The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-19

VINO acquired their gains by seizng upon The dis
tress Of the government To drive hard and usurou
bargains. Ia addition, should have the Difficult
task TO perform Of restoring 70 a sound state
greatly deprecated paper circulation orof extrcai,n
ourselves from Il whatever way we eah--a lasl
which cannot be performed wIihout great distres
TO the country and runous effect 10 that large am
not usually the enterprisiog portion Of the commu
nifty, the debtors. The effects Of all this would b
highly injurious 10 the social relations Of the people
A powerful artificial class would be created on on
side, and poor and dependent one on the Other.
| Nor would Iis effect on our political lBAttntoni
be less disastrous. A would obliterate the lln'
Of distinction, in great measure, between The fed
sml and the Stale governmental, by comforting o.
the former vastly Increased power and influence
We would hear no more of State rights. The fed
sral government would thea become great nationa
consolidated government Our very success woulC
| give military impulse TO the public mind and q
the character Of the government which IL would be
hard, IL possible, 10 overcome, and which would
seek conquest after conquest, until spirit would be
engendeied totally inconsistent with the genius OF
our system Of government. IL would then be Ia {
straight and downward road, which leads 70 where
80 many free States have terminated lheir career
La military dsspotlsm. In the mean time, we would
have TO provide for three or four successful generals
who would soon be competing for the presidency;
and before the generation which waged the war
would have passed away, they might possibly wit
preme ofice--a contest between him who might
conquer Mexico, and him who might conquer Can
ada, terminated by the sword
| appeal 10 the gentlemen near me-to the warm
advocates for 'all Of Oregon or none,n regardless
of this mighty hazard, and whose separation from
US on this question regret, and solemnly put the
question 10 them--is il for you-you, who assume
10 be democrats par ercslItnes--you, who arc the
/ enemies pf the paper system, and OF all artificial
classes in sOciey-is IL for you TO support course
Of policy which might lead TO such disastrous con.
sequencc5l
But | oppose war not simply on the patriotic
ground Of citizen booking to the freedom and pros
penIy Of his own country, but on still broader
grounds, ~ friend of Improvement, civilization,
and progress. Viewed in reference TO them, at no
period has Il ever been desirable 10 preserve the
general peace which blesses the world. Never In
It's history has period occurred so remarkable as
that which has elapsed since the termination OF the
great war IN Europe, with the battle OF Waterloo
TOR the great advances made 10 all these particulars
Chemical and mechanical discoveries and inventions
have multiplied beyond all former example, adding
with their advance 10 the comforts Of life IN degree
far greater and more universal than all that was
ever known before. Civilization has dunng the
some period spread It's influence far and wide, and
the general progress in knowledge, and its diffusion
through all ranks Of society has outstrppe a that
had gone before IL. The two great agents Of the
physical world have become subject 10 the will of
man, and made subseryIent 10 his wants and
enoyments; alude TO steam and electricity,
under whatever name the latter may be called.
The former has overcome distasce both on land
and water, 10 an extent Of which former
generations had not the least conception to be
posaible. IL has in effect reduced the Atlantic 10
half ils former width, while at the same time il is
added three-fold TO the rapdIty OF intercourse by
land. Within the same period, electricity, the
greatest and most diffused of all known physical
agents, has been made the instrument for the trans
mission of thoughts, will not soy with the rspidty
of lightning hut by lightning itself Magic wires
are stretching themselves in all directions over the
earth, and when their mystic meshes shall have
been united and perfected, onr globe itself viii be-
come endowed with sensitiveness, so that whstever
touches on any one point, win be Instantly felt on
every other All these inrprovsments--a this in
creasing civilization -all the progress now making
would be in great measure arrested by war be-
tween and Great Britain. As great il is It's
but the CONFERENCE.-The dawn Of a new civiliza-
ton more refined, more elevated, more intellectual
more moral, than the present and all preceding it
Shall il be we who shall incur the high responsible
ty o. retardng its advance, and by such a war as
this would tie ... .. . ..|
am, in this connection, opposed TO war between
the United States and Great Britain. They are
the two countries the farthest in advance in this
great career Of improvement and ameioration Of the
condition of our race. They are, BESIDES the two
most commercial, aud drffusng, by their wide
" extended commerce, their blessings over the
whole globe. We have been raised up by Provi.
dence for these great and noble purposes, and
trust we shall not fail to fulfil our high destiny.
am, besides, especially opposed to war with Eng
land at this time; because hold that it was now to
be decided, whether we tn exist in future as
friends or enemies. War at this time and for this
cause, would decide in which Of the two relations
we shall hereafter stand. II would give birth to
struggle in which the other would have sue
cumb before it terminated; and which, in the end,
might prove runous to BOTH On the contrary, if
war can be avoided, powerful causes are now in OPP
Grafton calculated to cement and secure lasting
hope perpetual-peace between the two coun- |
tries, by breaking down the barriers which impede |
their commerce. and thereby uniting them more
closely by a vastly enlarged commercial intercourse,
equally beneficial to both II we should now
succeed in setting the example of free trade between
us. il would force all other civilized countries 10
follow it in the end. The consequence would be, |
to dffuse prosperity greater and more universal
than can be well conceived, and to unite by bonds Of
mutual interest the people Of all countries. But in
advocating the cause Of free trade am actuated not
less by the political consequences likely TO flow
from it, than the advantagesto be derived from Il
an economical point of view. regard il in the dis
pensation of Providence one of the great means
of usherng in the happy period foretod by inspired
prophets and poets, when war should be no
more. '." ~.
J
peace Is pre-eminenly our policy. There may be
nations, restricted 70 small territory, hemmed in on
all Sides 80 situated that war may be necessary to
their greatness. Such IL not our case. Providence
has given us an inheritance stretching across the
entire continent from East to West, from ocean to
ocean, and from North to South, over by far the
greater and better part Of the temperate zone II
comprises region not only of vast extent, but album
dsut in all resources; excellent in climate; fertile
and exuberant in soil; capable Of sustaining in the
plentiful enjoyment Of all the necessaries Of life
population Of ten times our present number. Our
great mission as people, is to occupy this vast do
main; to replenish it with an intelligent, virtueus
and industrious population to convert the forests
into cultivated fields; to drain the swamps and mo-
raises, and cover them with rich harvests to build
up cities, towns, and villages in every direction and
to unite the whole by the most rapid intercourse be-
tween all the parts. War would but impede the
ful6lment Of this high mission, by absorbing. the
mean. and divertng the energies which would be
devoted to the purpose. On the contrary, secure
peace, and time, under the guidance OF sagacous
and cautious policy, wise and mastery mac,
tivity, will speedily accomplish the whole. J
ventured TO say wise and mastery inactivity,
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