Ypsilanti sentinel. [volume] (Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Mich.) 1843-1900, 1847-03-10

puDlic-there had never been q time when SO
much danger was threatened to the interests,
happiness and liberties of the people Of the u
nited States as now. Why, sir, if any one
would sit down free from the excitement, free
from the bases consequent upon a constant
intermingling with those busted in public af-
fairs, and those calm and sequestered solitudes
where thoughtful men indulge themselves in re-
Elections upon passing events, and look over the
history even Of the last year, and then judging
from all the examples of former times-accord-
ing to the wisdom which history teaches and
which history alone can teach-of what must
be the inevitable unavoidable result of what
has happened, it appears to me that he would
say that this Republic, boasting that its liber-
ties are secured and the varlons functions of its
Government bound up in the chains of written
Constitution, has torn that Constitution to tat
tiers, scattered it to the breeze and resolved it.
self into--that old and much abused constitu-
ton Of England, mere omnipotence of Par
lament
No. He would rather find in the events of
the last ten months or the last year, that that
power Of this government which was evidently
intended to be the controlling power-if there
may be said to be any controlling power belong
ing to Constitution which so divided out and
parcelled out its powers with reference to the
supremacy of each in its own sphere--had CIV
en- itself up voluntary slave to that alone, which
by the trainers of the Constitution, was inten-
ded to be the mere Executor and Ministerial
officer to the will of the other. Let any one
consider the history 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 competent part of the Congress of
the United States. Would not any man on be-
ing informed that there exists war with a
neighboring Republic war which has taxed
all the fiscal energies and patriotism of the
country,to carry forward for the last ten months
without making the natural inquiry, Where
in the Journals of Congress shall | find the
causes of this war-to what record of this body
shall 90 to ascertain what it is that has driven
this peaceful, this happy people from the great
pursuits of civil life to rush into all the miser-
les of war! Let me see these causes, for
read in theConstitutlon of this Government that
Congress-composed of the Senate and House
of epresentatives--alone. Congress alone, and
no other power under Heaven can ever bring
upon this country that direst, worst and fatalest
curse of humanity-wAR 1t is by this will
alone, that that curse can be inflicted. l shall
find, then, somewhere on the journals of Con-
gress statement of the causes and reasons of
the war.
If such an Inquirer, Mr.. President, should
look into the archieves of this Senate or into
the archieves of the House of Representatives,
he would be obliged to go away and tell the
story to the world, that it was altogether mis-
take-that there should 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 resolu-
ton solemnly debated, and solemnly decided,
assigning to the world-to the tribunal of Chris
tendom-the reason which impell us to invoke
this last and fatallest weapon of an injured
people for the redress Of its wrongs.
He will find it nowhere. And although this
has been the condition of the country tor about
ten months, it is fact undeniable, and history
must so record it, that up to about five days
ago there has not been afforded to the Senate of
the United States one hours discussion of the
reasons of this war, so that the Senator from
South Carolina was obliged to say that up to
this hour he was compelled to guess and ina
CINE those reasons How has this war come
upon US? How is it that we have SO disappoint-
ed the hopes of those great and good men that
prescribed to us the path of our duty in this
one of the most important acts, which a Gov
eminent can be called upon to perform7 When
they come to ascertain and fix the limits and
UOuuudIieo vi Tic NdIlOuS iuuCtiOHS vi tic OOt-
eminent which they intended should be eternal
and immortal, in writing down in that instru-
ment, that Congress alone should have the
power 10 declare war, they but consulted in that
instance as in every other, the gathered wis
dom of the Past.
Whether they looked to the level despotisms
of the ancient Asiastic wo.ld-whether they
looked to those feuda institutions which follow
ed upon the destruction of the Roman Empire,
where this power to make war was parcelled
out in Yariety of hands-or whether they look
ed to the stern tyrannies of modern Europe, in
any and every one of these instances they would
have found that the war making power, being
in the hands of the monarch, the despot, the
feudal lord, and the liauited monarch, had been
found in hostility to the rights, and destroying
the lives of millions of their subjugated people,
in all the ages of the world. They determined
therefore, that the power to make war should
never be vested in the hands of any one man.
They declared that it should be with the sove-
reign States and their Representatives alone to
say whether the nation should seek this last
appeal for the redress Of any injuries of which it
might have reason to complain. They provided
however, that the President of the U. States,
for the time being, should be the commander
in-chief of the armies of the United States.
They took very good care that that army
should be exceedingly small, and they who had
the most fearful apprehensions of investing in
one man even the power to command this army,
always inculcated upon the minds of every one
the necessity of keeping that army within linn
its just as small the necessity of the external
relations of the country would possibly admit.
1t has happened Mr.. President, that when a lit
tie disturbance on your Indian frontier took
place, Congress was invoked for an increase Of
your military force. Gentlemen came here
who had some partial service in the armies of
the United States. They tell you that the mi
itia of the country is not to be relied upon
that it is only in the regular army of the United
States that you are to find the men competent
to fight the battles fthe country, and from time
to time when the necessity has seemed to arise
fogetting this old doctrine, that large standing
army in time of peace was always dangerous to
human liberty, we have increased that army
from six thousand to about sixteen thousand
men and the otherdav, Mr. President--the 9TH