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Mr. Clay And The War

Mr. Clay And The War image
Parent Issue
Day
4
Month
December
Year
1847
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The Whigs have a majonty - n smnll inn - in the House of Represeniative?, ind, if united, tliy can granl or willilioltl tl] supplies for the Mexican wnr. On iliem, tberefore, the responsibiüiy rests. The queíion lias pressed U)on liie minds of the leaders - Wlmt curso shall we tiike on this suliject, on vvhicli tlio whole VVhig party can unite ? A great dilFerence of opinión lias heretofore exisied respecting the snnport of the war - Grooley, Corwin aiul others denouncing it as o. wnr of plunder, conquest, nggression and injustics on our part, vrhich shonld be immediately riopped by a withdrawal of our armies, and a cessalion ol' hostililies ; wliile mucli the largest portion of ihe Whigs have condemned the war as ur.necessary, if not unjust on our part, but yet have found fauk with the President for not prosecuting it with greater vigor, nnd have pruposed to put into his hands all the men and money he may ask Tor its future prosecution. Amidst this diveisily of views, the leader?, admonished by the near approach of the session of Congress, have called for a voice from Ashland, as a guide to the future policy of the party, It has come, in the shapeof the resolutions adopted at Ihe Lexinglon meeting, which will be (ound in anoiher place. It will be seen that Mr. Clay holds that the immediate occasion of the wni was the march of Gen. Taylor into territory claimed and occupied by Mexicans : nnd thnt Congress has the power, and it s its right nnd duty, to declare the purpoes and objects of the war, and the terms pon which it will be discontinued ; and lat the President is bound to prosecute ; for these objects, and for no others. - So far, so good. Mr. Clay furiher Iiolds that the annextion of Mexico by conquest would be iroduclive of a vast amount of evil to joth nations : and that Mexico ought not even to be dismembered, but a boundary of the limits of Texas adjusted. So we believe. The seventh resolution says we don' want foreign terrilory for the purpose o propagnting Slavery, or of intmducing ulavery from the Uni!ed State?. Verv good : but if such territory ikould be ac quired, would Mr. Clay be for excluding Slavery and Slaves from t 1 The reso lution does not teil us, nor was it meant lo teil us. Theeighih resolution is a very prope recommendntion. We hope lo see it ge nerally acled upon. On the whole, ns far as ihey go, we like ihe.ie Resolutions of Mr. Clay, and we think they wil! be procuctive of good, by concentrnüng public nltenlion and discussion on the objects of the war. and tlie propriety of its continuance. He differs from Corwin, who proposed the immediale witlidrawal of our troops from Mexico, as the first preliminar}' step to peace, and would not votesupplies of men or money for an unjust or unnecessary war. Mr. Clay proposes t'.ial Congress shall fix on terms of peace, and if they be not accepted by Mexico, we are tofight her till she will accept them. líe differs from the war Whigs of the Delroit Advertiser school, in refusing all supplies for ihe war till he finds out, from the declarations of Congress, ils objects and pui-poses. This is a sensible course, and we hope they will consider its propriety. These Resólutions of Mr. Clay and the accompanying speech are thought by many to be the first step on his part lowards a Presidenlial nomination. How far he may have had this ín view, we cannot fay : but apart from that, we think the occasion was one which ouglit to ca'l out an expression of opinión from every patriotic citizen in the land; and so far as he has spoken the words of soberness and good sense, let them be heeded. We have our doubts wliether the Whigs of the South, many of whom want lerritory and slavery witli it, can be induced lo go unsnimously for this No Territory muvement. Indeed, tliroughout Ihe country, it can be opposed by arguments of great weight wilh the masses. The indebledness of Mexico, and her poverty - her untvillingness to treat - the vast expenses of the war, which it wil! be urged slie ought to refund - the fuct that we already liave possession of lands enough to pay us, which have cost tha lives of thousands of citizens, which lands we may just as veil keep as relinquish - and national pride and the glory of making conquests, can be urged with grealforce upor. tlie popular mind. On the other hund, this attitude of Mr. Clay, if sustained by the Wliigs, will at once make them virtually the Peace parly of the nation. It will take awny the main obstacle to peace : and tho issue of their opponcnts will tbcn bc, ly, - Shall ue have Terriiory, and war ndeiinilely continued to get it. or shall we have No Terriiory, and Immedinte Peace ? Hv taking this latter poailioi', cnrneslly anJ in good fuith, tlic V higs niiglit hope to concéntrate on their side tiie infiucnce of the ftii.nds of peace throughout iha nation.

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Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News