The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1837-09-22

III
The following eloquent extract from
DF. chsnnIng's letter concerning Texas
hits If 4 pfominen, Trail in the American
chararteE--
Did this country know iise'f. or were
II disposed 10 profit By self knowledge, |
u would feel The Geeessiiy nl LAYING an
immediate curb on IL passion Tor sx.en-
ded lerriiaTy, In would tat trust itself i
with new aeqnis lions. II would shrink
iTom the temptation u conquest. We !
are res lrss psopie, prone 10 encIoarh- !
meni, inipslieni of the ordinary laws Of |
progress, less anxloBs 10 CONSOLIDATE aud |
peTieeI, than 10 extend our institutions.
more AMBITIOUS ii spreading ourselves !
over wide space. Than of diifusine beau /,
y AID iIuI,iulness over a narrower field
We bnas1 Of our rapid growth, forgetting
that, throughout nature. noble gTowihs,
are slow. Our people throw themselves
beyond he Bounds Of elyIlIzaiinn, and
expose themselves To relapses into a Sc
ml-baTbsTous sta*, under the impulse Of
Wild imagination. aud for the name of
great possessions. Perhaps there is no
people on earth m whom The lIes uf local
attachments sll So loosely. Even the
wandering tribes ri Scy ihla are bound 10
one spot the graves OF their fathers: but
thu homes and graves of our fathers de
tain IL ieebly. The known and familiar
is often abandoned ior The distant and un-
troddsn; and sometimes the mnnodden 10
not the less eagerly desired because be-
longing 10 others We owe this spirit, in
measure. Ia our desern! lrum men who
ltti The I'D world fsr tie new, and who
advanced by driving before them the &c
eupsnls If the soil. 10 this spirit we
have sacnfctd justice aud humanity, and,
. IhInngh rs sscendaaey, The records Of
tins young nation ale stated aIIh aIr0cI.
ties. at which c"mhunuIes grown gray
IN corruption might blush.
IL is tuIl time that wr should lay on
Ourselves serious. resnluie restraint. Pos.
sessed ri a domain. vast enough for the
grow III ages. IL - time for Us TO stop
IN the career IT arqmsmnn and conquest.
: Already endangered b, our greatness we
, Cannot advance withnut In an,ue,t peril
"a nur institutions, unIan, prosperity, VIZ.
tue and pace. Oar former additions of
territory have been iusufed by the neres-
| sIly If obtaining ou'lsts fer the pupula-
non vi he South aud West. No such
pretrxt Exists for the Occupation Of lex
a.. We cannot selZe upon or Join to
| ourselves that territory, WITHOUT manifest
ing and strengthening the purpose OF set
Ting no limits 10 our empire. We give
ourselves an impulse which will and must
prrcIpitate ~ into new intaslons Of our
neIshh ,rs' soil. Is it by pressing for
ward IN This course that we are To learn
sell.resta'n! Is cupIdny to be appessed
by qualification! Is it by unrlghleous
grssplng. tia. an impatient people will be
instructed how 10 hem themselves within
the rigid bounds of lusnce!
Texas is a country conquered by our
citizens; and the annexation Of il To our
Unlun will be the beginning of conquests,
which, unless arrested aud beaten back
by a just and kind Providence, will stop
only at the isihmus oil Darien. Hence.
forth, We must cease 10 cry peace. peace.
Our eagle will whel, not gorge its ape
petite un its first victim. and will snuff
a more tempting quarry, more alluring
blood. m every new region which opens
snulhw ard. To annex Texas is to de-
clare perpetual war with Mexico. That
word, !Neriro. associated IN mems minds
with buuudless wealth, has already
awakened rapsc;ty. Already II has bren
proclaimed. that the Anglo Saxon rare is
destined TO the sway Of this magnificent,
realm, that the rude form Of sorietv. which
Spain established there. is TO WELD and
vanish before higher civilization.