The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1846-01-10
National Defence.

+At IhS hSIuSos VI huthuCi ~ 'u'
subscribers, we have inserted in to-
days paper, the speeches ofGen. Cass
and Hon. William Allen, in the Senate
of the United States. Gen. Cass
speech will be found on the first page
ofour paper; Mr.. Aliens, on the same
subject appears below.
After Mr.. Mangum, Of North Caro-
lima, had addressed the Senate, Mr..
Allen rose and spoke as follows:
Ma. President, hope the resolu-
tions will pass-pass without the OBJ.
struction ofa solitary vote. They are
resolutions whieh address grave sub
jects of inquiry to the attention Of
those committees which, by the stand
ing rules of the body, the Senate in
stl!ute with view oftaking cognizance
Of these Subjects. Now that these
resolutions are introduced-now that
they have been brought forward for
the action of the Senate and the ma
tior, by being upon the journal OF the
body, their rejection by the Senate
would do more to paralyze the ener-
gies Of this country than any one act
that is within the power of the Senate
TO perform. These resoluti, MS are
predicated upon the idea that the state
Of our home de(ences in the present
aspect Of our foreign affairs, is such as
to require that the attention Of Con.
gress should be turned to the national
defences. The rejection of these res
olu;ions will not change those foreign
relations; but will be virtually decla-
ration on the part of the Senate, that
they will not even prepare for any
emergency that may arise out of our
foreign relations. Then, let me ask,
what would be the position of the Uni
ted States! Great Britain is IA pow
er whose policy, as we'll as whose gen.
eral history. is known throughout the
entire civilized world, and need not be
defined. Great Britain is power,
who conducts her negotiations with a
fleet upon the coast Of the power with
whom she negollates; ever ready to
settle questions which cannot be set
tied by words, by resorting in prac-
tce to the ancient Gallo maxim, Of
casting a sabre into the scale. The
United States. as has been very wisely
observed by the able and greatly ex-
perienced Senator from Michigan, is,
by the very circumstances arising out
Of our institutions, always unprepared
tor the terrible emergency of war;
We have no standing army, in the
European sense of that term. We
have, however, a standing militia
nation with military organization.
The wise object Oft these resolutions,
is to institute an inquiry into the exist
ing organization of the martial force Of
the country in lis three great divisions;
ofthe militia, the army, and the navy.
This has been regarded on the other
side as almost equivalent to declara-
ton Of war. Why, sir, if these reso-
lutions htd been offered, in any state
of this negotiation, they would have
been perfectly innocent, and const-
tuted not the slightest ground of Of
fence on the part Of Great Britain.
Suppose we were in no danger, eth
er in the present or the future, of a
war with Great Britain, or any other
country; suppose we enjoyed the most
uninterrupted peace for the present,
and the most substantial guarantee OF
peace for the future: would there be
any improperly in instituting an in
quiry into the naval material in our
backwards and naval stores? Would
there be any improperly in inquiing
into the condition Of the army OF the
United States? None, | presume.-
Why, then, is it deemed so exceeding
lv unwise to institute such inquiries
now! Is it meant to be inslnuated that
we are afraid to prepare tor our own
defence, because we happen to be en-
gagged in controversy with a power
who boasts of stretching its gigantic
arms over the whole habitable globe?
Are we not to be permitted even to
ask ourselves if we are ready to re-
c9ive column OF British bayonets in
this controversy? Are we ready to
receive fifty sail of battle ships for
warded by England to our ports? We
cannot ask these questions, it seems!
Why? Because it is a movement ac-
tualIy looking to the possibility of aeon
flict between the two nations.
We had another difficulty with Great
Britain, which has been suspended, not
settled, by the treaty Of lS42. While
that treaty was pending, at the very
stand now occupy, | said that it con-
Al. Al.