Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1847-10-21

the form OF law we may not disregard 1t
We are not called upon to supply an
voluntary aid, succor or support ou
duties as good citizens terminate in con
formity TO the law.
n l think, therefore, that the present cri
sis calls at once not only for the mos
serious and energetic, but Tor the mos
constitutional and considerate action O
all Wings over the whole country. Their,
are those who think that violence i
strength. That hold to be a great mis-
take. Violent counsels are weak coun
sells; violent conduct is weak conduct
and violent language always weak Ian
guage Our highest purposes, ! may say
our boldest resolves, then most recon
mend themselves to the acceptance o
our community, when they are announc
ed, certainly with clearness and force
but also with decorum and dignity, witt
a just respect for ourselves and just re.
spect for others. The great dramatist
instructs those who would excel in the
power OF moving men, not always to be
ready to tear passion TO rags and tat
ters, but in the torrent and whirlwind Of
their emotions to observe Just temper.
ance, that sobrlety of sentiment, that
sobriety Of language which proves men il
earnest. Allow Inc to say, it is not the
nolslest waters that are generally the
deepest; nor has it always been found
that that spirit which is most inclined to
vapor when danger and disaster are at a
distance, is the tirmest in breasting them
on their near approach,
With these remarks, sir, upon the tone
and temper, which in my opinion, belong
to all constitutional Wings, here and else
where, | shall proceed to make a few
remarks upon the topics Of the day.
| have said, sir that we are engaged in q
war, in my opinion unnecessary, and
therefore unjustltiable hold it to be q
war founded upon pretexts. Sir, the
law of nations, embodying the general
sense OF mankind, instructs us that the
motives Of war are good or Vicious
Where they are founded in a conviction
of necessity, in sole desire to promote
! the public good and defend the national
interests, it is a good motive. Where
they are founded in any oblique purpose
or any unjust purpose, when war is wag.
ed for conquest, for acquisition, for gain,
for renown, for the purpose of gratifying
private ambition, or for party purposes,
the motive is vicious. And, sir, they
20 farther and Liantain this distinction
that there may be causes for war which
would justify the war so far as the oppo-
site nation is concerned, and yet not
furnish good motive for war, because
good motives for war while they require
always a good cause for war, require
something else. They require that the
war should not be waged excepting from
necessity, and for its utility TO the inter-
csts of the country.
Now, slr,.i he law of nations instructs
us that there are wars Of preteXt. The
history OF the world proves that there
have been, and we are not without proof
that there are, wars waged Oh pretext,
that is, on preferences where the cause
assigned is not the true cause. That
believe upon my conscience, is the true
character OF the war now waged against
Mexico. | believe it to be war of pre-
text ; a war IN which the true motive is
not distinctly avowed, but in which pre-
tences, after thoughts, evaslons, and other
methods are employed to put case
before the community which is not the
true case.
! think, sir, there are three pretexts,
all unlounded, upon which this war has
been justified, in various modes and on
various occasions. The President of the
u. 5. IN his war message of May, 1916,
puts the war upon the fact that the McXl-
can government have invaded the terri
tory of the United States and shed A.
merlcan blood upon American soil
Now, in my Judgment, this is not the
case. The President OF the U. S. had
ordered the army Of the U. S, as early
as January, lS46, to move beyond what
Mexico acknowledged to be the boun-
dary of Texas, and place itself upon the
Rio Grande. Arrived there, blood was
shed upon the left bank of the Rio
Grandc Was that American soil .
That was soil claimed by the United
States, but which Congress had never
recognized 1t was territory claimed by
Mexico as firmly as the city of
Mexico itself, and was, at the time, in
the actual possession of Mexico. The
most favorable prcscntmcnt, therefore,
is this : that we having a claim TO terri
tory of which the other party was in pos
session, marched an army into 1t to take
possession Is not that war upon OUR
side =! ! am of opinion, therefore, that the
declaration in the message of the | lth of
May, lSi6, upon which the act of Con-
gress, of the 18th, was based, the declara
ton that war existed "by the act Of
Mexico" cannot be made out correctly
10y any evidence in point Of fact. If so
II was pretcXt
Then agaln. although this was the
main point upon which the recognition
OF war was placed by the President, no
sooner was the war declared, than other
causes were resorcd to. One was the
refusal ofthe Mexican government to re-