The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-11-03
THE UNION.
City OF WAsHIN TON.
TUESDAY NIGHT, NOV. 8, 1S46,
THE WARTS CosT AND IT'S VALUE,

No American patriot can regret the war OF 1917
Yet il cost many precious lives, and more than one
hundred millions oftreasure. II is now one OF the
boasts eur annals because il was wased Tor just
causc; and because il closed in treaty OF peace
which did not expressly secure TO us all the objects
for which II was prosecuted, il yet elevated Amer-
can nationality in the view of the civilized world ana
gave to American rights the sanction oil a great
renown.
View the Mexican war in this light. Is il waged
on due causel Six millions of debt, aeoruing with
in ten years through series Of robberes OF American
property each one ofWhieh was at once wilfui yio-
Iaton of the public faith then recently Plghted IN
solemn treaty, dishonor to the American flag, and
left unpublished an enduring stigma on the AmerI-
can characier-such is the first count in the great
national indictment which the United States present
TO the world, in their controversy with Mexico,
Add to this the multiplied outrages Of Mexico, per-
petrated in every form Of matreatment upon the
persons Of American citzens-the absolute refusal
of that wretched government to fulfil even one 1.-THE
Of her ardy stpulatons Of reparation-her deliber-
ate disregard Of the rights of independent sovereign
ties in the question Of Texan annexauon-her con-
temptuous and insulting rejection of all our profers
of negotiation--her entire rupture, when ia posi-
ton of gross wrongdong towards US, of that diplo-
matte intercourse which is the only bond Of peace
among nations count up one by one these enormous
offences, and then leaving out Of view her barbarian
onslaught upon our soldiers and our soil, let any
man, who has the heart of American citizen, de-
eide whether so coercive cause for war, so garing
easus beli, has once risen in the recent annals Of
civilized nations.
And what, thus far, has been the moral effect OF
the war thus waged' Who estimate the value,
TO this nation, Of the tdings which have come to us
from the Rio Grande, and from Monterrey Precious
blood has, indeed, besprinkled those brilliant battle
fields and large national expenditure has been incurred
to secure their triumphs. But the spectacle which
they present is Of the proudest, and useful it is
proud They have taught in mode never to be
forgotten TO all the nations, the great lesson of re-
spect for American rights. They have brought
home to the conviction of all men the vgor Of dem
ocratic institutions They have shown that our
republican organization, though prone to peace, is
prompt and capable TO redress wrong. They
have shown perhaps it has never before been
shown the heroism Of the American citizen, when
he leaves his field or his workshop to grid on his
newly forged sword The monarchies of the Old
World and their standing armies have seen in, these
deeds spectacle full of precious instruction. The
Oregon controversy, as conducted by our Execu
tive, raised our diplomacy to a new height of re-
nown; the Mexican war; as fought by the nation,
has augmented the moral force Of our national char
acter throughoutthe world. ...a... .
And the ends Of this war are worthy of u.s. They
are the highest. We demand in 1t just repair alton
for the past the observance of public faith pledged
in treaties, the sacred mmunities which belong TO
civilized and independent nations choosing to unite
their destinies in free government full indemnfca
ton for the sacrifices and the expenditures needed to
redress our wrongs, and adequate guarantees and
securities from future injury and insult These
the ends of our war These are the elements es-
sendal and Indispensable Of honorable and perma-
nent peace.
But it is urged by those Mexican organs among
US, who would saorifce to the rage of faction the
fame and the rights Of our country, that our
war is aggressiye-a war Of attack and lava
sion. With the blood of our soldiers first split
in a Mexican onset, this may well be denied.
But denial is needless. The partisan journals who
have not shamed, themselves. We turn with pleas
ure in this connection, to the patriotic appeal put
forth on this very topic by the National Intel
ligencer on the 24lh of November, 1914. 1t
reads as folows "Of all the extravagances which
have been generated among us, by spirit Of party,
there is not one which will be repieped by history,
and by the deluded pariisans emeices, in their
sober moments, with more surprise and disgust than
the clamors against the inpasions of Canada, in
consistent with JUST AND DEFENSIVE WAR" i
"All the world knows, because common sense
teaches, that war is unjust and offensive, not o.,
The side that first makes in form, Bat the side
which BY MroLERABLE ACTS OF INJUSTICE GIVES
CAUSE FOR THE WAR" .. r,.. .....f g.. . !
"The policy, much more the justice, of carrying
the into the onemys country, in order TO make
his interest 10 ogree 10 just peace, was never called in
question: in any age or country, before it was done
by The party opposed TO the present administration If
we did not see many other proofs Of the irtana-
ton produced by party passions, it would be mpossi-
bic to ascribe strange noveity, and so gross an
absurdity Ito any other cause than TO most BASE
and HYPOTHETICAL PRETExT." .. n |
"To say, as is said, that the suffering inhabitants
Of the territory invaded by arms, innocent of
the wrongs done by their government, and are in
voluntary in the part they take in the war, height
ems, If possible, The Extravaganza d.. ..'IeI
In 1914, the National Intelligencer the patri-
otto "organ" of patriotic administration. In SO
far, too, it the organ" Of the patriotism of the
country. 81 sic semperi But how sad and shame
full change has now come over the spirit which
that party "organ" once so proudly borel .r