Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1848-01-28
The senate.

"'e hhcfto sustained II!
The senate.
Hitherto, amid the widest aud deepest prcva-
iencc OF the spirit Of party in this Country, and
while the popular mind has been under the high
est excitement. the people have been accustomed
to look to TIE SENATE" of the United States
as the true depository of the Conservatism ofthe
Constituton-thc balancc.wlIecl in their theory
and machinery of government. They have
fouId there tho noblcst inclccts of the nation
a CLAY, a WEBSTER, a CALHOUN, n MANGuM,
a B.RRrES, a WRlcnT, a CLAYTON, a CnITrES.
Den, and, (barring the nordinate vanity that
sometimes utilities hm) BESToS-mcn who
are ripe in Wisdom and Craftsmanship, and
whose eloquent voices are ever ready TO defend
the true glory and welfare Of the country. The
Senate has proved but a sorry place for dcina.
gogncs and slmllow-brained politicians - the
former being usually rebukcd into show, at
least. Of elevated motive, and the latter into ap-
propriate silence. and nopentity. 1t is hard
work for such men as Cass and Allen to sink
the dcmagogue, and impossible for such a man
as Foote Of Mississippi to conceal his ears.
We always regret to see the Senate belittled
by the introduction of fith rate men to its august
councils. If any thing could lead us to despair
Of the Republic, it would be the dcgeneracy of
that conservative body, which would result from
a too liberal infusion of that spirit Of modern
" democracy which delights in haranguing
about manifest destiny" progress" and "An.
glo.Saxonism, terms that are receiving their
plain Interpretation in bloody and aggressive
War upon feeble sister Republic, and in the
rapacous purposes Of conquest for which its
authors declare their intention to prosecute it
I" in the vital parts Of that Republic. Schemes
Of military conquest are wholly at war with the
spirit of our Constitution, and with the very
theory of republic,nism. And yet the Senate of
the United States daily resounds with the elabo.
rate arguments Of Cass or an Allen, and the
pulling defamation Of a Foote, in advocacy of
the entire subugaiion and annexation of Mexico
to this Union! And we are gravely told that all
the military men" now floating in the execu.
tive sunshine in WaslIngton-the pearces, the
Quitmans, the Shiedses, the Stocktons, &C.
are unanimous in advising the seizure and per-
manent occupation of half continent of terri
tory, to which we have no more claim than the
highwayman has to his victims purse, and the
adoption, as citizens of this Union, of eight or
ten millions of half civilized. ignorant, and de-.
based Spaniards and Indians! What is il to the
PEOPLE Of this country what military men !"
choose to think Of the true policy to be pursued!
The education and occupation o." military men"
are to the last degree aui.repubiican and they
are the very last persons whose advice ought
either to be sought, or followed, by the Senate
Of the United States, in framing measures, or
marking out line OF policy, to be adopted by the
Government. We want Statesmen, not Gem
erals. to govern the country. We want no
standing Army Of 10000 men, and no standing
military advisers to point out the track of glory''
for this Republic. We want PEACE, and the
Arts Of Peace, not the demoralizing and pc-ti-
lent machinery of War, to establish the welfare
and prosperity of the People.
When the counses of aggressive War pre-.
vail in the SENATE, when it shall appear that SO
small man as James X. Polk can, by an un.
constitutional exercise Of authority, wrest the
whole power Of the American Government to
sustain War Of Conquest and Subiugation
and thus override the Constitution itself, we
may well despair Of the Republic. II the bare
fact that the President has involved the Country
in a War, both prccludes the right to enquire
into the justice or necessity of that War, and
takes away from the representatives Of the PEG.
PIE the power to stop or control it, in what res.
pcct does our Republican Government differ
from Military Despotism! II the counsels OF
such men as CALHOUN, WEBSTER, MANcuM
CLAYTON, BEERIEy and BUTLER are cast aside
for the rampant democracy" OF Cass, Allen and
F"otc, and Of all the military men, who arc
buzzing about the National Capital, fresh from
fields of blood and carnage, it may become the
American People to pause and consider to what
end such things lead.