Viroqua Schools

I stay strong with my opinion of peace and not war, and I know as a member of the newspaper the public opinion, echoes my own. War will only devastate our economy and ruin any chance of being neutral with trade in the future. In addition the Republicans seem more worried on how the war will expand their state power versus how it helps our nation. This is unacceptable. Finally, our nation was ready to fight for our independence, if the whole nation is not ready to fight a war, as it is now, we should not run full speed into a field of quick sand.

There is no deny, Britain has overstepped their boundaries, but if we go in on a rampage of revenge and pride, how are we any better? Our constitution does not promote forceful acquiring of land. Is it no different, attacking on land, as the British are on seas, if so, how do the colonies justify attacking Canada and Indian territories. In addition, if the citizens as a whole have a strong portion against the war, why drag those innocent citizens into violence. As for our government, the expansion of Republican into new land in the west would only cause a greater unbalance of our political parties, causing more issues in our country than needed.

The southern and western Republicans don't feel the implications of the war like the New Englanders do. They say our trade is in danger, but in reality, the New Englanders are being attacked, not Southern Republicans. Fighting a war would hurt us even more! If we are forced into a war with a broken arm, how are we supposed to fire our weapons. Funding will be impossible, and if forced to, it could be the cause of a split of our nation. With such a vast group against the war, we cannot expect to enter with a sense of unity and pride.

(2) Britain did not cause the issues of our trading, our own government did. The Republicans approached the Embargo Act with the "intentions" of keeping us out of the war. But in reality that has fueled the desire to enter the war. Our economy is hurt, and now they are blaming British forces, but if we had not put the embargo on ourselves bad trade relations would not have developed. Could the Republicans have foreseen these poor relations and took the opportunity to enter war, allowing a reason to seize land that would add larger numbers to their party?

As a newspaper editor I see the whole story of things, I have people of every side coming to me, and I know what the majority wants. New Englanders do not see the need for this war, if anything it is feared, and thought of as a disease to our grand nations growth. (1) War shall destroy our countries promising future as leader in the merchant world. (2) As a country, war is a lost cause unless backed by the majority. If half the country is against, there is not a war at hand with the enemy, but a divorce waiting to be signed at the home frontier. (3) It is becoming evident that the reasons of war named by the Republican party, could be peacefully avoided, so the main cause of their push is not for our nations benefits but for their party's expansion.