The Sun.
London, England, 1845-12-23 00:00:00

the outrageous pretensions of these lawless men: --
" The American system of government is entirely
different from that of Europe. Jealousy among the
different Sovereigns of Europe, lest any one of them
might become too powerful for the rest, has caused
thern anxiously to desire the establishment of what
they term the balance of power.' It cannot be per-
mitted to have any application on the North Ameri-
can continent, and especially to the United States.
We must ever maintain the principle, that the people
of this continent alone have the right to decide their own
destiny. Should any portion of them, constituting an
independent state, propose to unite themselves with our
confederacy, this will be a question for them and
us to determine, without any foreign interposition.
We can never consent that European Powers shall
interfere to prevent such a union, because it might
disturb the "balance of power" which they may de-
sire to maintain upon this continent. Near a quarter
of a century ago the principle was distinctly an-
nounced to the world in the annual message of one of
my predecessors, that the American continents, by
the free and independent condition which they have
assumed and maintain, are henceforth not to be con-
sidered as subjects for future colonization by any
European Power.' This principle will apply with
greatly increased force should any European Power
attempt to establish any new colony in North America.
In the existing circumstances of the world, the pre-
sent is deemed a proper occasion to reiterate and re-
affirm the principle avowed by Mr. Moriaos, and to
state my cordial concurrence in its wisdom and
sound policy. The re-assertion of this principle, es-
pecially in reference to North America, is at this day
but the promulgation of a policy which no European
Power shouid cherish the disposition to resist. Exist-
ing rights of every European nation should be re-
spected; but it is due alike to our sr.fety and our
interests, that the efficient protection of our laws
should be extended over our whole territorial limits,
and that •it should be distinctly announced to the
world as our settled policy, that no future European
colony or dominion shall, with our consent, be
planted or established on any part of the North
American continent."
It will be seen that POLK. confines his remarks
here to North America, but public documents and
other statements equally precise lead us to infer that
the plan extends to the whole of the New
World. The Government of Great Britain
must, therefore, be prepared for the worst. If
the struggle does not arise on the Oregon
question, it will speedily come on in another shape,
for it is evidently the firm determination of the
" go-ahead" men to expel us from the whole of the
North American continent. We sincerely regret
the result, but it is not our fault, and we can only
say, " GOD defend the right." The immense
trade with this country has no value in the
eyes of these aggressors, when compared with the
principle for which they are contending. According
to the statement of the PRESIDENT, the value of the
imports for the year ending, June 30, 1845, was
117,254,565 dollars (24,000,0001.), and the value of
exports for the same year, ending the same date, was
114,646,666 dollars, of which 99,299,776 dollars
were in domestic articles. How the exports are
disposed of may be learned from the fol-
lowing details published in one of the New
York papers :—" About one-half of the exports from
this port to London and Liverpool, in November, were
provisions and bread stuffs. Full three-quarters of
the export trade of the United States this year will be
in shipments of merchandise to Great Britain. More
than half the value of all the exports from the United
States is in raw cotton, and more than half of all the
exports from Great Britain is in merchandise manu-
factured from cotton." The writer, with a view to
peace, adds :
" These simple facts are of themselves sufficient to destroy
every fear of the slightest difficulty in our political relations
with England. What would be the condition of the labour-
ing classes in the whole of Europe in the event
of a rupture between this country and Great Bri-
tain ? And what would be the condition of the southern
section of this country and the commercial classes
of the north and east, in the event of an embargo
upon our ports, and a prohibition upon the exportation of our
immense supplies of cotton ? The growers of cotton would be
almost ruined by a great reduction in prices and in consump-
tion in England, from deficient harvests, or any other cause
—and the result of any very great check upon the exporta-
tion and consumption of this important staple would be of
the most ruinous character."

The rest of the Message relates to the occupation
of Texas, to the affairs of Mexico, and the tariff,
in which there is very little interest for the English
reader, though, perhaps the French may find some-
thing new and not complimentary. France, he says
truly, opened to the Americans access to the Gulf of
Mexico, by the cession of Louisiana, and France
would now attempt to restrain them within their
ancient limits, but in vain. Of their ancient ally he
thus speaks, and with this extract we dismiss this very
wordy, vain, and insolent document :

" Even France—the country which had been our ancient
ally—the country which has a common interest with us in
maintaining the freedom of the seas—the country which, by
the cession of Louisiana, first opened to us access to the
Gulf of Mexico—the country with which we have been
every year drawing more and mere closely the bonds
of successful commerce—most unexpectedly, and to
our unfeigned regret, took part in an effort to prevent
annexation, and to impose on Texas, as a condition of the
recognition of her independence by Mexico, that she
would never join herself to the United States. We may re-
joice that the tranquil and pervading influence of the Ameri-
can principle of self-government was sufficient to defeat the
purposes of British and French interference, and that the
almost unanimous voice of the people of Texas has given to
that interference a peaceful and effective rebuke. From this
example, European Governments may learn how vain
diplomatic arts and intrigues must ever prove upon this con-
tinent, against that system of self-government which seems
natural to our soil, and which will ever resist foreign inter-
ference."