The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1847-07-23
Hon. e. J. lMgersOll--What Harm
Does This War DO!

This man, the Locofoco leader in the
lower branch of Congress, has q letter in
the National In;elligencer of the 26th ult.
which closes with this extraordinary, and,
we may add, monstrous paragraph:
Excuse this letter, which | am aware
puts me much at your mercy, by means Of
your daily and powerful Journal. But,
in future articles, laying aslde the senti-
mental, poetical, and common idle denun-
Citations of war tell us what harm this
one does. You will perceive that | re-
gard it as a national, not a party consid-
Grafton. In hat view, and sober earnest
please to tell us what harm it does to eth
er of the two countries.
am, very respect'y your humble serv't.
CT INGERSOLL.
To this paragraph, which, we venture
to say, will shock the hearts and the
minds of all who read it, whether Wings
or Locofocos, the Intelligencer makes this
reply:
There is n appeal to us which we
cannot pass by in silence; and that is, to
tell him "what harm this wal does" Ii
is difficult TO frame an answer to a ques-
ton the mere statement of which is a
mockery of all humanity, morality, aud
religion. Perhaps it will be better an
swered by other questions. What harm
is there in Wholesale murder, in remorse-
less cruelty, and in fell destruct:veness!
What harm in peopling the territories of
two Republics with desolate widows and
orphan childrenl What harm is there in
fattening the soil of Mexico with the
blood and bodies of our brave fellow citi-
zens, as well of the army proper as those
enticed to volunteerin the war by falsest
of pr%etencesl What harm in the demon
alization of the public sentiment of our
own county, of which it were difficult to
give a more striking evidence than the
shocking levity with which a gentle.
man of Mr.. Ingersoll's birth, education
and station speaks of the horrors which
cannot fail to attend war, oven necessa'
ny, aud much more such a needless, wan.
ton, wilful wal as that ia which we are
now engaged?
We have too much regard for the com
mon sense Of our readers, and of the
great body of the American people, to
doubt what would be their reply to these
questions. Nay, we would not doubI
Mr.. Ingersolls's own, were his natura
sensibilities not blunted and hardened by
his long land we dare say painfully ser
vice in the Locofoco school Of politics
even yet, we should think, there is one
argument against this war, which though
steeled by bad and bitter prejudice a
gainst considerations addressed to hi
reason, even no could be made to fee
the force of. His gallant son, who il
equally an honor to his sire and al orna
ment to the public service-had he, the
pride of that fathers heart, laid down hi
life--we will not say in battle, and ina ne
cessary war, for in that case pride woulc
to some extent Offset grief-but, opera
ting on the land in Mexico, had he SUM
a victim to disease in its most hopeless
forms, as thousands of equally beloved
sons have done, aud in such a war as this
would the thought Of the blessings of thi'
war, and the world @gOod it is doing, o.
of the share which he has himself had il
producing it, reconcile him to his loss, o
assuage for a moment his real grief o
heart?