Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1847-12-02

| win a p0lpuOlc faSehOod stamped on us
face. Almost Gollzng truth, as do, | new
er. could have votedior that bill.
| The exceptable conduct of the Federal
! party. during The las, British War, has excl.
ted an influence 10 the prosecution OF the
present war. and prevented Just dIscrImina-
! ton of the wars. That was a war Of Ma
! tlonal defence, required for the vlndlcalon
4 OF the National right and honor and demand
/ ed by the indignant voice of the people
/ President Madison himself know. at first
reluctantly and with great doubt aud hrsla
/ ton. brought himself TO the convection that ii
ought to be declared. a leading and per-
haps the most lnaueutial member of hls cabl-
net, (Mr. GaarIn,) was up to the time of is
/ declaration. opposed to it. But nothing could
Withstand the irresistible force of public sentI-
ment. II was Just war. and It's grea, ob
! ject, as announced at the time. was, Free
/ Trade and Sailors Rights against the in
toerable and oppressive acts OF British pow d.
er on the ocean. The justice OF the war, far
/ from being denied or coDtroverted, was adj
mtted by the Federal party, which only
| questioned it on considerations Of policy
! Being deliberately and constlu,ionally de-
clared, it was, think, their duty To have
| given to it their hearty corporation. Bul
! the mass Of them did not They continued
TO oppose and thwart il, to discourage loans
and enlistmenls, to deny the power Of the
| General Government TO march the militia
| beyond our limits, and to hold Hartford
| Convention, which, whatever were rs real
! objects, bore the aspcct OF seeking a dlsso-
I luton Of the Union itself They lost and
! Justly lost, the public confidence. But has
not an apprehension OF similar fate, in o
state of case widely different, repressed u
fearless expression Of their real sentiments
IN some Of our public men?
III How totally warrant Is the present war
| This is 10 war Of defence, but one unneces
sary and of offensive aggression. Ii IL Mex.
leo that is defending her hresldes her castles.
/ aud her atars, not VIC. And how different,
also is the conduct Of the Wing party Of the
| present day. from that of the INA or of the
I Federal party during the war OF 1912 -
Far from lnterp0slng any obstacles to the
! prosecution OF the war, IT the Wings IN Office
are reprOachabe at all, IT IS for having lent
too ready facility 10 II, without careful ex.
animation into the objects of the war. And
out Of office, who have rushed To the prose
cutlon ot the war wrlh more ardor and aluc
rtv than the Wings? Whose hearts have
bled more freely than those OF the Wings
Who have more occasion 10 mourn the loss
OF sons. husbands, brothers, fathers, than
; Wing parents, Wing wives aud Wing bro.
/, lhers, IN this deadly and Improbable strife
But the havoc Of war is IN progress, and
the 40 less dcplorable havoc Of an lnhospI.
table and pes,llenlal climate. Without IN
dulgng 10 an unnecessary retrospect, and
; useless reproaches on the past, all hearts and
heads should unite III the patriotic endeavor
TO bring it TO q satisfactory close. Is there
no way that this can be done Must we
blindIy continue the conflict, without any
VISIBLE object, or any prospect ct definite
termination Tins Is the important subject
l upon which desire to consult and to CON.
mune with you. Who. IN tins free Govern.
ment, is to decide upon the objects of war,
at its commencement, or al any time durlrg
It's existence 4? Does the power belong to
! the Nation, IN the collective wisdom OF the
| Nation, in Congress assembled, or is II vest
ed solely IN sing tunctIonary .: the Gov
ernment
Il A declaration Of war is the highest and
most awful exercise Of sovereignty. The
/ Convention, which framed our federal Con
4 stitutIon, had learned from the pages OF his
! tory that II had been often aud greatly abu.
! sed. 1t had seen that war had often been
commenced upon the most trlt!Ing pretexts.
! that II had been frequently waged 10 es,ab-
! lish or exclude dynasty; to snatch crown
! from the head Of one polentate, and place 1t
| upon the head o: another that II had often
| been prosecuted TO promote aien aud other
! interests than those OF the nation whose
chief had proclaimed II, as IN the case OF
! English wars for lIanoveran interests and,
| IN short. that such vast power ought not To
! be confded to the perous exercise OF one
! single man. The Convention, therefore, re-
solved to guard the wor-maklng power a.
! gainst those great abuses, Of which, IN the
/ hands of monarch, 1t was so susceptible
| And the security against those abuses,
! which its wisdom devised, was 10 vest the
! wal making power in the Congress OF the
! United States. being the immediate repre-.
sentatives Of the people Of the States. So
apprehcnsive and jealous was the Conven'
! ton Of lis abuse in anysolher hands. that II
i nterdctcd the exercise OF the power TO any
/ State IN the Union, without the consent OF
1 Congress. Congress, then, IN our system OF
! government, is the sole depository OF that
/ tremendous power
II The Constitution provides that Congress
shall have power to declare war, and grant
! letters Of marque md reprlsal, to mike rules
concerning captures on land and water, to
raise and support armies, 10 provide ana
maintain a navy, and to make rules for the
! government of the land nad naval forces
!, Thus, we perceive, that the principal power
in regard 10 war, with all its auxiliary at
tendan,s, is granted 10 Congress. When
ever called upon TO determine upon the So
lemn question OF peace or war, Congress
must consider and deliberate, aud decide up
on the motives, objects and causes OF the
war. And, if war be commenced, without
any previous declaration OF It's objects, as ~
the case of the existing war with McKee,
Congress must necessarily possess the au-
thorily at any time, to declare Tor what pnr
pose !, shall be further prosecuted. u we
suppose Congress does not possess the con
trolling authority attributed to IT; fit be
T commended that war having been once com
, menccd. the President OF the United State'
may direct IL To the accomplishment OF an,
= objects he pleases. without consulting an'
without any regard to the will OF Congress
.l he Convention will have utterly failed u
| guarding the nation against the abuses an'
ambition of single individual. Either Con
gress. or the President, must have the rgh
of dctc,tutnpttnu unon the objects for who