Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1847-12-02
AnsDer to the Acrostical Enigma Of sOeek be-
fore lGa:-HENRY CLAY.
From the Nev York Mercantile Times

When this cry oil war ana conquest ana go-
ry began we we're happy, united, and pros.
porous people. The vast enterprise and capa-
rbili,ies of our citizens were fully employed in
profitable and honorable pursuits. The work.
shop, the field, the marts Of commerce, all wit.
messed prodigious activity and unexampled.
returns for capital, skill, and labor. The nation
was out ofdeb,. Al peace with all the world,
and obeyins those wise maxims Of The Father
of his Country which babe as avoid intermed.
ding with the affairs Of oaher nations, we were
respected abroad and before the mild glory
Of our free institutions the prejudices of the
old world stood confounded and convicted.
In tha, evil hour which bcheld US engaging
in war with our neighboring Republic ,ha, glo-
ry was dimmed in the eyes Of Europe. We
have never been able TO justify this proceed.
ing before The world. No pre,ex. or plea yet,
assigned, or TO be assged, carries the weight
Of feather with rejecting men. And wha,
have we gained in Mexico! Of friendly
neiehbor We have made an enemy, whose re-
venge will live through long centuries; and
the political institutions which, in the progress
of amcabIe intercourse, they might have bor-
rowed from Us, have now become loahsome
byword and, sooner than share in the bles.
sings of freedom with US, they would even em.
brace despolism il offered by our enemy.
Our domestic condition is certainly no, i'm
proved by The war. Through the misforlunes
of Europe afflicted with famine, and the boun-
,iful harves,s yielded by our fields enabling US
to supply them a. large profits, this country has
greatly prospered; and ,ha, accidental prosper
i,y, has masked, to great extent, the mischefs
OF the war upon ourselves. Blu. it is only for
short season. All those nconveniences and
arrangements which must, sooner or later, over
take people engaged in war Of invasion, and
conquest, must fall upon Us. Already we have
contracted deb, Of ono hundred millions of
dollars; we have created q pension lis. which
will demand many millions moro we have
sacrificed tho lives OF from twenty-five to thirty
thousand American citizens, mostly young men
and men in the vigor Of manhood We have
demoralised muIli,udes Of OUT people, and
changed The curren, of enterprise and ambition
10 new and dangerous channels above all, we
have introduced new elements Of discord, jeal.
ousy, hatred, and disunion into our political
compact, and opened an interminabls prospect
Of mischief and disorder
Suffer US to speak few words 10 view Of
the sad national miss,eps we have been cons;d-
ering. The farmers Of the United States did
no, originate this war the merchants did no, |;
The manufacturers did not they altogether did
not, Il is none Of their work. /. advances
noEe Of the interests Of either On the con-
r,ry, i. deranges, deptesses, cripples them all.
1, destroys large share Of the profits Of all the
producing classes. Who, then, did originate ii!
Politicians! Who are benefited by it! A
corps of contractors, commissaries, and the
like Will these arres. the war! Probably
not, for j. is their living. Will politicians
stop il! Yes, when the bone and sinew of The
coun,Iy-the men whose enterprise, skill. en-
ergy, industry. produce the prosperity Of the
couuiry-when the business men Of the land
come forth from their farms, their shops, their
manufactures, their counting houses, and shall
say, We are in,erfered with !; we are stopped
in our lawful and indispensable pursuits /; We
are prevented from building up the prosperity
Of OUT country and this grand interfering cause
must be put cut Of the way.
And who have better right 10 insis, upon
being heard and regarded They furnish The
money TO carry on the war, and they ough. TO
be heard. when they feel aud tell Congress that
they have been taxed TOO long and TOO heavily
for an unnecessary and injurious purpose.
We have said the unforeseen prosperity ol
the last year masked the de,simenn. which wal
inflic.s upon trade. But this s,s,e Of things
] will no, continue much longer. The business
Of The country viii experience all the evils thai
resuIr from financial arrangement. And along
with this rs rhe utter uncertainty regarding the