her az
fairs, open to the NEST careless observer But 81,
has great military and naval Establishments. and
she is augmeuting and extending them 4 arm M,
going 10 spread before the Senate the ststsiies Of
her powers Of annoyance and defence. This has
been sufficiently done already. But will express
my decided conviction that these tabular euent,
give an exaggerated picture Of her eondiiioa. Old
yessels, old guns, mere hulks inyads the relics OF
half century OF war, are arranged in formidable
lists OF figures and go TO swell the general aggregate
Besides, she has peculiar drawbacks TO the exer-
ton Of her power. The seeds Of danger are sown
IN the most important province Of her home empire,
and may at any time start up into an abundant ha
vest Of ruin and disaster. The dragons teeth may
become armed men. ..a arra ~. ... .. a.. -
She has possessions round the world to retain.
and IN many Of thema discontinued population 10
restrain. Her commerce, the very foundation Of
her prosperity and greatness, is scattered over oil
the bays, and inlets, and CULTS, and seas, Of the
world; and he who knows the daring character and
enterprise OF our people, knows that our public and
private armed vessels would almost sweep Il from
existence. But shall not pursue this investigation
further While i believe she will 90 10 war with
US, n she cannot escape from il without wholly
sacrificing her own honor, as she views the ques
ton, | recolect she has done so twice before, with
no credit to herself, but with impenshabls glory
for US.
A few words as to the condition OF her finances
and her means Of carrying on a war II is said 10
he the last feather that breaks the eamel,s back
That the time will come when the artificial and op
pressve fiscal system OF England must break down
and, like the strong man Of Israel involve her exist
II r. III =
ture political event can be- But that time has not
yet come, and he must be holder or a wiser man
than am, to predict when Il will come. She has
the same means now TO meet her war expenditures
which she has long had The power Of drawng up.
on the future for the exigences of the present. eav
ing the generations TO come to pay the debt, or to
cast II of, like burden too heavy TO be borne At
thus very moment she is making an experiment
which viii be almost revolution. A wise e1peri.
ment az believe; but still a fearful one for an old
society, whose habits are fixed, and viii d accom-
uodates itself with difficulty, even to gradual
changes. ....... -. ... 80
An to the points Of contrast between our cond-
lion and that OF England, they are before the world
and for the purposes Of peace or war, we need moi
fear the most searching examination no sti
Happen what may, we can neither be overrun nor
conquered. England might as well attempt to blow
up the rock OF Gibraltar with squib, az to attempt
to subduc us. suppose an Englishman even never
tuHhs VI tndl- anu 10 not KNOW that i can exhibit
in stronger terms its impossibity. - ,4.,. .,..s
might easily spread before the Senate our capaci
ty to annoy maritime adversary, and to sweep the
British flag from this part OF the continent. But
forbear. What we have twice done in the days OF
Our comparative weakness, we can repeat and far
exceed in these days Of our strength While there
fore, do not conceal from myself that war with
England would temporarily check our progress,
and lead many evils in its tran still have no fear
OF the issue, and have abiding confidence that we
should come out oft, not indeed unframed but with
all the elements ofour prosperity safe, and with
many glorious achievement written on the pages
of our history. .... ..,,. .... -
II pains me, sir, to hear illusions to the de.
structon of this government and to the dissolution
OF this confederacy. tpains me, not because they
inspire me with any fear, but because we ought TO
have one unpronounceable word as the Jews had Of
DID, and that word is dissolution We should reject
the feeling from hearts, and its name from our
tongues. This cry of ro, wo, to Jerusalem CRATES
harshy upon my ears. Our Jerusalem is neither
beeaguered nor in danger. II is yet the city upon
hill, glorious in what II is still more glorious by
the blessing Of God in what it is to be-a landmark
inviting the nations of the world, struggling upon
the stormy ocean of political oppression TO follow
US to haven of safety and Of rational liberty. No
English Titus will enter our temple of freedom I
through breach IN the batlements, to bear thence
the ark of our constitution and the book of our law
to take their stations IN triumpha procession in
the streets Of modern Rome as trophies of con-
quest, and proofs Of submission. -, ls....al
Many raven has croaked in my day, but the }
augury has failed, and the republic has marched
ward. Many crisis has presented itself to the i'm
aginations of our political Cassandras, but we have
still increased in political prosperity as we have in
creased in years and that. too, with an accelerated
progress unknown in the history Of the world. We
have class of men whose eyes are always upon
the FUTURE overlooking the blessings around US, and
forever aPprehensive Of some great political evil \
which is to arrest course somewhere or other on
this side OF the millennium. To them, we are tho
image of gold, and silver, and brass, and clay, con-
trarlety IN unity, which the first rude blow Of mis-.
fortune Is to strike from its pedestal.
For my own part, consider this the strongest
government on the face of the earth for good, and
the weakest for evil. Strong, because supported by
the public opinion of people inferior to none of tn.
communities OF the earth in all that constitutes
moral worth and useful knowledge and who have
breahed into their political system the breath Of
llfe and who would destroy it, as they created it, il
It were unworthy Of them, or failed to fulfil their
Just expectations ." N.f-8@ ltsN a'&
And weak for evil, from this very consideration
which would make its folies and ,ha ,gna