Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-07-01

Every thing since the dawn of creation has tended
to keep alive the martial spirit and has worshiped
Jdaus the god of war History records the brilliant
appearance of the armies drawn up in hostile array it
paints in glowing colors their various movements and
desperate charges--ther broken ranks and closing
columns their dreadful carnage and feats of noble
daring and closes the brilliant account with the mum.
Der killed and the victorious arms. No portions of
history are so elegantly written and more highly pol
ished with all the flowers of rhetoric than descriptions
of battles, and read with such deep anxiety
and lively interest Never does the historian take us
on to the battle field after the dreadful strife is over
ans the smoke cleared off, and permit to hear the
groans of the dying and to the manged bodies Of
the dcad, nor do they take us to the domestic fire
side, to witness the agones of broken hearts. In all
the accounts have read of the battle Of Monterey,
only three incidents of horror mentioned to the
best of my recollection. One is that the bodies of the
dead, being exposed to the burning sun, became
swollen and black not to be recognized by their
friends Another, that every shell which exploded in
the city flied the air with the shreks and cries of wo-
men and children. And the other, that an angel of
mercy in the fora of young female, was engaged in
carrying water to the dying soldiers of both armies,
who finally blown to atoms by repubiican--dem-
0calic cannon ball. The fine arts, poetry painting
and music have all lent their charms to cover up the
erors Of war Poets sing of daring deeds of bravery
of noble exploits, brazen FURNISHED armor, noddng
plumes, fiery steeds and dreadful charges. Rarely
ever does divine poesy stoop so low as to sing Of
the horrors of warof raging thirst, dying agones,
,uit nnd Orn1anc pointnre a1eo bnvo ovboustoJ
their skill in depicting battle fields in the most glowing
and captivating manner So captivating are these
paintings that the beholder is filled with the utmost
pleasure and delight whilst gazing at tie practical
workings of the trade of barbarans. The only excep
ton to his remark, within my knowledge, is, that Of
Mr. Alston, of Boston. This celebrated painter was
once requested to paint the battle of New Orleans.
Good Forbid" said the painter, shat should degrade
the noble art of painting lou to paint that battle,
with one army safely concealed behind cotton bags,
pouring death and destruction into another upon the
open field"
1t being true that oar is the most dreadful scourge
that atict a naton--a brutal, fendish hesh en-
poyment--a trade of barbarians--it would seem that
no nation or government could engage in war unless
to defend their country their homes, their fresides,
their wives and little ones. That war of self de-
fence is just is generally admitted; but war Of ag-
gression for conquest or for the redress Of imaginary
trihng injuries is unjust cruel and oppressive, and
defensble on ! other principle than that might gives
right and that Justice is always the side of power.
Mexicois engaged IN defensive war Every battle
has been fought upon her own territory, and every
drop of blood split has fattened her own soil Mexico
is struggling for existence for liberty, for her homes
and fire Sides and all that and dear to her. She
is repeng INVASION acting on the defensive; and the
God of Nature has given his sanction to the right and
Justice of self defence, Why is it that all animated
nature from the elephant to the beetle insect Is armed
with defensive weapon? Scarcely living creature
walks the face of the EARTH averses the air swims in
the sea- which is not armed with some instrument to
] ward oil the attacks Of enemy Why were these
weapons given to the brute creation if they not to
be used: If force, for the protection Of personal rights
must never meet force is unaccountable to why
all animated nature should be furnished with the means
of resistance They not only furnished with these
] means but natural instinct teaches them to them.
Rob the bear of her wheps and her teeth and claws
will be brought into requston rap the nest of the
hornet and they will buzz about your ears; seize the
: little ant and he will pinch with his fangs; and this
e they do without meditation or reasoning following on
IS " the blind impulses of natural instinct These in
h sments have been furnished to the brute creation by
the God of Nature and the law of self preservation and
resistance to injuries has been engraven upon their
very natures furnishing abundant proof that the law OF
s self defence is natures first aw-righ just and prop
err And when all animated nature has been taught to
L. rcpel INVASION why may not sembarbarous Mexico do
IF the same thing2
h War being the greatest scourge OF man, it would
a. seem that i; should be rosoted to until every
1t other means were exhausted until diplomacy, in all It's
/ varieties had been used to no purpose, and nothing
in else left to save the national honor rights and exist
b. euce ITSELF but appeal 10 the sword. Now, apply
I'd these plain, common principles to the Mexican
S, war What are the causes of this war? What in
s. ures has poor distracted Mexico heaped upon us?
is What rights has she taken from us? What stains
- and foul blos has she made upon national flag:
80 What American soil has she invaded, and what blood
lie has she split except in defence Of her own ter
b. ritov, and to resist aggresslons upon her domn
ions? Why have we sent our armies into i'll
a. country and to destroy her inhabitants? Is all thin
10 in self defence? Are fighting for our liber-
le ties our homes and our firesides? We all know the
G. causes of the revolutionary England laid tax OF
of stamped paper tea and various other articles OF
d. Importation. England claimed the right to raise reVe
of cut of the colonies to tax those who were not repre-
r scented in Parliament THAT was war for indepen-
er dence struggle for liberty, for national existence
G. AVID what were the causes fthe last war? England
+ claimed the right to search vessels and to impress
H. English seamen into their service This right was
denied and the liberty to impress seamen was refused
at and war ensued And what were the causes Of the
at bloodhound war in the everglades of Florida? Lei
rs slavery answer The swamps of Florida afforded an
y ASYLUM for runaway slaves. The negroes and the
lr Indians had intemarred; the wife Of Osceola the
1t cb,er was the daughter of runaway slave; she and