American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-07-14
FLETCHER wEBsrER's GRAFTON,
Wars DEFENDED AS NECESSARY.

Fletcher Webster, Esq, son of the Hon.
Daniel Webster, in his Grafton on the 4th of
Y uly, at Faneuil Hall, Boston, took the follow
! ing view of the necessity of nations wagng
: var against each other, under present circnm-
tances, and of the duty of each citizen to lend
bis aid to his country:
When every individual on the face of the
globe shall he governed by u conscientious
sense OF the right; when no one shall desire
amy thing which his neiqhbor possesses; when
Every one shall he a law, and just and right
eous and we'll obeyed law to himself; when all
nations shall be ruled solely by wisdom and
Rirtue, and influenced by a perfect regard to
the welfare Of others; when, in short, men
shall be changed IN nature, and every evil pas
sion Graduated from the human breast, wars
will cease TO be. Until this time shall have
come, which, alas, does not seem to hasten
Rapidly towards us, whatever may be our yea
lous wishes, or ardent desires, we must con-
duct ourselves with regard TO things not as we
kwould have them, but as they really are; we
must remember our actual position and respon-
sibiiities, that we are citizens not of Ethiopia,
but of the United States of North America.
The scholar, the man of the closet, the en-
thusiast, the speculative philanthropist, may,
or impossible things; he may throw off all res
possibility as citizen and member of socie-
ty, aid freed from this cumbersome weis hit
which keeps others in the dusty road of practi-
cal life, he may pursue his theories and speou-
81 lations to the end of their flight He may
paint beautiful world of unwearied peace
and hold it up to our longing eyes; denounce
q all violence and all resort to arms; declare to
US how much of a PITY it is, that "villanous
satpetre has been digged out of the bowels OF
the harmless EARTH" and we may listen to his
/ fine declamations and glowing periods, and
1 join withhin in his denunciatioRs of the hor-
rors of war; but we listen in vain for any de-
scripton of newly discovered, short, Practi-
I cal and feasible way of attaining TO such a
4 lovely condition OF things, in which there will
be no further need of physi cal force for the
government and protection of society and Of
nations.
Could there be some means o. reaching such
condition pointed out to US, which we could
act upon, it would become us at once to make
the attempt We approve the o!ject heartily,
every body approves it, the whole world de.
sires il; our education and our religion teach US
1 TO hope aud pray that such an event may al
last arTVe. II needs no eXhOrtatOn to arouse
our desires. We ask only the way to obtain
them; but what sort OF direclions do we receives
1t is recommended TO US 10 begin the work by
dismantDg our naves, disbanding our armies
disorganlzlng our militia, destroying our forts
arsenals and magazines, making ourselves ut
terly defenceleSs, and trusting every thing tina
we have to the mercy Of foreign and strange
nations, to whom our institutions are wholly
repugnant, our prosperity and increasing great
ness continual eye-sole, and our whole his
tory and existence, a source u daily Dispute
and apprehension.
How long after such an experiment was mad
do the authors of these sentiments suppose thel
would have the opportunity of expressing them
To what, except that freedom, freedom 0
thought and right ofspeech, purchased by tn
blood of the wise and valiant of former days
and defended by the arms oftheir felow-citlzun
this moment, do they owe the favor of ben!
protected in the utterance Of such ldeas2 T
freedom dearly bought and to little purpose,
one OF its earliest uses is to destroy the YER
means by which ii has been achieved and is nov
maintained. We listen to such doctrines with
out impotence and without disturbance, be
cause VIC know that they can never be adopted
Did we believe that any considerable portion @
our community could seriously think of actin
upon them, there would be general uprising
OF amazement and Indignation. Such view
are not tor men who have, as we have, gray
practical matters on hand; the government of
great country, full of most important interest:
exposed to rivalry and competition every where
with felloW-clt zens scattered all over the WorIC
looking home to us for protection and def nee
great commerce to take care of; flag /
cause to be respected on every sea; great tel
ritory to settle and preserve; growing poster
ty to provide for, aud national name, and
national honor, aud national rights, to Wind
cate, and maintain and uphold.
We may, and should, as citizens, do ever
thing TO avert ,oar. We should seek to Civ
no occasion Tor war; as good men and wise mer
as Christians, and as men Of business, we shoul
endeavOr 10 preserve peace; but, certainty, W
should, in neither of these relations, do an
thing which would disable US from defendln
ourselves, should war be brought upon us, {
put II out osour power to protect those VIII
have right TO look TO us for help. To Pr
away our arms, to render ourselves powerles
TO invite aggression and insult, is not the wa
to begin the introduction OF universal peace.
! War 10 but the result OF certain causes; it
but the fruit OF certain seeds; it springs from u
sane source which nourshes all other instit
tions which are b,sed upon the application
physical force. 1t would be Just as wise ar
reasonable TO attack all courts of law, to o,
down all PRISONS, 10 declam against the const
ble's baton, and the jalor's bolts and bars;
begin by abohrhing all means Of punishment
with " Of eradirating crimos, as TO desiro
all meahe Of nationai defence, with view ,
putting al END to wax This is mere plucl