Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1848-01-12

! IL persisted Is necessary consequences VIII be
4 permanent nl,lf our military establishment
and OF eXe1 its general tendency TO
/ ready deni0rsS nl,c of the
nation. ~
lhe general reacc Nnl
between the great European c@e.s cd.iig one last
thirty years may not be ascribed to the piuest mo-
tives. BE these what they may, this long and UNI
usual reposc mas been most beneficial to the cause
OF humanity Nothing can be more inurions to it,
more iameniable, more scandalous than the war be-
tween two adjacent republics of North America.
Your mission was to be a model for all GovcYn-
ments and for all other less favored nations, to adj
here to the most elevated principles of political mo
raIty, TO apply all your faculties to the gradual i'm
provement of your own institutions and social state
ana, by your example, to exert moral influence
most beneficial to mankind at large Instead of this,
an appeal has been made to Your worst passions TO
cupldly, TO tho thirst Of unjust aggrandzement by
brutal force TO the love ofmitary fame and Offalse
glory and it has been tried to pervert the no
best feelings of your nature. The attempt is made
10 make you abandon the lofty position which your
fathers occupied TO substitute for it the political
morality and heather patriotism Of the heroes and
statesmen of antiquity
have said that it was attempted 10 pcryert even
your virtues. Devo,ednCss to country or patriot
ism, is most essential virtue, since the rational
existence OF any society depends upon IT, Unfor-
tunateiy, our most vlrtuoUs dispositions are pervert-
ed, not only by vices and selfshncss but also
by their own excess. Even the most holy four
attributes, the religious feeling may be perverted
from that cause, was but too lamcnably exhibit
cd IN the prosecutions, even unto death of those
who were deemed herctics 1t is not, therefore.
astonishing that patriotism, carried to excess, should
also be perverted. In the entire devotedness to
their country, the people, every where and at all
times. have been too apt TO forget the duties mpos
cd upon them by justice towards other nations. IL
IS against this natural propensity that you should
be specially on Your guard. The blame does not
attach TO these who led by their patriotic feeliBsp
though erroneous, flock around the national stand
ard. On the contrary, no men are more worthy Of
admiration, better entitled 10 the thanks of tle,r
country, than those who. after war has once taken
place, actuated only by the purest motives. dalv
and with the utmost selfdeyOtedness brave death
and stake their lives il tic conflict against tho
actual enemy. must confess hatI do not extend
the same charity to those civilians who coolly and
deliberately plunge the country into any uniust or
unnecessary war.
we should have but one conscience; ard most
happy would il be for mankind were statesmen and
politicians only as honest in their management OF
the internal or external national concerns as thew
are in private life. The rreproachable private
character OF the President and Of all the members
OF his Administration is known and respected
There is not one Of them who would not spurn with
Indignation the mCst remote hint that on similar
pTetences,to those alleged FOR dsmemberng Mex
ico he might be capable of attempting TO appropr-
ate to himself his ncghbor's farm.
In the total absence OF any argument that can
justify the war IN which we are nov involved re-
sort has been had to extraordinary assertion
1t is said that the people OF the United States have
an hereditary superiority of race over the Mexicans.
which gives them the right TO suhiuoate and keen
IN bondage the inferior nation. This il is also all
legged Will be the means ofenlightening the degra-
ded MeXicans, OF Improving their social state and
mt -, Tho HOO r 1T
( eS
Is II compatible with the principles Of Democra-
/ cy, which reject every hereditary claim of indivi
dnais to admit an hereditary superiority Of races a.
You very properly deny that the son can. indepen-
dent of his own merit, derive any RIGHT or privilege
whatever from The merit or any other social s,jpe
riorlty o! his father. Can -ou for q moment sup
pose that very doubtful descent from men who
lived one thousand years ago has transmitted TO Won
superiority over your iellow-men? But the An.
gio SaNons We're inferior to the Goths, from whom,
the SPanards claim TO be descended and they
were in no respect superior to the Franks and 10
the Burgundans
1t is not to their Anglo Saxon descent, but 10 ?
variety of causes, among which the SUBSEQUENT
: mixture of fTenciifed NUrnans, Augevins, and
Hascchs must moi be forgotten, that the English are
indebted for their superior institutions In the pro
gressye improvement OF mankind much more has
been due to religious and political institutions than
o 10 races Whenever the European nations which
from their language are presumed to belong to tht
Latin or Scavonian race, shall have conquered in
siltutions similar TO those Of England there will b
no trace left of the pretended superiority OF one
those races above the other. At this time the cl ain
=, IS but preiext for covering and jusfyipc unins
usurpatlon and unboundod ambition
. but admitting, with respect to Mexico, the an
perorty race, this confers nc superiority of rights
Among ourselves the most ignorant the most inf
fior' either IN physical or mental faculties is recno
= nsed as having equal rights, and he has an con?
- vote with any one, however superior 70 him in y
those respects. This is founded on the irntnntabl
: PrIuc'ple that no one man is born with the rioht
q governing another man. lie may, indeed. acoui,
- moral influence over others and no other is eo;t
- mate. The same princpjs will apply TO nations
e, however superior the Anglo- American race NAV /
:, 10 mat OF Mexico, this gives the Americans no
10 in'Gngo upon the rights Of the inferior race
The people Of the United States may rphtfII,
:, and VIII, ifthey use the proper means, exercise
+ most beneficial moral influence over the Mexicar
70 and other less enlightened nations Of America
ID Beyond this they have no right TO 90.
W. The allegation that tho snbjugation OF Nexic
Is would be the means Of onlighlening the Mexican
OIL improving their social state, and Of increasin
'hcir happiness, Is but the shallow attempt TO di
e guiso unboundcd cupidity and ambition. Tral
" never was or can be Propagaed by fire and sworC
~ or 6y any other than purely neral means by thes,
~ and by these alone, the christian religion was prc
n pagaied, and enabled, in less than three hundre
r. years, to conquer idoauy. Daring the whole
ne mat period christianity was tainted hy no 9th,
10 blood Than that OF its martyrs.
'as The duties Of the people Of the United States e
'as wards other nations are obvious. Never loSiu
m tf e .