Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1848-02-24

! III In the House of Representatives, on
Thursday, Mr. King, of Mass, presented
the petitions of 5000 members of the Society
of Friends, in favor of peace. We publish i,
below. II is written in an excellent spirit, and
is important as showing the feelings with which
the war is regarded ~ the entire body of a
highly respectable religious denomination.
The Locoioco party of course made an effort
to prevent the petition from beng printed, and
Mr. Henley of Indiana made vulgar speech
against the Quakers, as being enem,'s oi their
country, 5c.---mcrely the usual slang OF his
party. Mr. King made aspri.ed speech, and
Mr.. Palfrcy made some remarks, in which he
said that he had in his possession petitions from
2033 ministers and laynen of the Unitarian
denomination, and from many others, praying
for peace, and had not yet been able to present
them to the House. Finally, the petition was
ordered to be printed, % to SO. Here it is ::
To The S,nate and House Of Representatives, Of
Me Inii,d States, an Congress assembled:
The memorial of the Representatives of the
yearly meeting of the Society of Friends
respectfully showe,h.
That your memoriasts regard with deep
regret and sorrow the existence and continuance
of the war between this country and Mexico
We are not insensibIe of the importance and
responsibility of appearing as Petitioners be-
fore the constituted authorities of our country,
but we are constrained under deep sense of
the unrightcous, new and vast practical evils
inscparably connected with war, again earnestly
to solicit your serious attention To II.
While your mcmorlallsts are convinced that
all wars and fighting are contrary to the spirit
and preccpts oiihe Gospel of Christ, and are
forbidden to Christians, they are aware that
circumstances sometimes attend the prosecution
thereof, which may much increase their cal
amities. How far the war in which this coun-
try is now engaged with Mexico partakcs of
this character, il may not become us in this
mcmoralzng you TO decide. But in addition
to the many thousands of Mcxicans, among
whom are great numbers ofwomen and helpless
children, who have fallen on the field of battle,
or in the capture of cities, is the fearful fact
that the lives of thousands ofour fellow citizens
have also been sacrificed in this strife, increas-
ing in no small degree the number of the
widows and the fathcrless.
Nor can we but deplore the circumstance
that our own citizens now compose an invading
army within the acknowledged territory of a
neighboring nation towards whom this country
has heretofore been on terms of amity and
peace. And your memorals,s would entreal
you, as the Representatives of this nation,
calmly to take INTO your consideration the
responsibility Of your present position.
And they earnestly desire that in your de-
liberations upon this momentous subject, you
may be directed by that wisdom which has for
its own the doing unto others as we would
that they should do unto us, to adopt measures
for the speedy termination of this war, and that
the retrospect ofafter days may afford to you
the retrospect of having faithfully discharged
your duty to yourselves, to your country, and
your God.
Signed, de-. SAMUEL BOYCE, Clerk
Providence, X. l., ith day ofthe lst month