Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1847-03-04

that in the whole history OF his life-compris.
ing the most eventfu periods IN the history
of this Republic-there had never been a
time when so much danger was threstened I'd
to the interests, happiness and Liberties OF
the people Of the United States as now p
Why, cir, If any one would sit down free
from excitement, free from the blases con.
sequent upon the constant iDterming ling
with those busted in public affairs, and IN
those calm and seQuestered solitudes where
thoughtful men indulge themselves in re-
lections upon passing events, and look over
the history even OF the last year, and then
judging from all the examples of former times
- according to that wisdom which history
teaches and which history alone can teach-oi
what must be the inevitable and unavoidable
result of what has happened, it appears to
me that he would say that this Republic,
boosting that its liberties are secured and
the various function Of is government bound
up in the chains oi written constitution,
has torn that constitution 10 tatters, scatter
ed il TO the breeze aud resolved itself into
that old and much abused constitution OF
England, a mere omnipo,ence Of Parliament?
No! tie would rather find in the events OF
the last ten months or the last year, that that
power of this government, which was evi-
IDENTITY intended To be the controlling power
ii there may DC said to be any controlling
power belonging TO a constitution which so
divided out and parcelled out its powers with
reference to the supremacy OF each IN it's own
sphere-had given itself up a voluntary slave
to that alone, which, by the trainers of the
constitution, was intended to be the mere
Executor aud Ministerial officer to the will
of the other. Let any one consider the his
tory Of the Senate Of the United States from
the time it convened last year to this hour,
say whether he can recognize in that body
a component part Of the Congress of the U.
States. Would not any man, on being in
formed that there exists war with neigh
boring Repubiic-a war which has taxed all
the fiscal energies aud patriotism of the
! country, to carry forward for the last ten
months, without making the natural inquiry,
"Where in the journals Of Congress snail
! find the causes Of this war-to what record
Of thus body shall 90 TO ascertain what it is
that has driven this peaceful, this happy peo
pie from the great pursuits of civil life Ia
| rush into all the miserc' Of war? Let me
/ see these causes, for ] read IN the constltu-
/ ,ioL Of this government that CoRgress--com
DOS ID of the Senate and House OF Represen
| itatives-alone, Congress alone and no other
I power under heaven can ever bring upon tins
/ country that dlrest, worst and atalest curse OF
humanity-wAR! Ii ls by their will alone,
thnt that curse can be inflicted. ! shall find,
then, somewhere on the journals OF Congress
a statement Of the causes and reasons of the
war"
! lf sucE an inquirer, Mr.. President, should
look into the archives of this Senate or into
the archives Of the House OF Repre- senta.
,ives, he would be obliged to 60 away and
tell the story to the world. that It was alto.
| gether n mistake-,hat there could be no
such constitution as that. for IN the journals
of neither House could he find an act of the
/ Legislature which avowed the reasons of the
war-no such resolution solcmnly debated
and solemny decided, assigning TO the world
to the tribunal of Chrlstendom rea
sons which lmpelled us to invoke this last
and fatalest weapon of an injured people Tor
! the redress Of It's wrongs.
lie will find it nowhere. And although
this has been the condition OF the country for
about ten months, II is fact undcnlable, aud
history must so record ii, that up 10 about five
days ago there has not been afforded to the
4 Senate Of the United States one hours dis.
cusslon of the reasons OF this wl-, so that the
| Senator from South Carolina vas obliged to
say that up to this hour he was compelled to
guess and imagine those reasons How has
| this war come upon us? How is il that we
have so disappointed the hopes of those great
and good men that prescribed to us the pnth
/ of our duty in this, one OF the most important
acts, which a government can be called upon
to perform? When they came TO ascertain
and fix the limits and boundaries of the va.
rlous functions of the government which they
/ intended should be eternal and immortal, in
writing down in that instrument, that Con
! press alone should have the power to declare
war, they but consulted in that instance, as
! in every other, the gathered wisdom OF the
past.
Whether they looked to the level despo'
tisms of the ancient Asiatic worldwide ther
\ they looked to those fendnl institutions which
! followed upon the destruction of the Roman
| Empire, where this power TO make war was
parceled out in a variety of hands-or wheth.
er they looked to the stern tyrannles OF mod
ern Europe, in any and every one Of these
instances they would have found that the
, war making power, being in the hands OF one
man-the war making power, being IN the
hands of the monarch the despot, the fcuda
lord. and the lmllc' monarch, had beeI
found in hostility to ,ro rights, and destroy
ing the lives of millions of their subjugate'
people, in all the ages q the world. The!
determined, therefore, hat the power Il
) make war should never be vested IN Tho
hands Of any one man. They declared that !
should be with the sovereign States and thel
! Representatives alone to say whether the ma
ton should seek this last appeal Tor the re
dress of any injuries of which II might have
reason to complain. They provided, how
ever, that the President of the United States
for the time being, should be the Comman
der in chief Of the armies OF the Unlie'
States.
I They took very good care that that arm,
should be exceedingly small. and they wb'
had the most fearful Opprchensions OF invest
ng in one man even the power TO command
this army. always Inculcated upon the nlnd
of every one the necessity OF keeping iha
army within limits Just rs email as the ne
eessIty OF the external relations OF th'
country would possibly admit II has hap
pened, Mr.. President. that when little dts
,urbnnce on your Indian frontier took place
Congress was invoked Tor an Increase q
yonr military force. G"ntlemen came her
who had some partial service ~ the arInIos q
the United States. They tell you that sh'