The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-12-26
CITY OF WASHINGTON.
SATURDAY NIGHT, DEC. go, 1916.
The Predieament OF the Opposition.

rsaon-the prisoner l1ould not let him! The Mexican
war the Tartar Of the opposition party The war
duly denounced, disayowed, and roted toT-has been at
asl deliberately chosen by the Federal leaders and their
presses the main ground OF attack against the Admin.
sranon Beyond all doubt and whatever may come Of
il, the Tartar fully and fairly caught The recent
war debate in Congress is stout effort Of the Fedeasts
ito bring him home" Let see how has succeeded
When the President, in May last sent in his War Mes
sage to Congress- there to have been three distinct
and Ineligible lines OF partisan policy open to the Oppo
uhon FIRST acting on the somewhat famous motto of
"Or country however bounded" they might merge all
party lines upon the question, and join cordially to sus
AIN and prosecute the the just and necessary war
Of the country or, in the second place, planting them
selves the alleged ground OF moral right and political
good conscience, they might sternly withhold all
enance aud sanction from the whole proceeding demand
General Taylors immediate recall TO this side Of the Nue.
ces and supplies, il at ALL only with view TO his
safe retreat or the third place, holding firmly to their
party position upon the war, but looking upon il
trtg fad, in which the rights and honor OF the coun-
try were involved however unjustihably they mightyet
refuse to make il basis Of party action, Ton the ground
that such action would give laid and comfort" TO the en-
emy and silently acquesce, for the sake of the
y in all the measures OF the Administration and of the
responsible majority, to maintain it,
OF these three modes Of procedure-cordal support OF
The war utter reputation OF it, and silent acquiescence
IN 1.-THE first, its cordial support, TO at
plain dictate OF patriotic duty, and OF sound party policy
However this may be- each OF these three OF
lon is at least Ineligible and consistent But the oppo
son leaders and journals have reasoned differently; and
in the course of the late debate in Congress they have
placed themselves if by peverse ingenuity of self
discontinue in Prelcament absolutely without paal-
lei, and which will mark epoch in our party history
They have denounced the war just enough to crimnate
themselves when they support it, and they have support
ed il just enough to study themselves when they de-
nounce it. II one-half OF what their abes men say of
the war-of its wckedness, OF its motives and OF its
consdtutionaybe true, then why have they voted men
and money "with view TO its successful prosecution
Over and over again they have told that the war con-
dennis and dlsgaces the country that il is nefarious in
It's purposes and that must be balefu in its results
How statesmen, with these views shield themselves
from the responsibility OF aiding to carry it on? II the
administration had, before the 18th OF May last sinned
so greyousy against all law, divine and human, why
should the Federalists, even while filling the air with
their denunclations OF the crime yet consent to make
themselves parties to il, by passing law which their
organ has udiCrously enough termed San act of in
demny p II, the other hand these charges against the
war false, exaggerated how sad is the plight
and how suicidal is the policy OF a great party which
seeks credit with the country by classifying the countrys
cause, aud bringing its or which themselves have
voted) into dscred and reproach If, in word the war
was good enough to be voted for then why denounce
every step OF General Taylor into Mexico was dis
honor to the country, why vote fifty thousand men and
ten millions, not to get hun back again. but to send him
further on! Ii the President has, as the Federalsts
charge, usurped from the purposes the highest
powers in direct violation OF the constitution to the
present dshonor and future embarrassment OF the coun
try then why place all the military and naval force with
hosts OF volunteers and immense sums of money! at b,,
disposal to carry such usuped powers into the very full
est effect! These questions have not been answered in
the debate, and they are entirely unanswerabe. The
Federal argument and nvectve against the war might 20
for something if they were not stared out of counenance
by the Federal votes Those votes would be credable to
the Fedeass indicating the performance of patriotc
sentiment party considerations, they were not
vodel and neutrazel BY denuncations OF the war as
national dishonor before the civilized world. There is
escape from the dilemma Having first recorded their
for the prosecution OF the war; the Felerass have
been for the last fortnight aborousy engaged in show
ing that they recorded against all good con-
science. We remember similar of Bipartisan
faulty To proclaim the unjust and aggressive and
thus put the country in the wrong against the foreign
enemy, in itself most grave responsibility. To do
this with the avowed motive of bringing the enemy to
Just terms OF peace possible absurdity
But 50 to denounce the with such motive after
harng Voted for ii, climax of grotesque selfcona-
dcton altogether without example.
The details of the Federal warfare against the war are
quite worthy OF this its general conception as line OF
party policy. First among these stands the attack upon
the Proclamations issued in California and New Mexico
These were, their face attempt to mitigate the rig
ors OF martial law in those countries pending their militia
y occupation. In so far as they might purpor to be
anything else permanent and important-that is, in
50 far as they might look TO annexation, to permanent
legislation by executive authority-hey were, in
this respect under the constitution only utilities, and ipso
tacto void Yet the Proclamations rallied upon as
main ground of attack and that by the very men who
most loudly deprecated those very evils and hardshps of
military possession in the conquered territory which
gate And how is this attack conductedi II comes in
the form OF call for Instructions, the answer to which
places the administration on the highest ground of
scrupuous regard both for the constitution and for the
Laws Of Nations modified by the Christian spirit of
The age and thus sweeps away the whole ground