Weekly national intelligencer., 1847-12-25

tons, but the essential principles of all public ber-
ty and national right whatever.
The inducements must next be considered for,
surely, where the conduct is of choice not neces-
sity, there must be inducements at least just or un-
just, adequate or inadequate.
There might be PERSONAL there might be party
inducements to the War itself, or to the methods in
which the President has waged or proposes to wage
1t. His own power to have avoided ii must be con-
fessed; his agency in bringing it cannot be de-
MED; the enormous accession to his official powers
during war cannot be controversies the possible
enlargement of his reputation and influence by
successful war cannot be questioned But all these,
instead OF being inducements to them to whom we
are argung-to the free and intelligent People of this
country-should manifestly be just the contrary.
1t belongs to the President alone to wish an enlarge
ment OF his official powers and this just in pro-
portion as ne is otherwise weak one it is for him
not the people to court war as the means Of SWELL
ing his prerogative and as for going to war in or
der to iabricate popularity for Chief Magistrate
who has but little, that can be no motive to affect
the good people of the United States. We shall
not consider, then, of the motives personal merely
to the President his followers which may be con-
nected with this war; our present business is only
with the inducements which it has for the People.
The suasives obviously reckoned on (by him who
has made and those who favor this bloody expert
ment on our own nstitutions) as those which would
most prevail with our people are not the expecta-
ton of getting justice done to our claimants O az
demnities-(for towards these complete inder-
ence reigned until it was found that they would af
lord useful topic of excitement against Mexico and
In favor of annexation nor any Improvement of
our government or laws, or freedom or wealth
at home; but they a"e the national vanity of sue
cessful arms the pride of dominion, and the espe-
cia lust for other peoples lands which has been by
some attributed 10 as characteristic Of our race
In the lust, as particular passion of our coun-
trymen, we do not believe. Of those whom it is
supposed TO infect not in fifty expects any part
IN the spoil. But who cares to steal for another's
benefit? tits personal not national cupidity,
if it exists. In word, what has been as falsely
way of giving it gayer and less severe name
than The stern old one OF rapine, is nothing else
than that ruthless vanity of empire and military
glory which has besoed so many nations, and
made them mere beasts of draught ever ready to
harness themselves to the trumphal car of him who
could lead them on to the slaughter and enslave-
ment of whole countries. The soil of Mexico is
already appropriated entire there is therefore little
scope for land-appropriation there and they who
ply our people with reasons for this war do not try
to fire them with examples of persons who success
fully stole lands, but initiate them with notions of
national grandeur and power, talk battalions and
Inot
flourish away, like boy-historans about that mighty
Republic of old, Rome, and how she was the mis-
ress OF the earth Pleasant statesmen! Most pro-
found historians Was it Rome herself-that is,
he piebS, the common people, the bone and sinew''
IF the city-that rose to all this glory and domi-
lion Or was it only Consus, Senators, Gene
ais, and by-and-by sanguinary Emperors-a Tbe-
ius, Nero, Domitian-who reaped all that har-
rest of splendor and command which the mere
people had fattencd with their blood
To the real People, the plain, solid, quiet mass of
tzens, who, in free State, have nothing in store
'ut to live as private men under good laws, what
possible advantage in extended empire, pompous
Government, national name at which other coun-
ries tremble Is it in such state that the mere
itizen can expect to be regarded! No: the larger
he Government the more must he become insigni-
cant. When that first of conquerors, Nimrod the
nan-hunter, had turned his subjects to a pack of
hounds with which worry and kill other nations,
it to be supposed that, at his return from his vic
cries, he brought back no foreign dogs, or never
ook his favorte diversion among his own first
gents of destruction What did it profit the Egyp-
ian multitude, when the mighty Sesostris drove a
cam of monarchs TO his chariot The more mag
fcent the Government the lower sinks the People
lways into wretchedness and servitude But how,
fer having helped to strengthen its ruer-after
laving armed him with a foreign dominion in addi-
ion to his native one-can the people hope to be
bile to resist him There can be no juser retri-
,uton than that which the unerring order Of Provi-
lence prepares for the nation which assists an
mbitious prince to reduce another people to bon
lage: that people always retaliates and helps TO
make slaves or them. But, to proceed with exam-
,les Cyrus found Persia dependency of Media
md left it the head of great empire but meantime
lis army became important, his mere people des-
,ised so that they sank almost at TO the level
,f the slranger-nations that he had subugated
What advantage did the conquests of Alexander
bring to Maeedonl They carried her up to be the