Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-07-29
The Wings and the War.

The Wings and the War;
If parallel is any where to be found to the brazcn
faced impudonce and reckessness with which the
democrats" advocate the Mexican war upon its mer-
it's and appeal to the patriotism and love Of country Of
the American people to pour out their blood and eX
pend their treasure in conquerng Mexico for the pur
pose of extending human slavery over its broad
panse of territory, it is furnished in the double-deal-
ing andhy?ocritical course of the wings with regard
to the same subject. Denouncing the war from its
inception as unconstitutional, unjust and abomaabe,
designed and adapted to the building up and perpetu
ating American strengthening Mr. Polk as its
guilty author, and the pcrpetraor of glazing official
alsehood when he declared to Congress that "war eX
listed with Mexico, BY the act Of Hecco"-they never
theles5 adopted Mr. Folks "ollcia le," voted men
and means for the promotion of the war; rejoice in its
victories, crown It's heroes with laures and dcnounce
the administration for its inactivity in "conquerlng
honorable peace" Now why is this? If the war is
unconstitutional, unjust, and for the perpetuation Of
the foul curse of American slavery, why prosecute it
why vote supplics-why rejoice in its victories, and
pay honors to its cheftans? If President Polk was
guilty o. glazing fasehood in declaring that war had
actually been commenced by the act of Mexico why
adopt that &sehood truth, and make it the ground
of voting $4,000 men and $l0000000 of money for
the war? Is it pretended that Gen. Taylor and his
army were in peril and that appropriations were need
cd to their safety? Why, them were not nppro-
pratons made for the avowed object of his relief and
to nrosnrutn tho war with Nnviaoc What do tho
wings mean by prosecuting the war to an "honorable
peace" Will an honorable peace" be secured
short of the entire suhugaton of Mexico, and the re-
establishment of slavery throughout its borders? If
the war be what the wings declare it, in our judgment
the further it is prosecuted the more dishonorabe it
will be. If no cause existed in the outset for fighting
Mexico, has any originated since? Does the fact OF
the Mex,ans defending their territory, their homes and
fresdes, furnish reason for devastating their land
with fire and aggot, carnage and blood? viii the
war, which unjust, unprovoked and dshonorble III
the outset be rendered "honorabe" when thousands
more of American lives shall have been sacrificed
when national debt shall have been created to hang
as mill upon the necks of future generations
when a neghborng republic shall have been destroy
ed from among the nations of the EARTH and chains and
manacles shall have been fastened on millions more OF
men? Is this such an honorable peace" as our whia
friends are Diet ermined to conquer" May merc
ful God save this nation from such peace as this!
The true policy for our country, and the only conss
tent course for every friend of justice and human lib
orty to pursue is to speak out against this war; and
demand the withdrawal of our army from Mexco--
The most honorable peace can secure will be t.
abandon most d;shonoraLle ,car.
, The Amsy preteXt of the wings, that though thu
war is unjust and abominable yet it begun by thu
President, and although they vote supplies to carry
or yet they hold the administration responsible for thu
guilt, is well taken off in the Boston Reporter reli
gonus paper of the Congregational order, edited b,
the former editor Of the Boston Recorder as follows
PRESIDENTIAL RESPONSIBILITY.
y AT meeting in Faneuil Hail. some time since tn
commencement of the Mexican War, Daniel Webste
is reported to have said that the agency of Presiden
Polk in provoking hOstltles was OF nature serou
and wrong, that he was Justly liable 10 impeachment
But as we had become involved in the contest, it wa
the part of wisdom to prosecute it vigorously-yot
men and supples-and then hold the President reSpon
: Sible And the inimation was not very equivoca tina
n purpose to examine either the morality or statesman
ship that will stop at terms of reprDach and con
domination, in the censure pronounced upon the wa
ITSELF and the wicked and unconstitutional manner il
e which one man has involved in it, and then gravel
+ affirm in the slme breath, that it is the duty of thu
country to fight it out, at the cost of millions of treas
ure and thousands Of lives Let that pass as but an
other exemplcaton of the inspired declaration, thai
o "Great men are not always wise"
tho tnrrhln nanoltv that IN oWnit the prpSi
dent for his wicked; unconstitutional and "mpeacha
h Bile" act of involving the two nations in warby whic
f hundred millions of treasure arc eXpended-ten thou
sand of our own countrymen have fallen either by TIN
= pestleYce or the sword-the cities of neghborn!
nation and distress spread through
out that nation-their whole internal arrangements am
business unsettled. if moi destroyed; while mourning
and death have been carried into thousands of famii0
in consequence thereof-that terrible penalty of hold
+ ing him responsible-what is it? We were somewha
curious at the time to know what it was that hung n
ierrorem over the guilty head of the candidate for i'm
parchment We had heard similar language in rela
s ton to the alleged "eachery of FIX President Tyler
and we have seen him leave his Office with so much
i: his 100000 he had saved and retire to his mansion
o in Virginia to enjoy the fruit of his labor urmolested
so far as we could hear, by any responsibility" t.
which he was to be held except degree of unpopu
q lary among those who are disappointed Or displease
r. by his official conduct But the political misdemean
is ors of President Polk grave. According t
= the representations made they involved terrible des
l. trucon of lives and treasure, while they "draw cur
1t tain over the future mpenarably dark" Holding hin
Y responsible must be a different thing. What can
l. be? Sooner than we expected we have learned Th
recent visit of the President to New England has sov
n ed the difficulty. He has among us, not on thu
business ofhis Office but for recreation and, he said
10 crafty long cherished wish to this part of tn
nation. Of course the people were under no cOnStlt
tionat obligations to treat him any different from an
other stranger that might come among lis. lie cam