The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1848-01-22

Among all the clustering speeehes which
have been called forth by this unfortunate war,
the recent effort Of Commodore Stockton, at a
Philadelphia dinner seems to be the most abb
surd and detestable, And among all the school
boy orators which the war has inspired, Com.
Stockton may certainly claim the pre-eminenee
for the ability Of uttering vehement and scat
tering nonsense. Every. man in the county
who has any claims to decency and refinement
of feeling has already been shocked at the 8 NJ
culinary appeals Of a portion Of the press,and the
war like enthusiasm Of the thousand OF speech
es which have recently been delivered at pub
tic dinners and elsewhere, Nor is it to be dis
gulsed that these things are producing a demon
alizing i~nAuenee upon the national ttind--a
> IT, e nf he - MP and ci cunstauca' Of war;
deep, Unsuitable thirst for blood. To hear the
> loud appeals 10 the people If the United States
$50 wash out With b'aod' the insults they have
, received fFom Mexico--to prosecute the war
with Increased yigor In the ultal parts of the
euemy's country" until she sue for peace on
Blended knees with all the thousand variations
q Of the same degraded and degrading senti-
r menrs, one Is almost inclined TO pause and ask
whather we are not q natlt Of "whlskered
Pandoors and fierce Fiussars,'' rather than the
2 utderl}, peace-lovipg, christtanized commute
~ which we would have the world consider us,
All this however, is very nice and respecta-
d Bile when compared with the morality of Com
e Stockton, declaration as follows;
.'If | were now the sovereign authority, as |
was once the vicerOy-Qaughter)-I would
prosecute this war for the express purpose of
redeeming Mexico from civil and miserable
strife,-If, however, such a treaty were offered
me as that offered to the government OF the
y United States, before God, | would consider it
my bounden duty to r%ejectit. (Lond applause J
r | would a2 TO tAem.we can pnl th~eindemnity
ny ours Ives. fut VIZ ave a@futy before God
4 who we cannot, we must 3ot cvade The
IL priceless boom Of civil and religious liberty
III hiss hen cautided 70 US as Trustees CHEERS J
IS would insist, il the war were to be- prolonged
T. for fifty years, and cost money enough e de-
10 mand from Us each year the half of all that we
W possess, ! would still insist tina. the inestinable
blessings Of civil and religious Liberty should
y be guaranteed to Mexico. We must not shrink
nd from this solemn duty. We dare not shrink
from it. We cannot lose sight of the grea
ng truth that nations are accountable as well al
lib individuals, and that they too must meet thu
ne stern responsibilities Of their moral character
ed 49,, ,n, 80 - e a. n All nnunltuHn &c yinIataf
ne law in the more extended sphere adapted II
* heir physical condition" l-
". 1t is then, according TO the. COMMODORE
ge' ,de", the EMISSION" Of our republic to propagate
''civl and religious liberty'' at the point Of thv
Oh sword. We are to become the "Crusaders' o
eh the 18th century, we are to be the judg
OF es Of the religion and domestic policy 0
he other narions-~and they must either submit t
to our notions ofthose concerns, or abide the Wis
Sc itation of our intermeddling benevolehce
IT, Such doctrine, we doubt not, will be receive
an with contempt by the great body Of America
md people, thoughit was received with aloud chez
iit- ing'' by the assembIage Of very patriotic 'sov'
rn- reigns'' who heard it from the lips of Con
emit Stocton.' All the rest Of the civilized worI
has acknowledged, ne a fundamental prihcipI
Try Of national law,that no nation has n right to WI
e with. another on account of any difference 4
ike religion or domestic policy--and we s1PPol
a our own boosted counlIyeis not 80 far benin
I, to the civilization ofthelage rs to hold or put
re" practice the contrary principle. d
! To- Spain injured and eneryased herself, and CO.
asnt ferred, to say the least, very questionable be-
the eRts upon Mexico, by the wars which force
den the latter to adopt q 6eTtsinsreligion and pc
and ticular system Of government So faras rel
len aion was concerned, eyenin those days, WHIT
ten 10 wage extarmimting waragainst "ln6dels
Pr war, considered as doing God service, Faith
Olmendo, (the Catholic Priest who pccomp
de- MED the army Of Cortez) was 1ain to belle
cca- and declare that topropagate christianity,
q to the point p( the %hayonet, hardly met his ide
UGH Of the best method Of spreading the pul
int. peacehle, and elevating ~dpctrines Of him y
lsell was called the "Prince of Peace.'' And VIII
j, Cortez wished to inflic, very severe, and as
ions thought, condign punishment unon those hal
y of{hearted natives who would not bow to I
I to control of The afIsly Mother Church," the {
that Father more than once expressed L. as his op
ition ion that the best way TO win the natives, v
opu- to ~instruct them kindly, and spread bef'
Il is them by example, as well as precePt, the bef
Fage ties and holy influence Of that religion viii
'rthi- they haughtily rejected. That was truth tn
for and it is truth now. Christianity knows
but coercion, eitherto the individual or the natl
per- She does not teach the catholic to smito
land Protestant, nor either Of them TO lay vioI
omp- hands upon the InfdeL. She asks no arm