The daily union., 1846-10-29
com mUNICATIoNs
For tAs / Union
rJIs WAX AND the OPPOSITION TO IrI

TIE WAR AND THE OPPOSITION 10 ~
rThs Union falling into the mistake Of ll' class
considers Little less than traitoronA all those ouAf
eompfisipg OF the whole number Ia the conn
tFy) which denonnce the with deNico ss hAhB hN
Sns Of ihoss dsep nalons wrongs and
cessiies which only osiy an 80 dysa and
mo-, solsiy bs personal ambition BY motives oftertor
aequisuion and pdizement, for party ends"
The above is part Of an editorial article in the MAJ
tiona Inteligeneer of the 18th OF October The arI
ticle has the following conclusion; "Shall the eoenI
try bleed lis treasure be wasted it's resources dried
no. its government impoverished, It's people be
Slaughtered by hundreds, and families made deso-
late by the sword-shall all this be brought on the
.unlry By tho weakness or wiekedness OF its rus
es and be seen or suffered in crouchlng snbmssion
lest the, OF our rulers be offended oy the ishf
euage og remonstrance' Is such the liberty OF The
press. which the organ OF democracy would
each IA the voice OF eomplaiptto be hushed, also,
Iest The enemy may hear in No, indeedi and we
can tell tho Union that but for the halo which ths
vaIor and devotion OF our brave army ana us uuIy
glorious achievements have shed around this war,
ihoae complaints wsud have rang through the land
in such tones as TO make the hearts Of all who have
had part or lot in bringing so great calamity on me
country, quake with terror. The day for thus will
come" sJ H.1,l &
dressed. and, at FIRST blush, might mslead, under the
that wea feel In this country, lest mnd,
M ,hs nan should be shackled; but II involves un-
sound princples. II a Law for raising revenue OF
protecting or one relating TO lhe cur
rency or lor selling the public landsi or Tor eniargns
the warehonsing SYSTEM or any o'her law relnsins
10 our domestic policy be opposed, no matter how
vehement the opposition, the consequence OF that
oonosition simply is, a greater or less degree OF
prosperty al home, according To the different opn-
ions prevalent among ourselves as TO the wisdom OF
such measures, and exPedieney OF adopting or re-
But w.a brings us into instant conflict with for
ei1, nover. and opposition TO laws placing us IN
that extraordinary state, may create consequences
he most fatal or aggraSate ntrnsically heavy evils
thai cannot be avoided. Torenls OF blood may
flow, and vast treasure be expended mat might nave
h,rn saved bul for the aid and comfort infused into
"a, hsart Of he enemy by eh opposiion-not to speak
of the clogs which II puts upon our measures Tor
subduins him. II the public enemy be tormlda-
HE one. The aid and comfort he so gets may lead to
the ruin Of country by extingushing It's very In
dependence; fate not unknown 10 hauons IN ms
tory, and which has been brought on 10 this man
Ber. -, .,;,,-
or,hs Io,eIioeneer the obstacles and imminent dan
g,rs thrown before the country by federal opposi-
tion in the war Of 1912 (whoso presses then prooa-
bIv COMPRISED ,wo-thirds of the whole number in
an. eountry0 Their able pen, and patriotic spirit,
constantly, eloquenty, and severely reprehended
Thai onnosition; and | am not for impeaching their
patriotic feelings now, however may think them
directed by an erroneous judgment, and deplore the
effects Of such error IN the influence OF It's example
ON the whig press throughout the Union.
In seems TO be not sufficiently kept in mind that
the war-making power with us is the whole coun-
t.y, The President has 1t not. Regular war can
only finally come through the public WIZ deliberate
lv expressed by both houses OF Congress, in con-
function with the Executive. Our war-making
po,er is therefore, the nation ITSELF speaking in the
only way m which its voice can be known and
nromulyated In this feature, one OF so transcend
snt nature politically, our system OF government
is single among the great nations OF the globe In
England, France, and all the regal and imperial
governments of the Old World, the war-msking
power belongs not to Legislative bodies, but to the
executive heads,
Under such asystem--and above all, where our
national and confederate representation in both
houses of Congress, and in the executive branch is
as full and perfect, perhaps, as human conrivsnce
could make it-might not well pause little, and
.sk what is our true public duty when war actually
comes, IL is an extremity, solemn and momentous,
,vbenever il does come In the United States it has
been rare; and this made the spectacle animating-
truly ennobling to this republican sys,em--which
checked vain glory If Mexico at length brought on
the battle with US Then was seen burst Of pairi-
otism throug hout the land, unanimously ralyng
round the constituted authorities; and. IL was
a spectacle full of political beauty, and of the
deepest interest and instruction. IL was one
Of foreign nations, well as made our own
bosoms heave; but, alas, it has been fast fading
away under the mildew of party. War has rarely
been our lot because of the hands in which the war
making power is lodged, which makes a reference
to the entire public viii Indispensable before waging
il France did not wait for the consent Of her legs
latiye chambers when she sent her Admiral Baudln,
accompanied by her Prince de Joinvie, TO attack
Mexico, in 1899. She bombarded the forlihcations,
took possession OF the castle Of st. Juan d'Ulos,
and informed her chambers of It afterwards. This
brought Mexico to terms. She attacked Algiers
also. in IS29 under mere kingly and cabinet coun-
sells and for nothing but insult upon her consul,
without however, having as yet brought that race
TO terms though she has been fighting knee deep in
blood ever since. o, for what causes may not
those refined nations betake themselves to the ar
bitrament of the sword; whilst our own citizens
come down with their thunders upon their own
government for this war with Mexico! Nor did
England think of asking leave of her Parliament
when determining to send her squadrons to coerce
Mexico into Justice; which threat, and the certainty
Mexico felt that il would be executed by England
as by France, produced the effect desired. h
What more natural than that Mexico wilfuliy
persisted in her i'll treatment OF US from her knOwl.
edge Of the clogs upon the warmaklng power in the
United States' The most natural inference Is, that
she did not believe we would ever go to war with
her at ALL after all that had borne; and hence the
increase of her wrongs was in proportion TO sub
mission Surely no intelligent person, who reads
in spirit of candor that part OF President Polk's
opening message 10 Congress Of The % Of December
last which relates to Mexico, and his special mes.
cage Of the llth of May, can by any possibility hes
ate to pronounce the injuries wrongs, and ou'rages
zoe received from Mexico ten times greater thar
those inflicted upon either France or England II
those messages The President spoke from the record
He officially communicated to the nation facts which
were authentic and incontestable. Throughout lons
wears we crept like snail, though under the full
sense Of these injuries, wrongs, and outrages; bu
having at last raised the arm OF redress and punish
ment against Mexico let it bear down all before it
This Is one Of Montesqueu's figures in relation to
republics, when he speaks Of their movements as
apt to be very slow or very quick We realized toe
Mr the first part Of the figure, and suffered from
and how, il we do not signslly illustrate the second
part Of il, we shall egregously fail in national vgoI
and wisdom. fg.
And here would introduce, as pertinent to my
subject, few words on the conduct Of the war,
As ono private citizen, looking upon it's events from
~. r,,rcn,ant M NV farm am infinitely proud oi