The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-03-26

frontier; and let no one sheer at the men,ion of
such power. Feeble as it now is, when paid
and supported by British gold. and trained and
| commanded by British officers, Mexico would
prove formidable enemy. See what British
skill and training have made of the feeble Sepoys
The Mexicans are a Drawer and harder people
and, what is no small point, ould constitute the
cheapest of all armies. There must be- in addl-
: tion one to guard tho gulf frontier; another 10
guard the southern anotheF the northern frontier
on the Atlantic; another to assail the northeastern
frontier on the side of Nova Scotia and New
brunswick another to assai the Canadian and
nnally another toprotect our widely extended In
iian frontier. All these, in 50 mighty n struggle
against the greatest of all powers, putting forth
her utmost strength, would require a force, inclu-
ning the two naves, of not less, ] would suppose,
. Than 20O,UO0 men continually in pay. The ex-
pense would be enormous. One of the most ven
cradle and experienced Of our citizens, Mr. Gala
Tin, has estimated it a, 65 or 20 millions of dol
lars annually, Ifmy memory serves me. NV i'm
preston is that il falls far short of the actual Gust
and that SlO0,0O0,000 would not be an over es
Innate. Surprising the sum of s so 600 900 could
De annually raised by taxatiOn--a sum ia greater
Than the estimates, and in my opinion much be-
yond what could be effected-it would leave
s5OOOO,OOO annually to be raised by loans or a
forced paper circulation. Now, allowing the war
to continue for ten years, there would be incurred
debt in the time of $500, 900. 900. according to
these estimates. Even that, il is prubable would
fall much short of the reality assuming the sum
stalled should be annually required 1t would be
difficult 10 obtain loans in Europe; for, owing TO
the conduct of some of the States in reference 10
reputation, and other causes not necessary TO
state, the feeling Of Europe would, | fear, be
generally against us, while our own resources
would not be sufficient 10 raise the sum required
without great depreciation of our credit, with
loss of 20, 80, even DO per cent before the
lyar in inf I,oo
consequence of the depreciation of our paper cir
culaion. Including ALL our public debt would
Il! the end of the struggle, be probably not less
than six or seven hundred millions of dollars
But this is not ALL
We would be plunged into the paper system
as deeply as we were in the days of the revolu-
ton and would terminate the war with mort
gage ut SIX or seven hundred million of dollars on
the labor OF our peOple-for on labor the whole
must fall ultimately, while large portion of this
vast amount would go into the pockets of those
who struck not blow, nor lost drop of blood in
The contest, and who acquired their gains by seiz-
ing upon the distress Of the government to drive
hard and usurlous baIgains. In addition, we
should have the difficult task to perform of ros-
toring to sound state greatly deprecated pa
per circulation, or OF eXiricating ourselves from it
whatever way we cana task which cannot be
performed without great distress to the country
and runous to that large and not usually the
tors The effects of this would be highly injuri-
Gus to The social relations of the people, A pow
eriul artificial class would be created on one side
and poor and dependent the other
Nor would its effect our political institutions
be less disastrous. would oblilerate The
line OF distinction, In great measure, between
the Federal and the State governments by con-
lerTIng on the former vastly increased power and
influence. We would hear no more of State
rights. The Federal government would then
become great national consolidated government
Our very success would give military impulse
TO the public mind and to the character of the
government which it would be hard, if possible,
TO overcome, and which would seek conquest after
conquest, until spirit would be engendered to-
tally inconsistent with the genius of our system
OF government. 1t would then be in straight
and downward road, which leads TO whore so
many free States have terminated their career
military despoilsm. In the mean time, we
would have to provide for three four successive
generals, who would soon be competing for the
Presidency, and before the generation which
waged the war would have passed away they
might possibly witness contest between hostile
generals for that supreme oifice--a contest be-
tween him who might conquer Mexico, and him
who might conquer Canada, terminated by the
sword.
appeal TO the gentlemen near me-to the
warm advocates for " all Of Oregon or noneo
regardless Of this mighty hazard, and whose sep
aration from us on this question | regret, aud
solemnly put the question to them--is it for
yon-you, who assume to be Democrats, par eg-
ceHence-you, who are the enemies Of the pa
per system, and of all artificial classes in soci-
eiy-ls it for you to support course Of policy
which might lead TO snch disastrous consequences
Bnt oppose not simply on the patriotic
ground Of a citizen looking to the freedom and
prosperity of his own country, but on still broad
grounds, as friend Of improvement, civiliza-
tion and progress. Viewed in reference TO them,
at no period has II ever been so desirable to pre-
serve the general peace which now blesses tho
world. Never in its history has a period occur
red so remarkable as that which has elapsed since
the termination Of the great war in Europe, with
the battle Of Waterloo, for the great advances
made in all these particulars. Chemical and me-
chanlcal discoveries and inventions have multi
piled beyond all former example, adding with
their Advance to the comforts Of life in degree
far greater and more universal than all that was
ever known before Civilization has during the
same period spread its Influence far and wide, and
the general progress in knowledge. and its diTu-
sion through all ranks Of society, has outstripped
all that had gone before IT, The two great AGENTS
r . - 4, -.