The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-04-20
THE UTAH EXPEDITION

If boys are men in miniature then are wars any
thing else than unpopular for boys read of nothing
but battles and admire no heroes but warriors 1t
is the misfortune of the human race to delight in the
stirring events of war rather than in the tame mo-
notony of peace. 1t was the theory of Hobbies that
war is the natural state of mankind and that it re-
quires all the restraints of law government, and So
ciety to bring about intermittent and spasmod
ic periods of peace. The fame of an able statesman
is only cherished by the educated and intelligent
few but the renown of great captain is the Joy of
the popular heart The populace delight in the anx-
ious suspense Of impending battle, and in the Thrill
ling details of hardfought engagements.
K We cannot conceive of more barren field for the
demagogue than an antwar campaign. To cry out
to the populace, after long peace, againsta new
war is the most stupid demagoguery imaginable The
refinements of the public tastes which have been
effected by civilization require that the wars of mod
times shall be conducted just principles, and
waged for honest and honorable ends but these
everas grateful to the popular tastes--as welcome
to the popular heart.
The people delight in economy when the public
treasury is supplied from taxes extracted immedi
ately from their pockets. But the people of
the United States, though jealous of their State treas
mies, are too Indifferent, alarmingy callous, to
leakages from the federal treasury, which they
will not cannot realize to be losses from their own
pockets. Still, they will pat their treasury watch
logs in Congress patronizngly on the head when
there is nothing else important the taps, and
will often hiss them on for the mere amusement of
their fierce barking. The people fond of this sort
of barking when they have nothing better to dote
upon. Accordingly, we find narrow demagogue
ism exhibited on this subject only by class of men
too feeble to win notoriety on any other. Pars
mony however, is not passion with our people
even in regard to their State expenditures, much
less is it 30 with regard to federal expenditures
War, on the contrary, is a passion of populace
and on no occasions have our Cerbefine demagogues
sustained more humiliating overthrows than when
they have Numbered into an encounter with the war
feeling of The country
Madison triumphed over the Hartford Convention
and the Blue Lights of New England by dint of the
war feeling. Polk triumphed Clay by the same
agency. The wings Of the revolution carried il
against Ine toIies py u polu appear 10 arms. How
many warriors have been made Presidents of our re-
public What large place does Washington hold
in the affections of the American people even in
comparison with the elder Adams What fame
has jackson among the people as contrasted with
that of Clay
The opposition blunder when they suppose they
can make capital against the Utah expedition by de-
claiming against its cost The religious sentiment of
the whole country is stirred up against this Mormon
mposture that has planted itself in the heart of our
continent, and bids defiance to our laws and our al-
thority The women Of the land are in arms against
this vast brohel of licensed lust that claims the i'm
munties of a sovereign State in our confederacy
Woe, then, to the unhappy sinner of congressman
who shall return home to tell the church people that
the Mormons devout Christians to assure his fe
male constituents that the Mormon men are exemplary
husbands, and to excuse himself for voting against
supplies for our Utah forces on the score of the coat
of the expedition
The opposition, if they feel disposed, may try
the experiment of making demagogue opposition
to this war on the ground of its cost The domoc-
racy will gladly accept the issue. If the war feel
ing was ever strong and universal among people,
1t Is so in regard to this Mormon rcbellion--it is
so in regard to the military measures on foot to put
it down and crush 1t out