Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-12-03

wars hat was war ci National defence, r..
lqnired lnr the yindicaiion of tbs National rights
and honor, and demanded by the indignant voice
Of the People. President Madison himself
know. n first, reluctantly and with great doubt
aud hesitation, brought himself TO the conviction
thai II ought to be declared. leading, md per.
hapS the most influential member Of his Cabinet
Mr. Ga.lalln) was, up 10 the ume Of us dscIara.
uon, opposed 10 il. BH nothing could Withstand
me irresistible force Of public sentiment. TWAS
a just war; and its great object. as announced at
The time. was "Free Trade and Sailors II ghts."
95shnH 'hi nioIcrabie aud oppressive acts OF
D'''ah power on the ocean. The justice Of the
war Tar from being denied or conlroyeued, was
a''hiilel by The feleral parry, which only Ques.
r u"Asd Il on considerations of policy. B ing de-
'iD-raie.y and constimuonally declared, it was.
mink, their duly 10 have given 10 il their hearty
co-"pnt1uon. But the mass OF them did not
ny c"uinu'd To oppose ali thwart H. 10 dis
! courage loans and eGli,tmeuis, to deny the power
ol the General Government - march the militia
, beyond our limits, aad 10 hold Hartford Con.
, yan'ion. which, whatever were its real objects.
bore lh" aspects Of seeking a dissolution Of the
> Inon 'ls... They lost AMI justly lost the pub
%" coaHI I"ncr.-BIt has not an apprehension Of
similar fate, ina state Of case widely different.
rrpr ssnd a fearless expression of their real sen.
/ um-n'5 in san, ofour public men!
How totally variant IS the present war; This
Is no war Of defence, buI one unnecessary anil OF
offensive aggression. his Mexico that Is defend
ing her tir.-S,I IS, r castles. aud her alters, not
W. And how dnTrant also is the conduct Of
III" whig parry OF he present day from thai orlhe
MAJOR purr Of the federal party during the war Of
1912! Far from iulerpo.ing any obstacles to The
prosecution oilhr war. if the Whigs in Office arr.
reproachabIe ara.l, it is for having lent too ready
"A lscily 10 il, without .arciul examination inlo
the objects Of the war. And, out Of Office, who
have rushed 10 the prosecution of the war with
more arlor anl aIacriry than the Wings! Whose
hearts have bled more freely Than those of The
Wings! Who have more occasiolfto mourn The
oSs Of sons, husbands, broherS, fathers, Than
whg parents, whig wives and whig brothers, in
this deadly and Improbable strife
But the havoc OF war IS in progress, and the no
less deplorable havoc oFan inhospitabe aud pes.
tlIenlial climate. Without indugng in an un-
necessary retrospect and useless reproaches on
the past, all hearts and heads should unite in the
patriotic endsavor 10 bring it 10 a satisfactory
close. Is there no way that this can be done! /!
Must we blndIy continue the conflict, without
any visible object, or any prospect Of definite
terminalion!-Thi is the important subject upon
which desire to consult and ndcommune with YOU.
Who, in this free government, is to decide upon
The objects ola War, at its commencement. or al
f any time during It's existence! Does the power
belong 10 the Nation, TO the collective wisdom
ofrhe Nation in Congress assembled, or is it yes.
ted solely in single a@ctionary of The govern.
mcnt
A declaration Of war IS the highest and moo'
awful exercise of sovereignty. The convention
which framed our federal constitution. had learned
from the pages Of history that it had been often
and greatly abused. 1t had seen that war had of.
ten been commenced upon the most lrang pre-
texts; that it had ben frequently waged to csab-
lish or exclude dynasty; 10 snatch crown from
| the head of one potonlae and place it upon the
head Of another; that had been often prosecuted
10 promote alien and oIher interests than those oil
the nation whose chief had proclaimed it, as in
the case of English wars for Ianoyerian interests;
and in short, lhatsuch avast aud tremendous power
ought not 10 be coniided 10 the perlous exercises
of one single man. The convention, therefore,
resolved to guard the war making power against
those great abuses, Of which in the hands of a
monarch il was so susceptible. And the security
against these abuses which its wisdom devised.
was toveStlhc war making power in the Congress
of the United States. being The immediate repre-.
seutalives Of the people and the States. So ap.
prehensive and Jealous was the convention Of lis
abuse in any other hands, that ii interdicted the
exercise Of the power 10 any State in the Union,
without thcconsent of Congress. Congress then,
in our system Of government, is the sole deposi-
tory Of that tremendous power. The Constilu.
uon provides that Congress shall have power to
declare war. and grant Ieuers of marque and re.
prisaI, To make rules concerningcaplurcs on land
and water to raise and support armies; 10 provide
and maintain navy, and 10 make rules for the
government oflha land and naval forces. Thus
we perceive that the principal power in regard to
war, with all Of its auxiliary attendants, is grant
ed to Congress. Whenever caedupon TO deter.
mine on the solemn question of peace or war,
Congress must consider and del berate and decide
uron The motives, obiacls, and causes of the war
And if awar be Commcnccdw without any previous
declarations Of its objects. as in The case OF the
existing warwith Mexico, Congress must necessa.
rv possess the authority, al any time, 10 declare
Tor what purposes il shall be further prosecuted. |
If we suppose Congress does not possess the con.
rolling authority attributed 10 it, i it be contend.
ed that a war having been once commenced the |
President of the I1nilcd States may direct it 10 the
accomplishment any objects he poases, without
consulting and without any regard to the will Of
Congress, the convention will have utterly failed
in guarding The nation against the abuses and am.
buon of a single individual. EitherCongress, or
the President must have the right of determining
upon the objects for which war shall be prosocu.
ted. There is no alternative. If the President
possess it and may prosecute it for objects against
he will of Congress, where is the difference be.
tween our free government and that of any other
nation which may be governed by an absolute
Car, Emperor or King!
Congress may omit as it has admitted in the {
present war, to proclaim the objects for which it
was commenced or has been since prosecuted, and