Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-01-07


and hatred felt by the most ignoran, men of
both nations, as well as by their political lea
ders. 1t two countries are united by a war,
as Poland and Russia, the spirit of intense
and national hatred remains yet longer, and
is still more violent.
1t is a great wrong for a powerful and civil
LIKED people to attack a nation that is barbar-
Gus and feeble. The indignation of honest
statesmen is justly aroused against France
for her conduct towards Algiers. Doubtless
she had her provocations, but hetween the
Weak and the Strong every body knows
where the provocation commonly begins
The old fable Of the wolf and the lamb is not
likely TO be forgotten. The conduct of Eng
land towards the various nations in India,
towards China, towards Ireland fills the
world with Indignation. The history of her
achievements in Asia is the history of her
shame. Honest men in England know ii as
well as we. Austria is powerful and Rome
is weak; the emperor is of the middle ages,
while the new pope Is a son of the nineteenth
century, and of course a reformer. He loves
his church, loves his people, loves mankind /;
Pounds institutions which the Austrian despot
cannot relish, or even tolerate which endan-
ger the peculiar institutions of that despotic
monarch. The middle ages and the nine
teenth century are mutually hostile. %lnstitu-
tons which ought to be separated by hum
dreds of years quarrel at first touch. If Fer
dinand should therefore invade the States of
the Church, attempting TO re-anneX the March
Of Ancona to his possessions in Lombardy-
the advance from Ferrara TO Bologna would
raise a cry of shame in every country of Eu-
rope, and find a manly echo even in America.
Justice takes sides with the party most in
the right; Humanity against the strong OPP
pressor.
The present wal against Mexico is entitled
to a serious examination. The MeXicans are
few, poor, weak, half-civilized !; they lack the
elements which give a people strength. They
have no national unity of action. Initiating
the example Of the United States, they sepa-
rated from the mother country, and tried the
experiment of a liberal constitution. They
have been in a quarrel among themselves
ever since, and have perhaps shown them
selves unfit for a republican government
The people cannot go alone they are weak,
distracted, inefficient, but possessed Of a wide
and rich territory, valuable and attractive.-
The Americans are numerous, patriotic, en-
terprising, hardy, united, and of course pow
eriul-the most energetic and executive ma
ton ever de developed on the earth. Beside:
this, they have established a form of govern
ment which tremendously balances individu'
al freedom with national unity of action; q
government which of all others is the besI
fitted TO develop energy, hardlhood, and EN-
terprise; one most powerful of all to direcI
and animate a conquering army. We know
this Is not the common opinion, but the mill
tary man who is also a statesnan, and tamil-
lar with the history OF States-if such a mil
itary man can be found amongst us-will see
the truth OF this jud gment.
The strong nation is at war with the weak.
America has the example of France and Eng
land to sustain her, and other examples not
quite so reputable, but which shall presently
be cited. No doubt the English nation-we
mean the portion thereof who trade in poll
tics, on the one extreme, and, on the other,
the brute portion of the people-would justl.
fly the American invasion of Mexico; would
think more highly of us for the undertaking,
and the success Of it. 1t is plainly following
the example of England herself-a copy OIL
her treatment of the Irishman and the EasI
Indian. Here, too, the men who trade in pol
itics and the brute portion of the people like
the war. 1t matters not which party they be-
long to; they call it patriotic; they 60 fol
the country however bounded, and the coun'
try right or wrong. Before such men we lay
our finger on our lips, and say nothing. lie
time teach them.
But there is another body of men in al
lands, and powerful in this-Philosophers
Economists, Philanthropists, who are not sat
isied with a war merely because they are en-
gagged in it; who think it no better beeaus,
: waged against a miserable opponent, or be
cause it is fought by their own country; VIII
, know that successful wrong is no better tina
! when defeated. To such men it is necessa
y ~ to offer a reason for disturbing the peac
e Of the continent. The President of the Uni
ted States, in his message at the opening {
the second session of the last Congress, ha
himself undertaken TO justify the war. In hi
statement there is a certain doubleness of puI
= pose quite apparent. He makes a sPeci9
- plea, with a compound issue, thus TIL
MeXicans began the war, and we acted onl
. on the defensive; but then there were a grei
many reasons why we mighl ourselves hay
- begun the wal, without waiting for the Me-
leans to take the initiative. Thus is he dol
bly, armed. If the major weapon of argumel
fail-and it is shown that the MeXlcans dl
not commence the war-then he holds ia
by the minor, that we had a just reason f
! beginning it ourselves. But let us examiI
!, this matter more nicely. We extract fro
~ MIR. Folks message of Dec. 9Th, 1916. III
italics are our own.
is "Such has been our scrupulous adheren'
g. to the dictates of justice, in all our foreign i
Of tercourse, that we have given no just eau
o. of complaint to any nation, and have enjoyC
v the blessings of peace for more than lhir
ct years. From a policy so sacred to humanit
v zoe Should never be induced voluntarily 10 d
ID part" But Merico commenced AOstihtit
ID and forced the War upon us.'-p. 3.
ID But even if it were not so, "long befo
lie the advance of our army to the left bank
to the Rio Grande, we had ample cause of W
against Mexico" But some, he adds, ha'
IS represented the war unjust and unnecessar
t. and as one OF aggression on our part upon