MACON [GA.], June 24th, 1846
Dear Howell, In
a previous letter I mentioned that there was, with few exceptions, a patriotic
spirit among the Whigs to sustain the country in the war against Mexico. So
there was as long as the first generous impulse lasted. But a change has come
over the spirit of their dream. And I do verily believe if the raising of
volunteers had been postponed to this time the Whig leaders and presses would
take such an attitude as to prevent any member of their party from
volunteering, thereby making, literally, a Democratic war. They are perfectly
rabid. The tone of their editorials and conversations on the subject of the
administration and the war generally is of such a virulent character as to be
actually loathsome. I had no idea that the rancor of party spirit, as potent as
it is, could carry men so far from all just ideas of patriotism, when the
country is engaged in a war.
They are now looking on the action of Congress with regard
to the tariff with the eagerness of hyenas and jackals, waiting only for the
onslaught to be over to rush on to the work of mutilation. The duty on tea and
coffee is the object on which they gloat. It is there they expect — if the duty
is laid — to find a vulnerable point to go before the prejudices of the people
with during the next Congressional campaign. They already smile a malignant
smile in anticipation of the havoc they expect to deal with this pitiful
weapon. And in order to render it effective they are preparing the way
ingeniously by industriously endeavouring to dampen or extinguish altogether
every ardent feeling in their party for the success of our arms in the contest
with the Mexicans. If they can succeed in making the rank and file of their
party feel as little interest as themselves in the matter, and the apathy
spreads into our ranks, they will then have a fair field for clap-trap. But if,
as I think must be the case in spite of their treasonable purposes, the people
of both parties continue to look with interest to our army and its operations,
they will signally fail. They underrate the patriotism and intelligence of the
people. During times of peace and quiet the people collectively, like
individual men, are easily appealed to through the pocket nerve. A penurious
man, if every generous sentiment is not extinguished by avarice, will make
sacrifices for a brother who requires his aid; and a mass of men, penny saving
tho' they be, when the honor of their country is at stake will feel a generous
emotion of patriotism arise in their breasts and stifle every petty feeling of
avarice.
When the cry of tea and coffee is proclaimed from the stump,
as it will be, it can be easily met by telling how Ward and Fannin were
butchered; the mangled corpses of Cross and the soldiers who fell into the
hands of the Mexicans will raise a feeling stronger than the strongest
decoction of which coffee is capable. And then Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma
will rouse feelings of pride, and every man, woman and child is vulnerable
there. The victories achieved by our army all feel a personal interest
in. A man may be very peacefully inclined, but still he loves military glory in
a secret corner of his heart and is proud to be one of a nation who can exhibit
its strength on the battle field. Men have a very ingenious way of
appropriating a share in such things to themselves, altho' they have had no
hand in the matter. If you ever noticed it, a man from Massachusetts is prouder
than one from Connecticut. And a South Carolinian is haughtier than a Georgian,
because there have been more battles fought in the former than the latter. A
Massachusetts man, see him where you will, looks and feels like he was a cap
stone of the Bunker Hill monument. And a S. Carolinian supposes that when you
see him it naturally reminds you of Eutaw, and the Cowpens. I have observed this
propensity to identify one's self with the glories of his locality carry itself
from deeds to the capabilities of the soil. Thus, notice most men from
Mississippi, and they seem to feel like the personification of an acre of land
which could produce a 500 weight bag of cotton without the aid of manure, while
a gentleman from North Carolina where the soil has not so much a reputation
abroad, is usually not so assuming in his bearing. This is an odd fancy of my
own, but nevertheless men are very proud of noble deeds done by others if there
is the least excuse for appropriating any tithe of it however indirectly, and
appeal to a man's pride of country and he is vulnerable. No talk about coffee
can compete with a fanfaronade about roaring cannon and charging squadrons.
Every man is at heart a soldier, altho' he may never have borne a musket or
seen a bomb shell fired from a mortar. His ignorance of such things only
increases his respect and admiration. I think you may feel safe about the
coffee if I am any judge of human nature, especially as you can spare a few
voters who may be devotees to that beverage. But if you charge yourself with a
full load of Mexican cruelty and perfidy and of American chivalry, you will
find few people proof against it. There are few men in your district who will
admit that they would not if called on "fight, bleed and die" in
defense of their country; to pay a few cents more on the pound for coffee to
raise money to support our volunteers who have gone to Mexico, is much cheaper
when they consider it maturely than "bleeding and dying," however
patriotic the latter evolutions may be. Tell a man that a regiment composed of
930 enthusiastic Georgians have gone to defend the honour of the country and
expose themselves to the rigours of an almost tropical climate, while he is
left at home to make and gather his crop and enjoy the society of his family
and the comforts of home, and all that is required of him is to pay a few cents
on a pound of coffee to sustain the brave fellows, and he will see at once that
he has decidedly the best of the bargain, even putting it on the score of
dollars and cents. If in addition to this the duty on iron and sugar is reduced
the proposition will be a plainer one and leave but little fulcrum space for
the lever which the Whigs are calculating on wielding with such effect.
P.S. — I shall not go north before you return, if at all. I
shall go to your house and spend most of my summer, I think.
SOURCE: Ulrich Bonnell Phillips, Editor, The Annual
Report of the American Historical Association for the Year 1911, Volume 2: The
Correspondence of Robert Toombs, Alexander H. Stephens, and Howell Cobb, p.
82-4
