Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1847-10-12
THE w Ar.

low every honorable. sensitive and re-
hcctinr mini. must revolt at tho horrors
and tho miserable objects of this infamous
var, As general Scott well remarks. IN a
late letter II Santa Anna, ''too much blood
has already been shed IN this unnatural
war between the two Republics Of tins
Co7.inant.' and that at is time that the
differences between them shoa'd be AMIGA
blv and honorabIy settled" IN cider
and a moro powerful nation. hy force OF
arms. seek ia. the blood md The lands OF 4
weak ami distracted sister Ropablic! When
General Scott surveyed the scenes OF
slaughter. presented b. the iata fields OF
batlle. where no - ~ thousands Of The dead.
Avia1 aud wounded. friends and foe. who
md fallen IS The victims o! the ambition
Of ,iIat base man AMI his advisers, JAMES
K. pa1.l. we do not wonder that he pro-
no, /, an ..arrnisticc,, and that IN iettor
to tho Chief of the Mexican Nation. he
characterized tho war "a Bloody and "lS-
NATURAL" Not only unnatural. but with
ont The slightest excuse or p1'liatlon. Not
with,:auding the annexation of Texas.
which was Al act Of war on our part. hos:l-
lite. NIGH. hive been avoided Mr.. Polk,
intent on conquest 10 cover The disgrace OF
his loss of five degrees of tituda IN IT,
Crernn .a-.:.~-y, .eiocled nedtelioh' qu,o'
h!eI. through his Secretary ot State, iike
n sinister and unscrupulous dcm7gogue,
about the distinction between Commis-
s.aner and Minister Plenipoent'nry, and
BY daring usurpatlon, unknown IN our
historical annals, commenced the war. IN
yo!vinr US iii n con,es. which. Tor lts
perfiIv, wantonncss and flsgi,iois charrc-
ter, deserves 10 be ranked with the dis
mom5erments and partition o: Poland. aud
tho destruction of tho Republic OF Cracow
Lock n, it, consequences! A hundred
millions of dollars spent on tho pratorce
Of recovering debt Of two! A debt
which the Mexican Nation never refpsed
to pay. And TO cap tho climax of mi
putty, Mr.. Polk now proposes 10 rob Mex
co Of half her territory TO indemnify him.
self for tho expense Of an aggressive war!
Bu, TN. i, no. all. In ono short vear. by
bal.ie and disease, more than thirty thou
sand Of his coun.rymon and an equal num-
Der of the Hcxicans have cruelty perl,hed
IL this .sunn7tural war. sixty thousand
human beings cnt down in the vigor Of
manhood 70 Qrntifv the ambition Of usur-
per, Is this the work which n Christian
ua:ion cnn commend! IS II illustrating
tho law Of Christian ethics. which requires
Is 10 love our cnotnas,' to rejoice at the
dsati. of thousands of them slain IN battle!
" Ia. do those Christians. who are con-
s.nn,ly yociterating "glorious victory, and
rejoicing nj the murder of thousands of
Mcxicans. think of this passage of holy
writ: Love your enemies. bless them
that curse you, do good to them that hate
you, and pray for them who despi,efully
uso you and persecu,o you" This pas
sage presupposes injustice, hatred, despite
ful treatment and persecution, on the pa
of the Mexican people. whereas. the very
reverse Of the proposition is true. and this
circumstance renders tho rejoicing Of n
Chri..ian. at victories achieved in such a
God -defving war, as the most indefcnsib'c
ana ineAcusabo form of wickedness. 1t
is vain for an individual to shelter himself
under the plea Of national responsibility.
A nation is hu, an n aggregation Of individu-
ais, and the Great Day, which will try the
rec,itude Of all human conduct. will show
that the moral law has no exceptions; that
its principles arc universal. and applicable
alike TO the governors and tho governed,
tho nation and the mass of its citizens.
This is most cmpha.lcallv tho case In this
country, where every freeman is part of
the government ltlS III tiiihSS al uli-
makes our chief I'M Z 's.raios and !egisia-
tors ar4I if they 90 as:ray, and he docs
not apply the corrective by their removal.
he becomes equally responsible with his
agents. Tho people were warned what
would be tho proba ole consequences oil
olecting Mr.. Polk; and those who voted
for him, with full appreciation of the
consequences of their vote, and have since
through perverseness and obstinacy, re-
fused to retrace their steps and atone fol-
their conduct. are Just as nnswe rable fol
| the evils resulting from the public action
| of theirs, rs they would be for any IN
| dividual &C, Of wickedncss. This is the
| grea. point which the press and the orator
| ought constantly to impress on tho public
mind. "What is morally wrong car
| never be made politically right 1t !;
the duty of the citizen 10 vote intelligent
lv and consciontouslv, not merely from
party association. but from paramount
| considerations Of public du.y-remember
! ing always, so important is the RICH: o.
suffrage. that the greatest interests of ma
tons and individuals frequently depend OF
one vote. Be careful. then. how you cas-
that single. isolated ballot: war or peace
perhaps union. and eventually liberty 1t
self. may depend on the notion of ont
man. Truly. i. is fearful one-man pow
er. which no one should exercise wishou
being fully convinced that he is about Il