The Nevada journal., 1855-05-25

papers concur in stating to be in criti-
cal condition. The Washington Union,
the Star and even the hatelligencer, that
never seeks to create unnecessary alarm,
tell us of Cabinet action and public ex-
citement upon this subject and then the
letter writer's for the press come in with
the details that the President is resolved
to resent all outrages-that he is suppor-
ted and urged to action by Jefferson Da-
Wis and Mr.. Dobbin, while Marcy and
Gushing are equally determined for peace;
and that from the President himself Com.
McCauley had received his orders, and
was to sail within one week. These things
may be SO, and we may be on the eve of
war-sixty days, they say will determine,
and they may not be. We very much in
cline to the latter opinion, though it is
quite possible that Jefferson Davis and
the southern wing of the democracy may
desire nothing more than war breeze,
which they may hope will watt them to
supreme power, be it at whatever expense
to the Union.
The policy of this country is peace
that is the real interest of all free govern
ments, but especially is it ours War ham,
pers and contracts our energies, begets
vices that remain long after itself has pass
! ed, exalts the physical over, and at the
expense of, the intellectual and the moral,
is wasteful of property, and Of life, and
leaves taxation for future generations it
drives men from proper pursuits for which
they are ever after untitled, and raises up
a host of officers, high and low, to be
quartcrcd upon the people, and oftentimes
dangerous to freedom. A great army
such as war would require, We do not want;
a great navy that must afterwards be sus-
tanned, we do not require and military
and waIlike spirit is terrible curse. Yet
after all, there are greater evils than these
.
outrages-a desertion of our national po-
sition and national rights; a surrender Of
independent action, and commanding con-
troll over the destinies Of this continent,
which came to us at the price of our faith
ers' blood and should descend unimpaired
to our posterity, at whatever sacrifices
preserved. We ought to maintain peace
as long as we can with honor and when no
{longer it can be so supported, the rcspon-
sibility Of war is upon those who provoke
it.
It is beyond denial that for series Of
(years we have suffered from the Cuban
authorities, in a hundred ways that have
been often enumerated and the worst
feature is not merely that Spanish arro-
gance has trampled upon republican rights,
but that it has been done under the direc-
ton of othcrs-that England and France
sit down by our frontiers, and have their
ships within sight Of the Florida promon
tory, to countenance Spain in her action
and they virtually tell US, you war not
with one but with three, when you war at
all. But whatever occasion may exist for
hostilities, we do not believe they are to
take place at once, or that the adminstra-
ton wishes them to. If the President had
sought war the Black Warrior case was
better point to place it upon, than the Ell
Dorado; and American born citizens have
often preferred complaints that came home
and Estampes, for whom were not bound
to interfere, thoug gh savage cannibals could
not have acted more cruelty than Concha
did to them. If the President had desir-
ed war, he would have sought it when the
administration could have been backed by
Congress, and not now when Congress will
be full of Know Nothing Freesoilers who
would declare it war for slavery; and
would resist annexation by all the means
in their power. 1t is quite probable that
Com. McCauley has orders to resist any
further aggressions on our commerce, and
that may lead to collision ; but never will
the Executive plunge the nation into war
with three great powers of Europe, before
Spain has been earnestly appealed to, our
demands denied, and our protest made to
the world not till other means of war are
at hand than the few ships in our ports,
out of repair and unnamed, that belong
to the navy not while our unprotected
merchantmen are on every sea to be the
prey of others. When war does come, II
come it must, when all other means of re-
dress have failed, the patriotism of the peo-