The War

The Signal nsks us to explnin whnt we mean by recornmending that all tlie men and tnuney asked fr by the g"vernmenl shuuld be grantcd, holding it responsibhfor the proper useof thern. We mem exactlv wliai wn say. We must tak e human nature as t is ; we aH know hnt the defrat of our armies in this or any war, would bring dihonor and cuntempt upon our Couutrv's name ; and wc knujv loo, tliat signal succes - i.hat t'.e exiii bition of grcu valor and (.f briiliant achievements woiild grenly do to our naiional hunor and importa nee abnmd - would pommand a higher respect fr the A morirán name evë'ry.whërê, and would protect our citizens fronfl the insultsoi inütFi-irenee of other powers, wbich inefficiency, defcat or disaster, would surely briiig upon us. A war, for good or evil, exists by the reccgnition of 11 the consüiutional i'Utiioritips. A je;ice can only be obtaiied by t!.e consent of Mexico. How is tb is bost to bfi brought about? By suffering our armies in the field to be vunquisiid and ovf rthrown 1 By an ineiïïcientveak, vncillating and timid prosecution of it ? Or by the exhibition ofan overwhelmii.g power tlvit shall convince the Mexican miliiary oligarchy that il hns now nothing but subinission to hope for 1 Most aysuredly the jatter. lf our forces should not he withdrawn to the Neuces. i would serve but to give new hope, new oudneity and new life to the military spirit of Mexico. No one bolieves more sincerely than we do that the war was wholly unnecessary, and that it wns broughl on (during a session of Congress, ) solely to secure 1 tho acqtiisition of California. Still, be, ing in a war, which Congress has de, claredto exist, we nre for upholding our arms, and lor a vjgorous prosecuÜQii o! hostilities, as Ihe most sure meMiodof securing an ear'y nd honorable -eace. - i To this end, we would meel all the reqnif sitions of the President for mpn md tnon. ey. He is a Cornmander-in-Chief and chief executive, the proper and cnstitutional conductor of the war. IL' should t be, as lie will be, held respohsïble for the proper prc.-ecu.ion of it, and for the proper and legitímale use of the me.ins furnislied him for that purpose. He is amen1 oble boili io an impenchment by Congres, ■ but more tiiau all to the sober judgmeni 1 of the peple, wuich, when peace Ins lulled excitement. and if necessary, even before, will pass a severe condemnation upon his acts f f any) of wasteful expenditure, of permanent conquest, or of I unconstitutional usurpaiion oí' power.- Dclroil Adoertiser.The preceding is tho justificalion of the Advertiser inadvocating the prosecuüon of the War. Let us see how the principies laid down would look when applied to a contest between individuals. Jonathan and Miguel were boys, and near neig!bors. Jotmthan was a sloiif stripling of twice the oge and size of Migue), a good natuied fcllow, butofien vain and somPtimcs insolent and overbearing when his preterisions were disputed. Miguel was a good play-felluw, except that he wasoccnsionally surly ond obsiinate in the extreme. One day the boys were playing marbles togel lier for "keep". The ring was indistinctly drawn, ar:d a dispute nris ing as to ihe wim er of a mirble accordi ng to the rules of the game, Jonathan put the marble in liis pocket, and told Miguel to help himself. The laiter insisied warmthat it was his, and exclaimed ogainst Jonathan greediness in pocketing it. - VVhereupon Jonathan seized Miguel by the collar, and said, " Stop your insolence,sir, or Til thrash you ! " To wbich Miguel i-eplitíd, " You, are tlio nggressor - you have laken my murble, and havo now seized ido by the tbroat, nnd threaten to tluash ine, only because 1 remonstrated with you. Let go of me in one minute, or I sha 11 strike yon." Jonathan replied with insulting expres3ions and held on to Miguel till the expi rat ion of the minute,whcn Miguel síruck him in the face. This so enraged Jonathan that after quite ascuííle, he knocked_ Miguel down, and stamped on hiin. As he xras proceeding to beat and pound Miguel, some o{ the byslanders remonstraied with Jonathan, and proposed to stop the fight. But Jonathan who was as miglity in argument as in bittle, kept beating Miguel, and at the same time gave his rèasons as follows : " We must take human nature as it is. You all know that my defeat in this or any other fight would bring dishonor and contempt upon my name ; and you know too, that signal success - (here Jonathnn struck Miguel in the face and knocked in two of his teeth) that the exhibition of great valor and brilliant fichievements, would greutly add to my honor ainong all the boys - would cominand a high respect for my nameevery where, anti would protect me from the insults or indiflerence of o:her boys, which inefïïcicncy, defeat or disaster in this fight with Miguel would surcly bring upon me. (Here he kicked Miguel in the ribs.)u A fight, for gooa or cvil, exists between Miguel and me j all these boys o regird it. The quurrel can only stop by