The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-30

mighty West OF less value than that of the East
national honor more cheaply now than then; no
IL be that he dsrusts the wise discretion Of tn
Executive.
| Our commerce was almost limitless, extended Il
every sea, and should be adequately protected TIL.
senator supposed because il had been respected, i
must be 80 hereafter. But, should our relations be
come less friendly, what authority had he for say
ing that il would be protected them The assertion
Of that senator, that one frgate and few smaller
vessels were sufficient 10 protect our commerce il
the Mediterranean, at the time when the Barbary
powers were lawess band Of pirates, should have
been accompanied by statement of the fact, thai
most Of the great powers OF Christendom were
paying tribute 10 this detestabe horde Of lawless
robbers, and, after our prisoners had groaned for
nineteen months in Turkish prison. were inglori-
ousy reasoned by a large amount Of money, and a
much larger amount Of national disgrace And such
was the opinion formed of our ability and spirit by
the Bsshaw Of Tripoli, that in his fancied power,
and petty insoisnce, he declared, that II he had one
frigate and Two brigs he would blockade .7sasiea!
The senator al one moment objected 70 Tho bill,
because Il was war measure, and would require
great expenditures at another, that il too in
Significant and mesgre for preliminary war meas
ure and, againi u was too comprehensive, because
Of the authorityn conferred Spon the Executive TO
bring into service IL necessary, the whole disposal
BILE force of the country That senator might have
either horn Of the dilemma, but should not have
both. IL might perhaps be resisted because too
limited, TOO extensive in It's provisions, but not
with much propriety or force Of Argument from the
same senator, because il was both.
Mr.. d. desired TO see the country placed in a de-
SIDED and unequiyocal state Of defence-not such
state as would be required in ofopen and ae-
tual hostility, but such state as would cause the
patton TO be respected abroad, and would insure
respect at home. He hoped and trusted we should
baye no war. He regarded the late news from
abroad decidedly pacific, particularly the failure Of
Lord John Russell TO form a cabinet with Lord
Palmerston In the foreign office; nor would Eng
land or any other nation be likely, wmtony, to
wage war with nation who was furnishing them
bread. Still II was the dictate of prudence, Of ex-
perlence, of patriotism, and Of true economy 10
make such reasonable and preliminary preparations
as the temper OF the times Would justify, and the
vast interests Of the nation seemed 10 demand. He
denied tina, the resources OF the nation were weak,
or that the people were penurlous. They sought
no war, but they would hold those RESPONSE.
BILE to whom they had con6d.d their best and
highest interests, if they did not put forth the
nergies OF the government when the dark
clouds Of war lowered over Mr. ID. be
l,eved that adequate preparation would be the har-
binger OF peace. IL there any one matter which
Great Britain understood better than another il was
the spirit and temper Of her adversary. She
knows (ssld Mr.. d. our condition much better
than we do hers. She has long played at game
where the destinies Of nations are the hazards.
Her history for two hundred years shows that
when she has dealt with tame, spiritless, and
yascillatng power, she has been bold, cxacting,
and aggressive, eud stretched out her mailed arm
over them but IL she has been met at the threshold
as she should, and he trusted would be, by the
American people, she had fourd some quiet aud
way Of disposing Of the question, under
the allegation that the commercial interests Of the
world, and the Christian religion, forbid that civil
ized nations should engage in war. And such
will now be her conclusion, il she secs quiet and
peaceful, yet firm and manly spirit, and Becoming
preparation to resist aggression. Nations, like in
dlyIduals, as they become civilized, Chrisuanized,
and cultivated, were disinclined to resort to the
arbitramsnt Of physical force, or to rush precipi-
lately into boolless and bloody conflict.
War, 1t had been often suid--and its truth must
be admItted-was Great calamity; and the way to
avoid It was TO look il fully in the face and not TO
SIT tarrely down. and brook insult and dishonor and
tremble at the maotion Of Its name because forsooth
among Its calamous results must be the destruction
of property, and the loss Of human bf. All this
should be properly appreciated but there were con-
sderations far dearer than either, and nations like
individuals, should cherish an untarnshed memory.
War was not the only destroyer. On either hand,
the aged and the young were descending to their
final resting place, amid the pursuits of peace; and
that mighty commercial mania, which but recently
swept over the land, brought, if poss ible train of
evils more numerous and deadly, and more destruc-
tive to commerce. than and its attendant horrors
IL had long been the theme of some TO magnify
the power Of Great Britain--the mistress of the
ocean, as she was called by way of omphass---and
10 cry down that OF our own; and so prevailing had
been this sentiment, that it was proposed to confnc
our gallant little navy to mere harbor defence du.
ring the late war. But it went forth 10 battle and
crowned itself with glory, and gaddened every pa
trlouc heart in the nation. During that war, in
most OF the leading actions between vessels of SIM
Ilar force 1t would be seen that in killed and wound
ed Great Britain lost more than three to one; and
to say nothing of the results of naval conflicts, she
lost In that brief war with us than one-ourh of
her merchant marne-much more than in her pro-
tracted and bloody war with France from It's COM
mencement to its termination, where the destinies
OF Europe hung for moment upon the coming of
night or Butcher! Great Britain had large and
formidable force, especially upon paper; for The re-
turns OF her admiralty were like the monthly &C.
counts OF an nsovent bank, where everything was
reported available. Many of her reported vessels
were rotten, worthless convict-shps, modelled after
plan OF Noah, and others, steam tugs and coast
ers, which could not be made available for offensive
war. Still, she had formidable physical power.
which should not be moderated; but she was sadly
deficient in her moral elements. Where she had one
subject who arose in the morning alive to the honor
and interest of the country, how many thousands
had she who awoke to starve and curse the light
She was making active preparation, but whether it
was to silence the hungry mouths of her own starv-
ing millions, or to rerpetuate her tyranncal and OPP
pressive reign over the down-trodden sons Of Ire
land, or to plant her armed heel more firmly in
Asia, was perhaps uncertain. She had much to do
besides to awe this Union into subsection to her de-
mands; and it WINS apparent as the meridian sun
that she would wage no war upon US if she found us
prepared and united, for she knew full well that we
could then successfully resist the world in arms.
Should war be fastened upon us now, (said Mr..
ID. we have learned from competent authority that
1t is to meet with no resistance at home; but every
heart will glow with patriotic ardor, and every hand
be raised Tor his country's veal. The lights that
once burned blue will now burn brightly, and light
on the sons OF freedom to victory and glory.
Mr. ID. said he had not discussed our rights in
Oregon nor would he now, further than to say, if
belonged to Great Britain, in whole or in part, let it
at once be yielded to her; if the title to it was IN
VOWED, obscure, and doubtful, he would compro-
muse II IN almost any manner, except by arbration
but ~ as he believed our title was clear and unques-
uonaple, ne would not yield up the most rock-bound
island IN the northwestern archipelago to purchase
peace 1t Was not the WY to secure peace, or to
cure respect Ifingorous peace must be purchased,
which he denied, let it be done openly and directly,
ana pay a consideration in dollars and cents, and
mus keep up self-respect far possible
show OF sovency and not like n Irodigal and bank