The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-02-16
co MMUNICATION.
For the Union
THE WING PREss-rHE WAR PROSPECT

/ THE WING PREss-THE WAR PROSPECT.
We have never Witnessed so bold, SO un--fnsri
can an attempt To Jrghtsn the people Of the United
States into the belief that the very yerg,
O. a war with Great Britain, as Is now making by
the wing federal papers. From the National intel
ligencer down, down, down to the Boston Atlas-
from the highest TO the lowest, the cry Is, "rht
country is to be plunged into war by the refusal
Of the President to uLilrais." To arbiirate what
why, 10 arbtrate array coil AZ clearly our own as
that upon which the city Of Boston Is butt IL the
President had entered into arbitration, possbfy the
federal press would have sustained HIM but The
pfopis and the democratic press would have opened
upon him as Lord Nelson's flagship did upon his
enemies at the battle Of the Nile. He could no,
have sustained himself moment triih The country
But there danger Of bis taking iniudcious,
and, we may add, so cowardy position. The
people knew tcho James X. Polk before they
elected him. they knew him 10 be patriot, states
man, and, more thsa all, .ansriean. And they
knew that al oar rights were safe IA his hssAA No
rnerited their confidence; and we viii venture the
prediction, that while he is in the executive chair,
not one inch Of American sol will be barganed
away, either by arbitration or any other compro-
mise, except 1t be by a negotiation that shall give
the United States full equivalent which shall be sat-
lsfaetory TO the whole people.
Ii yexes US beyond measure TO see any class Of
newspapers or individuals, protesting to have the
honor OF their country a; heart, assume tho position
sky-high at once. We dislike Ia witness the pue-
rifle headds that has exhibited sef so freely Of late
AS to the immense proves OF Great Britain and our
| own imbeciliiy. However much we may deprecate
war, we would thousand times rather see our
country 90 into one even with the certainty of de-
feat, than to sacrifice our honor for the sake Of
peace. There is no two ways about it," we must
have either honorable peace or honorable But
we laugh, even in yexaon, at the vain Atte npts
made 10 ITighi6n the American people! They have
a. IL ...L
| honor, and, If il must come, a thIId will hardly
| scare them; and however we might want soldiers To
commence With, should he very much inclined
| TO say
The fewer msn.shs greater share OF honor
And
! ''IIeahat hath no stomach for this fight
Let him depart his passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse
We would not die in that mans company
That fears his fellowship to die with US"
But, even il we get into a war, there is no fear to
be OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES whatever We shall drub
old England most soundly. We have done it I'M
der much greater disadvantages to ourselves than
can possibly exist again.
| Letus see what we can do, if war should he de-
clsred within six months. Our country Is now inter-
laced with railroads. and armies be concentrated
at any point within our territory in very few days
The magnetic telegraph-the touch OF whose wire in
Boston will instantly yIbrate in this cy-will soon be
dverglng from Washington, az a common centre, To
all parts Of this UHion Great Britain fshe makes it,
as she did the last war, a war ofnvason must trans
port her troops TO this country. Let suppose she
has transported an army ofthirly thousand
coast, and proposes to land them at any given point;
IN half an hour after information OF the reaches
Washington, soldiers from all parts Of the Union
can be on their way, with railroad speed, to meet
the invaders. IL is perfectly evident TO US, even
with our crude notions Of the art of war that any
army Great Britain may fit to land on our coast
can, with our present and anticipated facilities of
communication, be annihilated in one month
This being the case, we have only TO anticipate
the consequences of a war on the ocean, and most
certainly upon that element the entire power is with
us to fight not fight, we think proper. When
our ships meet English ships of equal tonnage
equally armed and manned, we trust they will give
them battle, and doubt not that the result will
be honorable and even glorious to our arms.
In conclusion, we will say, that we do not be-
ieve England is so short-sghted as to go into war
with us. She has much to lose and nothing to gain.
To her the portion of Oregon between AGO and
$40 40 is Of small value, and hardly worth the ex-
pense Of negotiation, much less Of a war; But, il
she chooses to have brush, we believe we may
say in behalf of nine-tenths of the American peo-
pie fear not the result; and prefer war to the
surrender Of any of our rights; not going to
have any Of our territory "minced into parts"
"oh sooner let the mountain bend
Beneath the clouds, when empess lower,
Than nations stoop their sky -compesring heads
In homage to some petty despots power.
The norm phich suffers niineing into parts
May iProm forth heads and tails but srops hsarfs"