New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-01-24
Courage and Military Glory.

yVhvi. il that mankind have ever been % prone
=, e.slt and do homage 70 this mere animal quah
-. courace. above all the moral and more usei0i
virtuesl to give IL precedence above Honesty Be
nsvolepce and Truth--above Poetry, Eloquence and
Knowledge To Is, as nation the PToo'em
the more interesting because, although N ne
pnblic ike ours. where rights are generally eqas
and knowledge difruse5 one might expect mem
merits 70 be measured by the tendency Of tnen
actions % promote the peaceful arts snd ine SOL"
prosperity Of the people, yet one has but to open
his ewes and behold the disgraceful truth that n"
people have been more easily csptisaied and over
come by military success none more prone 70 mn"
,r0r,kip, than re.
General j. A. Hamilton Of South Carolina once
among the wsrncst devo,ees Of the " Hero OF New
Orleans" had bis eyes opened at last 10 TINS ma
tiona procliyy so far to declare that the vlc'o
~ which made his idol the President Of the United
States has cost our country In its Pernicious con
sequences more than 100000
Fortitudc, when united with intelligence and pc
triotisu, is among the nobest Of virtues but for
mere animal courage-why. terrier dog has been
known TO seize mad bull, and TO have his limbs
chopped off by beasts in the shape Of men sooner
than let 90 his hold. There is another dog Of the
blood hound race. that delights in human gore,
like the gallant General in our glorious Mexican
War, who commended himself to his patrons in
the Government at home by declaring in his pub
lie dispatches that Of all sights he had ever behed,
that which was presented when his cannon balls
were burying the inhabitants IN the visible ruins
and audible crash Of their houses, in the most
thickly settled parts Of Mexican town, was 10
his eye the most BEAUTIFUL Z" And doubtless high
er rank for himself and pensions for his family are
to be the rewards Of his her0ism And he, the
worst Of all Vandals a Christian Vanda has only
to put his foot on the shores Of our republican
try, to be feasted and honored wherever he might
show himself and for what virtue except animal
courage and composure' in the work Of blood
and carnageP Can any patriot see in all this any
thing like conservative discrimination in the people,
any suspicious signs Of endurance for our free IN
sttutionsl On the contrary, who can fail to see
that with more than railroad velocity the military
pocer is gaining ascendarcyin our Government
Were our population and territory confined to the
limits of the old thirteen, aud the lines OF the State
Governments the sheet anchor, Of our safety
erased from the map, with military force such
as we have now, and the sway thsS already gain
ed in Congress, we should want nothing but brave
and ambitious man Of military prestige and talents
to fasten the yoke at once on our necks Fortu
nately for US with all bis personal duPlicity and po
lticsl cunning the present Dictator IL deficient IN
nerve and talents ard in all the high qualities that
concate personal respect and influence. PoiiI.
cally and for the sake OF their share Of the "spos
there is nothing he wonld suggest that his part' IS
not ready TO sanction But his measures are only
tending now to poison the fountains OF public viz
tue 20 make the people familiar with q Public
Debt, and covetous of military conquest and glo
ry." His. 50 far is the part, mean as II Is wicked
to harness up and prepare the chario: Of despotsm
but he has not the courage to take the rens. What
a character TO have written by History should His
tory write with the pen Of Truth! But what better
destiny could be expected by people who could
prefer such man as James X Polk, to such pa
trot as Henry CLAYl At present the danger OF
military rule overrides all others, and the people
should be reused to regard It as the rock upon
which the ship is driving with heaiong violence.
There il no safety bat IN cutting down, II yet they
have the power, our vast military establishments
In our more than $4,000 600 Of People in the pow
or Of steam and the facility Afforded by railroads
To concentrate an overwhelming force at any point
Of danger IN the science Of comparatively cos,less
military schools and above ALL as General Jcsup
sites.s IN the readiness OF our whole population to
be converted thereby into disciplined soldiers in
sixty days" IN all these We have superabundsnt
security in armies We have nothing but debt aud
danger to public morals to peace and 70 liberty.
Let tho people Of the country reflect while yet It
may not be too late.