Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1848-01-21
all other good principles, what is or can be al

legged !
!, To justify IL, nothing short OF an invincibl
5 necessity would suffice; and of course, no in
ducement, no mere advantage to ourselves. ca
! eNtenuatc That winch necessity onlv--the wan
OF power TO cioose-nust be called IN TO Justify
bul II NJ DC alleged mat there was ncccs
sl'y Tor gong TO war with Mexico, either be
, CAUSE shc hau iiiVaocu olsputcu territory o
Wii!cii Ve were III previous possession, (and tn
iact Is precisely the opposltc,) or because SIN
owed us, Tor our citizens, lndeInnItles Whch Sh,
c""f" nN pay except ~ me dltehat'on NJ i"n o
, "rS@I-,crfitory ana soIl then the answers arc
clear ana easy ilrst, that the necessity to repe
weah 'iNaucr from your soil, Whlch you arr
toIc WIN case 10 ueiehu, Is no necessity tor turn
ing iiNauer III your turn, over-runllng wide ter
i.'o''cS, anu S'rlPP'hg Oh ms legitimate posses
s'o"S al adversary SO weak tliat you have nc
"oou vi i'''-ucs'oN''2' III oruer 10 iehder mn
nur'Ie9s 10 YOU Inc only unsuitable war is thai
Mn'o" 9ciI-P'eser'at'oh requires; ana When ma
- "lIa'IeI' ycu' nSht Vi var ceases. such Is
'he rIcs'ueht case III tne present war, even
upon MS own statement OF H. But, secondly, II
t ~, war Is Poscc"'eu lor ihdemhites "h'h
,,.s '.y Guy o,',y p"y IT, .'u do Pe1pLe tneh we
".o .I, ' aS ,'. .ic onleo states pos
@ III IN. VI osi II, payment IN any such
Wy No. 90, ':o Ui".eu states get' nor Mex
|
III "''cscu Necessity 49, thei' hrst, no neces-
SHY at aH' ahu' secondly, There can, ina foreign
, wa. WIZ Peoi'J "t'c,'y incapable OF defending
ei.esw'nEcn iosa hurting you at nome
70 ~ u p'o'eioe, no' u say necessity,
~, you" .; aosiuonns ,ol on'y your own oeiioe-
III i,. ,.i o"i 'ic es'Iht'ai pr,"c'PieS o.
"' anu na''o'''i r,S'it Whe'eVer.
"o ,""I'"'"' must neA' oe cohsiuered
'o'' '"..!, ""''o 'o 'o.'u'o' Is vi CHOICE, hot
'".'o must oe Inducements Ut least,
Just or unjust, adequate or inadequate.
mere might DC personal, tlere might beparty
inducements to the war Itself, or to the methods
IN which the President has waged or proposes
TO wage 1t. Ills own power to have avoided it
must be confessed : his agency in bringing ii on
cannot be denied; the enormous accession to
his official powers during Il war cannot be con-
troverted; the possible enlargement OF his repu-
tatlon and influence by successful war cam
not be questioned. But all these, instead of
being inducements to them to whom we are ar
guing-to the free and intelligent People OF this
country-should manifestly be Just the contrary
1t belongs to the President alone to wish an en-
largement Of his official powers; and this just
in proportion as he is otherwise weak one it
is for him not the people to court a war as the
means of swelling his prerogatve, and as for
going to war in order TO fabricate popularity for
Z.
be no motive to affect the good people of the
United States. We shall not consider, then. of
the motives personal merely to the President or
his followers which may be connected with this
war: our present business is only with the in
ducements which it has for The People.
The suasvcs obviously rcckoned on (by him
who has made and those who favor this bloody
experiment on our own institutions as those
which would most preyail with our ncopc are
not the expectation of getting ins.icc done TO our
claimants OF lndcmnities-Qor towards these a
complete Indifference rcigncd until it was found
that they would afford Il useful topic to excite
ment against Mexico and in favor of anncXation)
nor any improvement of our government, or
laws or freedom, or wealth at home but they
are the national vanity of successful arms. the
pride of dominion, and the especial lust for other
peoples lands which has been by some attributed
TO lis as characteristic of our race.
In the lust. as particular passion of our
countryinen, we do not believe OF those whom
it is supposed to infect not one in fifty expects
any part in the spoil But who cares to steal
for another's beneti, 1t is personal not ma
tonal cupdty, if it exists. In word what
has been as falsely as immorallv called /" love OF
land-stcanr," by way OF giving it Il raver and
less severe name than the stern old one of rapine,
is nothing else than that ruthless vanity of EN-.
pire and military rlory which has bcso,ted so
many nations, and made them mere beasts of
draurht. ever ready to harness themselves to the
triumplal car of him who could lead them ON TO
the SLAUGHTER and cnslavement of whole conn
tries. The soil of Mexico is already annronri
ated entire; there is therefore little scope for
Instrumentation there and thew who ply orr
people with reasons for this war do not inv TO
/ fire them with examples of persons who success
/ fully stole lands, but initiate them with notions
of national grandeur and power. talk battalions
ard armies mot agricultural implements) to
them, and flourish away, like boy.historians
about that mighty Republic of old, Rome, and
how she was the mistress of the earth Plea
SAINT statesmen. Most profound historians !!
Was it Rome herselt-that is, the picbS, the
common people, the 4" bone and snew' of the
| city-that rose to all tins glory and dominion !?
Or was ii only Consuls, Senators, Generals, and
by-and-by sanguinary Emperors-a Tiberius, a
Nero, Domitian--who rcapcd all that harvest
OF spendor and command winch the mere peo-
pie had taitened with their blood
10 the real People, the PAM solid, quiet mass
OF citizens, who, III Tree state, have nothing
IN store but to i've as private men under good
laws, what possible advantage III extended en-
pire, a pompous Government national name at
when other countries tfeuloic Is II ~ s"cn
STATE ,nat ,le mere clllHe., can cAlcct 10 ~ po
'esa'ueu No t''e ta'sei cue ,I,i"o"' ~.
more must ne pecoinc 'i's lhnoa"'' NHen ln"l
hrst oi cohquerois' Ni'lou u,e ',"i'-iu'',e'' nae