North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1839-09-25
Noble Sentimen ts.
from an GRAFTON delivered on !

AN OF July 1889, at Springfield Mass.
By the Hon. CALEB CUsHiNe, Member
of Congress.
WOn the northern and eastern frontiers
OF the United States, overhanging US from
sea to sea like lowering storm cloud, are
the British Provinces, still dependant on
Europe. That is the point of peril. There,
is monarchy in its worst form, that OF the
forcible occupation, by foreign Prince,
of country whose natural position, and
social constitution, and contiguity to US,
impe it towards independence aud freedom
and seli-government. There, is the fruit
lui source Of perpetual border difficulties;
for that long inland frontier, of river, and
plain, and lake, 10 utterly incapable of be-
ing guarded by Notifications or armies
agains! the hazards of war, or withheld
from illicit commercial intercourse either
in peace or war; Suppose New England
and New York to be separate nations
Could any conceivable number of garrisons
or custom houses buiIdlup an impossible
barrier between them! Impossible. And
yet such is the relative situation of the
United States and the British Provinces.
And there, is the pernicious fact, which
forces us into the field of European poll.
tics, and gives TO a European Power
control over Us. The war OF I776 was
waged from Canada. The war of 1919
was waged from Canada. The next, and
the next, and the only foreign war, which
we have any cause to dread, will, if the
present state OF things lasts, be waqed
from Canada. For while the rest of Flu
rope, if it would assail US at all, must assaiI
US by sea, and can only strike at our ocean
frontier, & will be impotent against US there
by reason OF the extent of our coast which
excludes the idea Of blockade, and the diff
ficuity OF transporting great armies over
sea, and the impossibity OF sustaining
them without fixed and sure foothod on
shore, -while such is our relation to the
rest of Europe, England, on the contrary
has her great naval depots and military ar
senals on our eastern and northern land
frontiers, and by the ST. Lawrence and the
Lakes has an open avenue into the heart
of the United States. Hence, when we
have been at war with her, the conflict has
ragged, not on the sea coast merely, but
on the interior soil of New York, Ohio. &
Michigan, region which ought TO be as
inaccessible to European armies as if a
wall OF adamant surrounded it on all sides.
But this unnatural condition OF things
cannot and will not last. The British
Colonies are approaching to that maturity
Of separate strength, which brings with It
independence. When they have reached
that maturity, they will as surely sunder
from the Mother Country, as the ripe fruit
drops from the tree. In the case OF them,
as Of other American Colonies, whyshouId
they cross the Atlantic for men TO govern
them! Why not govern themselves,
Why should the flowers OF their prosperi-
ty serve only to give honey for foreign
drones to live on? Why should not the
natural resources of their country be de-
veloped for the benefit Of its own people?
They must aud they will be- There is no
dominant and all-pervading aristocracy in
those provinces TO assimilate their condition
To that of Britain; the natural tendency OF
their social condition is towards democra-
cy, and assimilation with Us; and that ten
dency is enforced and forwarded BY the
inevitable influence Of our proximity TO
them. They have been misgoverned.
There is no doubt ofthis. II is proclaim