Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1843-07-06

destiny. Enthusiastic cheering.
The colonization otfhe tropical reSi ions
and South America, BY Spain and Por-
fugal, was conducted on other prlnci
pies, actuated by other motives, and
produced far other consequences. From
the time of the discovery, TIE Spanish
Government pushed forward her colo
mics with the utmost yiger and eager
ness. so that, long before any settle
ments had been made in the North, she
had planted hers in Mexico, Peru, anil
D6Snrtr, ami had stretched her f,,"er over
nearly all the territory She ever acquired
on this continent. AS early as 1850 or
1852, that is just about the period of the
settlement Of this colony of Massachu
sets. Spain had taken possession actually
in many cases, aud at least formally, OF
every foot of land between Florida and
Cane Horn. The rapiditv and eager
ness of these conquests was not 10 be
wholly ascribed to the rapacity OF the
numerous bands of adventures. The
mines of gold and silver excited them
indeed to effort. and on application to
Government the natives were set to
work in TIE mines. A love of gold
grew up-of gold not produced hY IN
dustrv, but dug from the earth which
had been ravished from its possessors by
the cruelty and rapacIty which became
the ruling passions Of the conquerors.
Even Columbus himself did not wholly
escane from the influence ofthese causes,
4 we find him in his voyages continually
inaniri Ct the natives for gold. as if
Goo had opened the new world to the
old only to give a new means 20 excite
the NEST degrading passion. leading
men to draw the sword against their lei
low men in cruelty and ruthless rapacity.
Columbus WIS above his age. which his
life shows; but he doubtless addressed
his followers by such motives as would
be most likely to lead them on. He
regarded the new world as all ready to
be sized and enjoyed. 1t was a military
colony. The Spanish Government acted
bv its usual means. and that was bv
military embassies. Her standing armies
were the sources Of her power and pre-
roeative. Standing armies in time of
peace for the purposes of domestic gov
eminent are the portion Of perfect des-
potism. There was 40 liberty in Spain:
Spain could transmit none to America.
The Colonsts of New England were
free; they were an Independent class,
among whom liberty first revived from
its sleep of the dark ages. Spain gave
TO her colonies arbitrary monarchs and
armed soldiers; England secured to hers
their personal rights. England trans
planted her liberty to America; Spain,
her power. The English colonists fol
lowed ont their industrious purposes in
their own way, depending on them
o1l1IgsPp6r and defence, iecogni-
ling the rights of the original bolders Of
the soil. and with general honesty of
purpose introduced the limits OF ciylli
cation into their new found land. Spain
on the other hand, stopped like falcon
upon her newly acquired territories, des-
troyed her industry with fire and sword,
and even conversion to the Christian
firth was attempted with fire and sword.
This was the difference between these
colonies-the blessed difference; and C.
ven to-day the same difference exists:
and would that thousand voices to-day
from the summit of Bunker Hill could
proclaim that it still exists, by shout
that should extend over the globe
(Cheers.)
Our inheritance was liberty, security, |
law, enlightened by knowledge and reli- |
gion; that of the South American colo
MES was power,-tyrannical, military
power. Look at the results as they are (
developed at the two ends of the CONT
nent. suppose that the United States
comprise territory of about one-eiehth
or one-tenth Of the Spanish dominions in
South America. Yet in all that large
region there are probably not more than
one or two millions of persons of Euro
pean color and blood? while in this
country, of one-eishth part of the size.
there are fourteen millions of happy and
intellectual citizens of free States
(Cheers.l
five follow these principles of coloni-
cation still farther, we shall find that
their different effects in the multiplied
ton OF people is not the only one. but
that the consequences show themselves
in difference ofsciyiiizatio and the mor-
al Improvement of mankind. The trne
secret of liberty and the really great
principles of government have not been
~ Is ~. al1fsfood by these new Repub-
lies WOULD not willingly say any,
thing discourteous Of governments yet on
trial. but truth. that sacred truth and Fl
deity, from which never faulter, to the
cause Of tue liberty. compels me to say
that the rev Republics Of South Ameri- |
ca are quite too much disposed TO par
take Of the sentiments and practices of
the absolute monarchirs from which they
have freed themselves.
Quite too frequent resort is made to
military force; and quite too much of
the substance Of the people consumed
in maintaining armies, not for defence
against foreign aggression only, but for
enforcing obedience to domestic autholi-
II. Standing armies are the oppressive