Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1847-02-24
WHOLE NUMBER al

# ed 70 the woods from his infancy, X<jlj
he hesitate to dash into q stream, and cross
,s- almost as readily, g Il 4 were snhFoke
erI But sir; there IS anotser cons;d ;deratior
a. potao be overlooked. How could YOU kse
ii. your citizens Oh this side Of your iif,pinar
st line? The honorable senator tells Us
a their spirit of adventure can hardly b.
,r restrained in time of peace, and that there
IT is always danger, that they will push into
e Mexican provinces. But in time Of war,
J. even Of new kind of war like this, they
would feel that the enemy's country was
open to them, and their incursions would
: keep up continued state of hostilities.
t The senator says that offensive wars
, look to the subjugation Of country. do
not thus read the history of the world NOE
the history ofnations. consider offensive
wars as necessary means for the attainment
of certain Just objects. Our war with Eng.
land in 1912 was an offensive one, but no
American; even In his widest dreams, ever
expected to subugate that country. Our
object was to compel her to do justice, by
injuring her wherever we could. History
is filled with instances Of offensive wars,un.
dertaken without expectation Of subjugatior.
Indeed, were it not otherwise, there would
be few offensive wars, unless those UNDER
taken by very large states against very
small ones If it were so perhaps the
world would be better Off The question,
however, is not before me, and shall not
travel out of my way 10 meet it. -.
\ The senator says we have gained600, 900
square miles, and who would continue the
war to secure the acknowledgment Of
) Mexico But, sir, it is that very acknowl-
edgement which is to give US the country.
, Until the right which cession gives is added
, to the right derived from conquest, we mako
no acquisition Of territory. We are still ut
war. 1t is the very act of acknowledge.
ment which constitutes peace, and without
which there can be no peace.
i The honorable senator speaks Of certain
ty How far he requires it in the anticipa-
ton Of events, | do not know. These are
his words: "Is there any certainty-for
60 on certainties now, more than probabiI-
ties-can any gentleman see any certainty
Of Mexico yielding to our terms, even sup.
posing the first campaign should find US in
the city of Mexicoa
!, for one, can see no such certainty, sir.
Indeed it does not belong to man to see it.
There is scarcely any other certainty in
this life than TINT it will be terminated, and
soon terminated by death. Almost all 10
doubtful around us, especially in the opera.
tions Of war. We are told from the high
est authority, always that the race is not to
the swift, nor the battle to the strong, and
every days experience confirms the truth
of the proposition. Some of the most
SPLENDID achievements in war, from Salamis
to Monterey, have been gained under
/ apparently adverse circumstances, and
, against great disparity Of force. If we are
only to fight when victory is certain we
shall never fight at all. The slightest
circumstances which human sagacity could
not foresee, nor human power overcome,
have many times decided the destiny Of
nations The senator also has submitted
many sound observations respecting the
diversity Of characters, Of races and Of
institutions, which exist between US and
Mexico, and he deprecates with equal zeal
and justice the dnion of the Mexican people
and ours. | fully agree, sir, in all that.
1t would be deplorable amalgamation. No
such evil will happen to us in our day.
We do not want the people Of Mexico
F either as citizens or subjects. All we want
is a portion of territory, which they nomin-
, ally hold, generally uninhabited, or where
inhabited at all, sparesly SO, and with q
> population which would soon recede or
identify itself with ours. The senator says,
: speaking of Mexico, "what are you to do
with the territory :" l answer nothing at
: all as q permanent acquisition. "Will
S you," says the senator, incorporate it in
8 your union?" Certainly not. We shall.
t hold it as means Of procuring an honor
t able peace. And such peace it may bs
made to procure for us.
Some Of the remarks Of the honorable
3 senator | regretted to hear. Those which
3 cast doubts upon the power of this country
to prosecute this war to an honorable
f conclusion-such conclusion, indeed, as
7 will alone be satisfactory 10 the American
} people. Inn not going, Mir President, to
subject these views TO any severity of
) Investigation, ! should do It with reluc-
tance in any case, and could not do il in
, this. My unfeigned respect for the dis
J tinguished senator would prohibit it,
:, While ! claim for myself and yield 10
others the most unlimited range Of discus.
| sion, and while | do not call in question
the truth of the sentiment uttered during
the last war, that q public man, has 3
right to speak to his country, though he
|, may be heard by the enemy. still there
I are discretionary limits, which Il seems 10
lnne if were better not "a nase. ~ ~ As