The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-10-30

this story, grasp the highest view. or act upor
it, He Is Geld, calculating, and simply rea
soning being-guided merely by political con.
sidsrations-sctuated alone by political ends.
But Mr.. Webster continues:
The war exists. Suppose il to continue till
the next meeting Of Congress. What is il the
duty Of good citizen and good Wing to do
Well, say for one, that ! suppose il 10 be true
that the next House of Representative in Con-
gress will be composed Of Wing majority.
think we have had tones of denunciaiion from
the North and the South, from the East and the
West, sufiicsntto ensure US that result, although
u will be very great change. Suppose that 10
be the case. say at once, unless the President
Of the United States shall make out a case.
which shall show 10 Congress that the wsr Is
prosecuted for no purpose of acquisition or do
minion for no purpose not connected directly
with the safety of this Union. then they ousM
not 10 grsaf sny further supplies. IL we depart
rom that, II we say that on the proprie,y Of a
war, or on the necessity Of a war, begun or 10
be begun, Congress has no voice, no Constitu-
sionai power, we obliterate the Constitution.
He concluded 40 follows:
:. What was done in the Administration of Mr..
Massi<ea jnss hefars ihs close Of she luss -
with England? lie placed his terms of peace
before Congress; I will not advert to them, but
they were such as were strongly calculated TO
create this disposition in Congress-. that upon
these terms, now offered, if Great Britain does
not make peace we will not vote to refuse sup
plies, but we will prosecute the war 10 the end.
IL so happened that Great Britain did make
peace, and We were not called upon for supples
Certainly it is essential to the liberty of a re-
preventative Government that the representa-
bodies which have the power and the only pow
er 10 make war, should hold q cognisance over
the Objects for which war is prosecuted, and if
they think that the war originated in the mis-
chievGus purpose which have been discussing,
II Is their business, their solemn duty 10 put an
end to it That is my judgment.
have as much respect for distinguished mill
tary achievements, hope, as any man need to
have honor those who, being called upon by
the course of professional duty, to bear arms in
the cause Of their country, perform that duty
well. would not see any of their laurels with
cred; but am bound TO saw here, and even to
them, that the solemn adjudication of the law of
nations, and the sentiment Of the world is
that war waged for vicious motives furnishes
even the iustre farms, and darkens, sadly dark
ems, If IL does not blot, what would otherwise be
a bright and glorious page in national history.
1 am sorry, sir, 10 perform what may have
been expected Of me on this occasion so imper-
ioc"y out say 10 the w nigs OF Massachusetts,
let US stand by our principles. There is hope,
there Is confidence, and there is trust, and he,
every one, who honestly and sincerely does his
duty as good citizen, in regard to public ques-
tons, will assurecly save himself, and may help
to save the county. 1t is no moment for
shrinking or haltering. II is no moment for go
ing to extremes on the right or the left. Let
us stand on our established principles aud opin-
ions. Let US maintain our allegiance to the
Constitution under which We live. Let US re-
gard those great names that have gone before
u.s. and have illustrated our principles In their
administration OF the Government. We may
not see our way out Of the present crisis. We
may be tossed on ocean where we canno, dis
Germ the land, where we cannot even discern the
sun. What then is ourduty' Let us study our
chart, and let US obey the compass; that chart
is the Constitution of the country; that COM
pass is an honest, single idea.