The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1848-05-06
For the Spirit of Democracy.
To the People Of Belmont 4 Monroe

FELL0w CITIZENS:
About the middle OF last Session
Albert Gallatns pamphlet on the Mexican wal
reached us under the frank of the whig members
of Congress. I condemn party spirit when 1t be-
comes ultra. Political, is in reality as blameable
and as dangerous as religious bigotry. With rea
patriots love of party is secondary to love OF couN
try. 1t ought to be so with all men. And will
be 50 with those who ardently desire to preserve
our republican institutions free from the taint oil
agraranism on the one hand and. .arstocracy on the
other What then must be the modification OF
man having truly American heart beating in his
bosom. upon seeing such pamghet franked by
whie members of Congress, and lauded, and quot
I'D. and even copied by whig newspapers-the
National Intelgencer amongst the number!!!-
The intellectual lnferority of this miserable thing
might be forgiven; for it is the work OF poor old
dotard far, far gone in second chdshness, verglng
on his ninetieth year, and whose faculties have
,uffered from senile dementia. But its ANTI
AMERICAN sentiments, its utter want Of patriot.
ism, can not be so easily overlooked. They do
not admit of the same excuse. Pious divines tell
US that when good and right dispositions take pos
session of the heart in youth and middle age they
remain through the last stages OF weakness and de-
cav. until the extinction OF the mental faculties in
old age or death. If they are correct in this, we
are pretty safe in saying that an American heart
never beat in this old mans breast Henry Clay
told him so in 1882 in that remarkable apostrophe,
in which he invited him back to the other side OF
the Atlantic. As the great embodiment says
great many things, it would be very remarkable If
he did not sometimes stumble on the truth. We
may, en- passant notice it as remarkable instance
of political versatility that these two men are now
both engaged in the same work-both cOndemning
their own country and justfying Mexican folly
and atrocity.
We NAV have occasion to revert ia this PAM
phlet again; at present we shall only notice one
feature. In 1916. our President, desirous to re-
move every ground even of pretended complaint.
and preserve our national character, as the great
and pacific Republic, sent Mr. Slidell to Mexico
with full powers to adjust and settle all conrover-
sies and remove all difficulties. He went from the
strdng to the weak as the herald of peace, and
bearer of the olive branch. But as weakness is
often allied to folly and wick kedness he was igno-
miniously rejected, and with every Circumstance
of insult and contumely that was calculated to
wound national pride or rouse national resentment.
Our minister was rejected; and for what, gentle
reader! What occasioned step which has gem
orally been considered amongst nations, equivalent
to declaration of war' Why, MI. Sdell was a
pienipotentiary, clothed with full power to settle
all matters of difference. instead of being mere
specal commissioner to treat OF the Texas affair
alone. Those who can believe in the validity of
this Mexican excuse, can believe that the whole is
less than its separate parts-that two are no part
of six, or that three more than FIVE. The thing
was regarded by the civilized world at the time as
mere ruse, mere trick. Even tho London
Times that bitter enemy of our country and of our
republican institutions, proclaimed that the Amer
can government had been "in the right for once"
The perfidy of Herrera, who had solemnly pro.
missed to receive our minister, was only paliated
by the fact of his being in abect fear Of the brgand
Paredes, who soon after overturned the govern
ment at The point of the bayonet
let nis uTlVcIHS oio udhs u hto ihsane PcJu-
dices against his own adopted country, has taken
up the Mexican side Of the question, and has made
II ground of heavy complaint against the Presi-
dent, that he sent plenpotentiary instead Of
special commissioned! The wings. both in and
out of the General Assembly, have adopted this
pamphlet in every way, and thereby rendered it
their own. and rendered themselves responsible
for It's loathsome, unpatriotc contents. Fellow
citizens. will you not answer its arguments at the
ballot box! Monroe can give l.7o0 majority for
Weller. the Hero Of Monterey. Shall we not do
itl We can if we ALL try. We repeat the OBJ
ssrvation made 10 the conclusion Of our first num-
bsr: we want other counties to do well, but we
want Belmont and Monroe to do WELLER!!
Most Respectfully, &C.,
n.sa..51s 500 EDWARD ARCHBoLD.