Question

to abuse ye, an to scorn ye. — an to plunder ye like sin. the war had barely begun, the summer of 1846, when a writer, henry david thoreau, who lived in concord, massachusetts, refused to pay his massachusetts poll - tax, denouncing the mexican war. he was put in jail and spent one night there. his friends, without his consent, paid his tax, and he was released. two years later, he gave a lecture, “resistance to civil government,” which was then printed as an essay, “civil disobedience.” it is not so much for its own sake that a respect for the law is demanded, as for the right... law never made men a whit more just; and by means of their respect for it, even the well - disposed are daily made the agents of injustice. a common and natural result of an undue respect for law is, that you may see a file of soldiers — marching in admirable order over hill and dale to the wars, against their wills, ay, against their common sense and consciences, which makes it very steep marching indeed, and produces a palpitation of the heart. his friend and fellow - writer ralph waldo emerson agreed, but thought it futile to protest. when emerson visited thoreau in jail and asked, “what are you doing in there?” it was reported that thoreau replied, “what are you doing out there?” the churches, for the most part, were either outspokenly for the war or timidly silent. the rev. orestes theodore parker, a unitarian minister in boston, combined eloquent criticism of the war with contempt for the mexican people, whom he called “a wretched people, wretched in their origin, history and character,” who must eventually give way as the indians did. yes, the united states should expand, he said, but not by war, rather by the power of her ideas, the pressure of her commerce, by “the steady advance of a superior race with superior ideas and a better civilization... ” the racism of parker was widespread. congressman delano of ohio, an anti - slavery whig, opposed the war because he was afraid of americans mingling with an inferior people who “embrace all shades of color... and compound of spanish, english, indian, and negro blood... and anti - war sentiment the american anti - slavery society, on the other hand, said the war was “waged solely for the detestable and horrible purpose of extending and perpetuating american slavery throughout the vast territory of mexico.” a 27 - year - old boston poet and abolitionist, james russell lowell, began writing satirical poems in the boston courier (they were later collected as the biglow papers). in them, a new england farmer, hosea biglow, spoke, in his own dialect, on the war: ez fer war, i call it murder — — there you hev it plain an flat, i dont want to go no furder — than my testyment fer that... they jest want this californy sos to lug new slave - states in

Explanation:

The text discusses anti-war sentiment during the 1846 U.S.-Mexican War. It mentions Henry David Thoreau's refusal to pay poll tax (jailed briefly), his essay "Civil Disobedience," the American Anti-Slavery Society opposing the war as a slavery extension effort, James Russell Lowell's satirical poetry, and figures like Emerson and Theodore Parker criticizing the war, with Parker advocating expansion through "superior race" and civilization over military force.

Answer:

Anti-war sentiment during the 1846 U.S.-Mexican War included Thoreau's tax resistance and "Civil Disobedience," the American Anti-Slavery Society opposing slavery expansion, Lowell's satire, and critics like Parker favoring expansion via "superior civilization" over war.