The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1848-01-20

! and money 10 main'ohh ueie"sNe ""e'
would, to use the usual phrase, the vigor.
Gus prosecution Of the war. Mexico is TO
us as dead body, and this is the only way
that We can cut the cord which binds US TO
the corpse. h.
10 recommending this line Of policy
look not TO The interests Of Mexico, bu. 10
those of our own county, and 10 the pre-.
servalon of its free popular Institutions.
With me the liberty Of the country IS all
in all. If that be preserved, every thing
will be preserved; but il lost, all will be
lost. To preserve it, i, is indispensable to
adopt a course of moderation and justice
towards all other countries; TO avoid war
: whenever it can be avoided, to let those
great causes now OF Grating continue 10
work, and which, by the mere operation OF
time, will raise our country TO an eleva-
ton and influence which no country has
ever heretofore attained. BY pur,uins
su, h a course, we may succeed IN com
binin. greatness and liber,-lhe highest
possible greatness with the largest meas
ure Of lberiy-and do more To extend l'b-
erty by our example, over this continent
and the world generally, than would be
done by thousand victories. 1t may be,
IN expressing these sentiments, that Ind
no response III The breasts Of those around
me II so, IL must be attributed TO the fact
that am grow old, and that my prin.
ciples aud iee."gs belong to period oil
thirty or thirty five years anterior 10 the
presen, date. II is not, however, the first
/ lime have yenturcd in their maintenance
/ TO stand alone on this floor. When Gen.
Jackson, some years since, during the lat
ter part Of his administration, recommen.
ded to Congress to issue letters OF morque
aud reprisal against France, stood alone
in my place here and raised my voice a
gains, ii, on the ground that there was no
Just cause of war with her; that IN enter
ing into the treaty TO indemnify our ciii.
zcns for old claims against her, the HING OF
France and his Ministers declared to our
Minister that i, required vote Of the
Chambers TO make the appropriation to
carry it into effect; and that they were no
further responsible than TO use their best
efforts 10 induce them TO do so. This was
all communicated TO our Executive, and
the treaty accepted and ratified, With this
condition attached. And Yet the PresI.
dent, although he admitted that the King
and his Ministers had fully redeemed their
pledge 10 use their best Efforts TO obtain
the necessary appropriation, recommended
the adoption Of The measure to which
have alluded, and which would have been
lan,amoun, TO war. Fortunately the Gov.
eminent Of Great Britain, by her inierpo-
sillon, prevented il. This example. fear,
has contributed much TO give The strong
tendency, which We have since witnessed, |
to resort TO menace and force in the settle |
ment of our differences With other powers.
According to my opinion, nil parties are
interested in adopting q line OF policy
which will with certainty disen,angle US
from the affairs Of Mexico, and avoid the
great sacrifices Of men and money, and the
many ether evils to which the war expo
ses US. Let the say to my friends " tho sup
port the A ADMINISTRATION IN their policy,
thar if you persist, and if peace by some
good fortune should not be obtained, the I
war viii go on from year TO year, and you
will be utterly over,hrown as party. Do
you no. see ,ha, its effects, in reference TO
our internal affairs, is to drive you into
course Of policy directly contrary TO that
which you have professed to support, and
in favor Of that which you have charged
your opponents with supporting. You
have ever professed to oppose, as party,
a national debt, and charged yonI oppo-
nents with being its advocates. Blu, what,
| ask. are the effects Of the war in this
respect Is il not TO create an immense
national debt, greater Than that which the
party TO which you are opposed could pos
slbly have created by any other policy,
had they been in power. This campaign,
on which you look so lightly, will add to
Il q sum more than half as great as the en-.
tire debt Of the Revolution. You have
been opposed to the extension of the pat.
rouage Of The Eyecu i've, at leas, in pro.
lesslon. But this war is doing moie "a
enlarge his patronage than any other pol
=" ""'S" y''' 'tp''N"'' $500 49, y"
} dopted. You profess TO be IN favor Of a
metallic currency. Do you not see that
, with the increase Of stocks and Treasury
notes, you are in danger Of being plunget
, again into the lowest depths Of the pape
. system You, as a party, have advocate,
. the doctrine Of free trade. Do you no
5 see that, by the vast increase Of the ex
! peudltures Of the country, and The heavy
&. interest which you will hive to pay on th'
public debt, YOU are creating neccssil,
of increasing the duties on imports to tn
! highest point that revenue viii admit, an
!, thus dePrvIng the country Of all the prac
e tlcal benefits Of free trade. aud preveutin
], the Governmcn, from making any mater
u al reduction, until the whole deb, is palC
d which cannot he expected during this ger
d eration7 What could your opponents hav
/. done more, or even as much, to destroy
D, system Of policy which you claim to di
e tlngulsh you from them, and to establls
!. that which you allege to be the reaso
a. why they should be excluded from power
n. Has no, and will not this war policy,