The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1844-07-05

10 uol lnat The MS
appearance OF some OF these doe umenls then,
now, by unlicensed publication of them in a news
paper in Connecticut, probably from the confdentia
copy OF some senator, WI h view To make poIilica
capital against Mr. Madison, and by which the Intel
ligencer Justly remarked ''he public interests were
wantony dlsregarded." I hese cases are all those
where force used or contemplated, and urging
excuses tor 1t. But in that of Texas we have used
no force, and propose t. none unless uhustly at
lacked and will not The reasons already recaptula-
Ted excuse defencc, when attacked If they then ex-
cused force IN the first instance!
In 1920 it was again recommended by President
Monroe, the Secretary of State being Mr. Adams, to
pass law 10 take Possession Of the Flordas, not
withstanding the treaty ceding them had not been
ratified Some of the urged in the public
prints were, the necessity Of them for safely he
southern States for better protection against insidi
Gus interference from abroad, aud the contempt a.
well as injustice attached there to the Spanish pow
(Niles's Register for Goth December, 1920, and
18th March.)
Let il not be said, as differing from the present
case, that we then had claims against Spain unset
tied, for We now have important ones against Mex.
leo.
These may be considered by some as bold mea-
sures. They were recommended at least by bold
men-men who knew their rights and always dared
to maintain them. They only looked for the path of
duty, and, when found, moved forward in it, swerv-
ing neither to the right nor left, from attempted in
timdatlon or foreign intrigue. AS an example for
us on this OCCASION let look to the practical expo
sition OF their principles in 1903, well as in the
cases of 1910, 1911, and 1920, just referred to-
The apprehension of any difficulty with Spain,
who demonstrated against our right to purchase Lou
siana, did not deter our patriot fathers in 1903 from
accomplishing that memol able duty and glori-
Gus act otpolcy and little did the apprehension
OF SEIZURE Of 1t by England in her with France,
then breaking out, alarm them from Their purpose
Much less should such fears from the still
higher and numerous obligations hat ne
onward to peaceful acquisition, not made in the
spirit OF aggrandizement, but, beside other good
tives to restore what was near half century
ago: and what, by Jefferson and Madison, with the
whole Congress and county, except a small disaf-
fected party, was indicated purchase Just and
necessary for National security and national pros
pery
On what ground can any part of The European
world presume to interfere with amcabe COM
pacts with neighboring States on this continent
And on what just round to be deferred from
what IS right, honorable and peaceful in managing
our own affairs, because dspeasure happens to be
expressed at it by Mrs. Grundy or Lord Bruugham
or Daniel O'Connell, or Lord Aberdeen, VIVA, il
the eXhortaton of of Them to us last even
ing across the Atlantic, trying to rally the whole
British empire to interfere once to prevent the an
neration Of Teras
England 1orgets that she recognised our indepen
deDce more Than half century ago and one would
think that il was nearly time for her oligarch,
to refrain from lntermeduling in our affairs She il
in admirable position to denounce our thirst for &C
quiring territory, when she has added encroachmen
encroachment till her forts and factories encirclt
the whole globe almost closely as her lighthouse:
| do her coast
As 10 such TRADES, and the threatened scorn OIL
censure OF the world at large for the transac
ton, cannot refrain from recalling to your minds
the eloquent sentiments uttered by Mr.. Clay 10 1920
when the recognition OF the South American prov
| inces was under consideration, and when the re-
proaches of transatlantic rivals were held up il, Ter
rorem against is
"On subject OF this sor:, Mr.. G. asked was il
possible we could be content TO remain as we now
were, looking anxiousIy to Europe, watching the eyes
of Lord Castlereagh, and getting scraps of letters
doubiully indicative of his wishes and sending the
Gar of Russia and getting another scrap from Count
Nesselrode? Why not proceed to ac our own re-
sponslbility, and recognise these governments
dependent, instead of laking the lead Of the Holy
Alliance IN course which jeopards the happiness
OF unborn millions Mr.. G.. deprecated this defer
ence for foreign powers. If Lord Castlereagh saws
we may recognise, do if not, we do not A
single expression Of The British Minister to the pre-
sent Secretary of State, then our minister abroad
he was ashamed TO say, had moulded the policy Of
our government towards South America-an express
sion which, like Mr.. AID mss definition OF repubIi-
cinism had been construed to mean anything or no
thing We look too UGH abroad Mr.. G said you
may find our minister in England at one time at the
door of the Horse Guards, and the next moment in
Paernoster Row, purchasing literature for this
try. Our institutions, said Mr. c. now make us free
but how long shall continue So If we mould our
opinions on those of Europe Let Us break these
commercial and political letters let us no longer
watch the nod of any European let us become real
and true Americans and place ourselves at the head
of the American system"
Even two years earlier in speech of the oath OF
March, 1918, he exborted us TO make the lead in IA
pf he lied nd Of
in defiance Of the divine right of kings to rule" If
we erred, 1t was better to err the side of human
liberty. lie was not propaganda" but hal sym
pathy for such people, and would recognise them,
and act further, as circumstances and interest require
Il vol of Speeches. s. p.) If we were ourselves
policy" and "obey the laws of the system of the
new word."-(SS p)
In doing this, as | have recently remarked on
another occasion, # war be threatened or actually
mes, 1T will be gra flying to ref ct that it comes
and might so in another difficult
y-even for the mere acknowledgment of Texian
Independence, menaced by Spain in like
case, and by Santa Anna himself for still slighter
reasons. But whatever nation, needing threats or
exposure TO unjust war, is tempted by the dread Of
hem TO turn aside from the path Of duty, humanity
md honor is itself unfit to exercise independent |
powers and should be re-annexed to her ancient |
masters.
So far from this shrinking having marked our
course, even under more threatening dangers in
$40, 1911, and 1920, went still farther in 1923 |
han before we avowed determination to inter
'ose ourselye, if any new foreign power should pre-
ume only TO colonize anywhere on this continent,
md hence much more, if in Cuba or Texas, in our
ear neighborhood; because, more than ten years
revious, it had been ioreseen and stated that If
ew foreign power should axe possession of Cuba,
he whole Mississippi valley will be at her mercy
Nat. Int, 9Th July, l6ll)
We united in the Congress of Panama. even before
Mexican indef endence had been acknowledged by
single European power; one object of which was,
firmly establishing the independence of each of the
american republics. ')Canaz Letter, 90, Appendix,
tn Blount)
Another object was to concert measures to pre-
ent Europe from coonizing further in any part of
he American continent )-Solozs to Clay, Nov 9
1875, p. %, Appen iix.)
And this rested in part on the idea that such CO.