Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-06-18
OUR TRIUMPHS.


look with interest and admiraIion;-a position
inwhich our vices and our virtues are atonce made
prominent TO the eye;-a position in which the
1riumphs of war and the trumphs Of peace are at
once presented in bold reliefi-a position that at
once attracts the attention Of the entire civilized
world. The soldier, who has grown gray amid
scenes Of violence and murder, rapine and plum
der,-to whom warts and attendant train Of evils
present the only avenues 10 true national great
ness, looks upon the brilliant achievements Of
our army in one portion Of the world with won.
der, admiration and delight,-he beholds victory
follow in the wake Of victory, always over a su.
perior force occupying an advantageous position,
each one more splendid and decided than that
which preceded it, and in the warmth Of the mo-
ment he involuntarily excaims the Americans
are decidedly great people. The philanthro-
pist, to whom war, or even the shadow Of war,
is an evil of such magnitude as TO call down the
vengeance of just God upon populace so de.
PRAYED, so lost to all true ideas of national
greatness as to permit themselves to be drawn in
TO it,-who looked upon the people Of this coun-
try with feelings of adherence, as he seen them
countenunce war Of invasion, a war Of con-
quest, war waged TO maintain nothing to which
we had any plausible claim, but on the contrary,
10 divest a neighboring republic of its right(ul
possessions, war to entwine the CALLING feuers
of slavery around the limbs Of aPeople now free
from It's witherng influence, and confidently pre-
dicted that the wrath of heaven would pass over
the land with havoc Of the dreaded simeon, and
the people be made 10 feel the sins they were
committing; when his attention has been drawn
in another direction. The cries Of famine and
distress, of penury and want, Of suffering and wo,
are borne to his ears on every breeze from ano-
ther portion of the globe. With all his sympa-
,hies aroused all his faculties put in active requi.
si,ion, he turns TO the scene of distress. He sees
thousands of human beings actually dying for
wan, of bread;-mothcrS clinging TO their babes
and asking a crust Of bread to save their lives
This meagre pittance cannot be given, and moth
or and child, husband and wife, brothers and sis
ters sink into common grave, prey TO the dis
eases that are attendant upon famine. He sees
all this, and host Of other evils Of no less mag
ni,ude, and he looks abroad TO other portions of
the kingdom for means of relief. But he looks
in vain. In every quarter the same scenes OF dis
,ress and starvation meet his eyes, He turns to
the other Kingdoms of the old world, but sees no
means of relief In despair he contempaes
the frigh,ful calamity. He sees no means TO a.
yer, the doom. The inhabitants Of that beaut-
ful Isle must perish for want of bread! When
lol from across the ocean he hears a voice that
tells him there is yet hope Eagerly he turns
TO the weslIo discover from whence il came. He
hebolds the we'll filled granaries of America
thrown open, and vessel after vessel laden and
despatched upon its errand of mercy, without
money and without price. As cargo after cargo
reaches the shores Of the devoted Isle, he sees
want, disease and death gradually disappear, and
the walking spectres that were wont to meet his
gaze again assume the appearance OF human be-
ings. With grateful heart,-grateful in the
conviction that millions Of lives have been saved
he turns 10 their deliver. All our past offen-
ces are forgotten. One righteous act has can
celled multitude of sins. He no longer meets
us with feelings Of repugnance; but carried away
by his admiration of our generous and timely as
sis,ance, he excaims the Americans are greai
people.
These are the triumphs Of the United States in
l846-7; triumphs that have made its govern
ment a prominent topic Of conversation, OF praise
and censure, throughout the world. What will
be the effect of these triumphs upon the nations
Immediately Interested Thisis aqueSton tha
presents itself to the patriot and statesman as wei
as TO the philosopher and philanthropist; ques
tion that deserves the calm and deliberate con
Alteration of every reflective mind in the Union
question that at once determines whether thu
,xumphs of war or the uiumphs of peace are th'
most potent means Of ''conquerng peace"
A war has been commenced by the Presden
of the United States, without the knowledge o
cOnseDtof Congress-, in session at'he 'ime' and ha
now been prosecuted for more Than year with
out Congress having passed any act formally de
claring war and setting forth the causes that lor
ced the nation to resort TO such mode of Settlin
It's difficulties. The only reason given by Con
gress when it adopted the war was that ''war eA
i,,ed between the United States and the RepubIi
or Mexico, by the ac. of Mexico;" and this wa
smugged into the preamble to bill furnishin
the President with men and money 10 exlrica'
the army from the critical situation IN which
had recklessly placed it. and was, under The ga
rule, forced through the House OF Represents
dives after thirty minutes consideration, and 6:t0'