the consent of Miguel. How is that consent best brought about? By sufFering myself to be whipped out in this fight 1 By an inefikifint, wenk, vacillatingand limid prosecution of it ? Or by the txhi!iiion of an overwhelming power that sha!! convince Miguel that he has nothing but submission to hope for 1 (Here Jonathan struck Miguel in the face, causing iho blood to run plennfully.) Mnst assuredly I must beathim till he begs for mercy. If I shouM now stop pounding him, he wouid get righl up and begin to pound me ngain. " Trup, 1 ncknowlcdgc thöt this figlit wns OI? wholly UNNECE8SARY, and tha1I broughtiton solely toobtain that mar bl?. -L# Still, this being n fight which t have dccln red to exi.t, I nm for using my fists (he;e he struck Miguel in the stomnch,) and for kieking and slriking this boy till he will beg for morcy. But I am rcady to stop tho fight nny time wíien he willo-.vn wh'ppeJ enough, and will give me hnlf his marbles wl)ich I claim as a remuneration fordarnage done to my clolhps, and for blows inflicted onme. For although the figlit was wiiolly unneckssary on my part, yet I shall beat himtili he pays all the dama ge . cásioned to me by it." How flagrant thiswhole transactionappears by this simple, yet truihful statement of the principies on which it ia conducted ! Yet the .Adverliscr is ready lo vo!e hundred.s of millions of money, and any number of men, tr prosecute a war of spolintion and conquest, commenced unnt-cessarily by ourselves against a sister republie! ít " would meet promptly all tlïe requisitions of the President lur men and money," and let him make war for just such purpose-J and lor any length of time he might please ! Into what nbsurdities will not men run, lest they be co lied " Old Federalist s " But occasionally we find a Whig paper that daré speakout like a man. We give below an extract from the True Democrat, a Cleveland Whig paper, which mets the arguments of the Adrerïiser fairly. " It rmy be said that alihough the war wns begun by the President, it is now rleelared by the Constitutional aulhorities of ihc country. Admitted. But does il follow that becnuse a majority in Congress have declared an unjusl nnd aggressive war, ;hat therefore the minonty must vote hupplies ? Is their free ogency tnken away 1 Are they to be mere machines for the mnjority to work ? - Must they steep tlicir har.ds in innorent blond, because the majority do ? Does an ullegianue to a human government release us f rum our allegiance to right and the Divine govprnment ? W henee deriveJ vve the power to thrów off our obligations to righteousness ? If wiien an nnjust war is once declared, nll opposition -must cense, how is peace to beeirected. Must we fightuntil injustice triuinphs? Must the people who disap. ■prove f the war, send men to Cong,-ess who will help carry il on? How long mut these supplies be grnnted 1 The power to make peace is in the hnnds of the President alone. Congress cannot make peace. Itcannot order the President to make one. Should it, he would be umfer no. ohligation to obey. - Is Congress bound 10 vote supplies to carry on ihe ivar so long os it shall be his pleasure to nsk thfm ? Suppoe Congress thinks the wr.r should cease, and be shonid think it should not, whatthen ? Must Congress vote supplies? Suopose tbe Piesidnt wishes t continue;!, ihat hf1 mriy line the pocketsof his favorites, or inciense his patronage; or make capita! out of which he tnoy hold on to power, or rctnin Iiïs partv in power, must Congrfss gratify him ? Suppos members of Congross believo, ihnt thn Presiden is deteiminfd to proseente the war, unt;l all Coliforni', and all the country lying E;6t of the Rio Grande shnll be conquered and ceded to the United States ; and suppose they think that these nccessions are valueless, and will not return to the treasury a dollar of thtnany millions they cosl, and supposo that they believe that the stmggle whether these new territories shall become slave oi' free states, will rend the Union asunder nnd destrov our governmenr, are they slill bound to vote supplies to aid in involvingtheir country in debt, and produ! cing its ruin ? To us, the patb before the Whfgs j, perfectly plain. Il is to wask their handt of this war. To shnke iis blood Irom iheir gnrmenfs. ït is to be consistent nnd walk ' in ihe narrow wny," which conscience diciates. Bclicving the war t be wronp, they shor.ld nse every ex. ertion in thoir power lo prevent its con! tinunnce, consistent with the ConstituMon of their c.iuniry. They sho-jfd expoaa its guilty origin ; ihey should show tho cloven foct of slnvery which goads it on tliai it mav place its iron hc?) upon the necks of Northern freemen ; they sliould alarm the honest, laboring peop!c in view of the enormous debt that s to b saddled upon us, and which will soon show itself in the shapo of direct taxation. These and a thousand other lever should be used to move the masses, to awaken the people from their slumbera to a sense of their dangers."