Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1847-05-20
NUMBER 30.

to his country by prosecuting the war with all the
power Of his arm and his intellect. lie has been
bred soldier, in the service Of his country, and
he must not disobey The orders Of the President.
There is no other alternative; he must obey or re-
sign. Miserable apology -contemptbe subierfuge.
Let him resign his commission. He has, himself,
pronounced the unnecessary, unjust and cruel
He used language similar TO this, il we remember
rightly, IN his letter TO Henry Clay, announcing the
loss Of Mr. Clays sou. He there pronounced his
own condemnation. If be admits tina, the war is
unnecessary, unjust and cruel, he cannot escape
from the consequences of the admission namely
that he who voluntarily carries IL on successfully,
is gully Of gratuitous injustice and cruelty. When
an officer is placed in position where he cannot
without dlsobedienee TO his superior, refrain from
the commission Of acts which his conscience tells
him are offences against God and humanity, there
Is one plain, straightforward path for him 10 pur-
sue If his orders are TO lravage neghboring
state 10 rob and murder its inhabitants, and burn
It's cities-acts which he feels to be inconsistent
with justice and umanity-wheren is he whit
better than the hired bravoes and assassns wlchwe
read OF in Italian history, if he persists in the obe-
dence to bis orders rather than to The law which
God has written on his hearth The characters are
analogous, il not Identical Both rob and murder
for hire, and like FalstaT both think it no sin to
labor in their vocation There is however, one
remarkable difference: The Bravo, for guinea or
two, disposes oil an individual designated by his
poyer;- the Hero does his work indiscriminaiely,
by wholesale, and for an annual salary OF some
thousands OF dollars. Which will have the heayi-
est account TO be settled hereafter is known only
to that Judge who is subject to none Of the imper-
feciions attendant upon mortality. -
In these remarks, we have used the word Hero,
with lis derivatives. according It's present popu-
lar acceptaiion We are aware that another and
far different idea is connected with the word Had
Gen. Taylor felt any Partially for the character of
hero in that other aud nobler sense, he would
have thrown his commission in the face Of the Pre-
sident. the moment he received an order 10 pass
over the boundary Of the United States with an in
vading army. Had he done so. in all probability
there would have been no war-the difficulties with
Mexico would have been amicably adlusted-lhou-
sands Of innocent lives would have been saved
millions Of dollars might have remained in the pub
lie treasury, or in the hands OF individuals, 10 be
used in constructing canals and railroads, or en-
played in promoting the arts and sciences which
improve and embellish soceiy--and our heroic Rep
resentatves in Congress would have lost the oppor-
tuniiy Of dishonoring themselves by voting supplies
10 carry on war which they have acknowledged
10 be unrighIeous, cruel, and unnecessary He
would then have proved himself true and legiti-
mate Hero, and the wise and vrtuous Of all nations
and ages wuuld have combined 10 do him reverence
-ay, and when the portals OF immortality should
be opened TO receive his disemboded spirit, NAV
we not believe that all Heaven would echo with the
shout, THE HERo coMEs7