Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1847-03-04

! time when much danger was Threatened TO
the interests, happiness and liberties of the people
Of the United States now. Why, sir, If any one /
vould sit Gown free from the excitement, free from
the bases consequent upon constant informing.
ling with those busted in public affairs, aud in
those calm and seqnestered soudes where thought
fol men indulge themselves IN reflections upon pas.
sing events aud look the history even of the
last year. and then Judging from all the examples Of
former Understanding 10 that wisdom which
history teaches and which history alone can teach
/ of what must be the inevitable and unavoidable
result Of what has happened, it appears to me that
he would say that this Republic, boosting that IFS
liberties secured and the various functions Of
It's Government bound up in the chains Of a written
Constitution has torn that Constitution TO tatlers,
scattered il TO the breeze and resolved itself into
that old and much abused Constitution OF England,
a mere omnpotence Of Parliament
/ No lie would rather find in the events Of the
last ten months or the last year, that power Of
this government which was evidently intended 10
be the controlling power--if there may be said to
be any controlling power belonging 10 a Consiu
ton which divided out aud parceed out lis
powers with reference TO the supremacy Of each in
its own sphere--had given itself up a voluntary
slave 10 that alone which, by the trainers of the
Constitution, intended 10 be the mere Execu.
tor and Ministerial officer TO the will OF the other
Let any one consider the history of the Senate OF
year to this hour say whether he eau recognize in
that body component part OF the Congress OF the
United States. Would not any man on boing in
formed tina, there exists war with .neigbboring
Republic war which has taxed and the fiscal
energies and patriotism OF the country carry for.
ward for the last ten months, without making the
natural enquiry Where in the journals Of Con-
gress shall find the causes Of this wa--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 m.serles Of war! Let me these causes, for
read in the Constitution Of this Government that
COngress-co of the Senate and House of
Representaiives-alon Congress, alone, and no
other power under heaven can ever bring upon this
country that drest, worst and most fatal curse Of
, humanity -wARl Il is by their will alone that
that curse can be inflicted l shall End, then
somewhere on the journals Of Congress, state
ment Of the causes and reasons Of the war"
II such an inquirer, Mr. President, saould look
into the archives Of this Senate or into the archives
! Of the House Of Representatives. he would be OBJ
lged TO go away and tell the story to the world,
that ii was altogether a mistoke-thai there could
be such Constitution that for in the Journals
Of neither House could be found OF the Leg
islaiure which avowed the reasons of the war--no
such resolution solemnly debated and solmenly de-
cded, assigning 10 the world-to the tribunal Of
Chrsiendom reasons which npced US 10
: invoke this last and fataes weopon OF an injured
. people for the redress of lis wrongs.
y lie will find it nowhere. And although this has
. been the condition Of the country for about ten
so ,eco,d !, ,hs, nm ~ ahon, 6va H. ~, H.
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 10 this hour he compel
;. led 10 guess and imagine those reasonsl How has
This war come mon ns1 How i !, ,ba, 700 hayo
Is an dsannoin,ed ,be homes If those o,ea, and GOOD
II men Thai prescribed 10 rs The nalh of our dn,v in
y this, one OF the most imporau, acts, which gov
:, ernment can be called upon TO PERFORM When
they came to ascertain and fix the limits and boun-
daries OF the various functions of the government
!. which they intended should be eternal aud immor-
!, tai, IN writing down in that instrument, that Con
- gress alone should have the power 10 declare war
e they but consulted in that instance, as in every
i other the gathered wisdom OF the past.
n Whether they looked TO the level de.potlsms o
!, the ancient Asiatic world--wheher they looked Il
:, those ieudal institutions which followed upon The
n destruction of the Roman Empire, where this pow
~ err TO make war was parcelled out in variety o
y hands-or whether they looked to the stern tyran
10 MES Of modern Europe in any and every one o
these instances they would have found that the wa
al making power being in the hands of one man--th,
IA war making power, being in the hands of the mon
" arch. the despot, the feudal lord and the Limited
= monarch, had been found in hostility TO the rights
~ and destroying the lives of millions of their sSbiu
n gated people, ia all the ages of the world The
h. determined, therefore, that the power 10 make wa
h, should never be vested in the hands of any on
,v man. They declared that il should be with tn
III sovereign States and their Representatives alon