Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1847-11-10
THE APPROACHES OF DESPOTISM.

''In fact we do not believe that it is i'm the pow
or OF Congress To stop the war at the present mo
ment The thing has gone too far; the loud camors
of the people would drown any voice in Congress
raised to oppose granting of supplies and con,in
uance of the war. All they can now do is, to de
lay IN idle debate, at the rate of eight dollars day
Let such idle consumers Of the peoples money be
carefully marked and let them at the close Of their
terms retire to their homes again to consume
the peoples money again in Washington. The
people will know what to do with them."--.N o.
Mercury
Here, In respectable newspaper, published IN
one Ut the largest commercial cities of the United
States-in IAN age of intelligence-in Republic
whose people profess the peaceful doctrinesof Chris
uanity, (most truly says the Cincinnati Chronicle
we have announced the same spirit, the same prin-
ciples, and the same feelings, identical in all re-
spects, as those which converted the Republic of
Rome into an overshadowing Military Despotism !!
Two thousand years of progress, of Improvement.
and the apparently firm establishment of the Anne
rcan Republic. have not changed the Juror of pas
sion or the mental subservience which actuatcs n
portion of mankind, even in the United States.-
Animnzcd by the grossness of their passions. and
made slaves of by the delusons of the IMAGINATION
'mey are as unconscious as The moths round a can
dfe q the certain doom to,cards ,ohich then tend.
Hear the taunt which is spoken to the Represen-
tatives of the People! $50 home uou hare no
business TO DEBATE!" Caesar has crossed the Ru-
o'cof, ana the Leglons follow him! You Repre-
sen'atives of the People, have no business 70 hest
tate! The DICrAroRin WASHINGTON has nrocl,;m-
ed war; you have nothing more to dol The Pro
CONSUL IN Vera Cruz will direct the supplies; the,
SArRAP OF Puebla will take charge of the lines: the
CoNsULs I'm Mexico and New Leon will command
the armies OF the Republic! Hurrah for the Die
tator! flurrah for the Consuls Go home yn,,
Representatives of the People and tell vour cons,
uen's-farmers on their lands and mechanics in
'neir shops-!overs of liberty and friends OF Rel
go"-D democrats and Whigs-that uou have mo-
ming 10 40 but to vote supplies, and they have no
.h'hg 10 do but 10 pay tares, Tell them that and
there is no power here but Caesar and h;S ~
gions!'' NO ''0
This is the plain translation. the downright Eno
lsh OF the .Ne,c Orleans .Mcrcnv. 1t is the mic
tnre oil free people, drawn by one of their editors
How do you like it?
There would be room for fears and sadness if il
were not that the PEOPLE have vet the power. and
are of different mind from what the Ignorance ot
the Mercury suppuses them to have. For eighteen
months the elections have been steadily going A.
ganst the war makers and notwithstanding ali tbe
buster OF such newspapers as the lIeycu,, and MI
the noise and smoke raised by the President and his
cabinet, the Representatives of the People ,rU In
quire into the war, and they ,cUarrest lis progress
unless lis objects are clearly defined, and BROUGHT
within the limits of the Constitution
The PEOPLE are not the fools they are taken 10
De by these vapid bnsterers When the farmers
OF this country are asked to pay hundreds Of mil
lions OF dollars to march soldiers to Mexico, thew
VIII inquire what it is for. That it is to nut epan
lets on the shoulders of the Presidents pets or tc
conquer provinces for the Presdents's Pro Consuls
Will not be sufficient reply to these inquiries
Depend upon that
However small portion of the people may adop,
,he menial language Of the Mercury, and crouch
beneath the dicaton of President, it is neyerthe-
less mark OF the degene-acy Of political virtue
ana dangerous symptom ofapproaching despotism
There is hope, however, in the great body of in
teii'gen people IN this country that these nsidous
apPloaches OF arbitrary power will be seen and re-
sisted before the nation is found in that c,,aI ond
neati looming embrace which has DESTROYED 81
many other nations. ''' 'O
Inc Moral Power of the country is awakening
without regard to party lines; and out of EVIL we
snail see Good educed. Cincinnati Cbyon;cIe