Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-05-31
NATIONAL HONOR.

The following strikes us as not only good morall-
ty, but as (what is another thing Of much value
when it can be found) sound sense
The Locofocos in the epudiatng States are holding meet
ings and denouncing Great Britain If these gentlemen
would pay that country what they her they would act
much more like honest men, Pay Great Britain first and
whip her afterwards Messs. Regulators Tokeep her
ney and to thrash her too is rather more affection than you
ought to wish to bring upon your enemy. If honor
prcks you on" to go with England does honor
also "prck you on the payment Of what you her
Il is very questionable Of honor indeed which pockets
mans cash and whips him afterwards Louisville Jour.
MISSISSIPPI and ARKANSAS, ILLINOIS and INDIANA
and PENNSYLVANIA are, through their entire Loco
focosm, rampant for war with Britain. Possibly
they would be less bellicose, were they, like some
other States, out of debt or nearer to the enemy.
Othello, we think it is, makes reflection which
we have always looked upon as decidedly rational,
considering that he set up for being gentleman and
talked about the plumed troop and the big wars"
He remarked, like sensible fellow,
But why should honor outlive honesty I"
For, after ALL if honor be one Of the chief graces Of
ifeone of its ornaments-a sort Of Corinthian cap
ital of society-still, it must have pillar, and
base to stand upon. 1t is delightful luxury but
honesty is the main necessary Of life and what
signify all elegancies Of life, if man has neither
meat nor bread
By-the-by, we will tell our Western friend a
Southern story, which, however, he will easily see
dates back good deal beyond reputation. We
knew in the Carolinas of two Southern gentlemen
who, being friends, the one lent and the other Dor
rowed large sum Of money. But, inasmuch as
this business of lending friend money implies
very often the loss Of the friend if not the money
too, our debtor and creditor fell out. Whereupon
the former sent word to the latter that being in his
debt he held that he could not fairly fight him, and
that his loan was too heavy to be liquidated in less
than four or five years but that with the last pay
ment he should send him a challenge. The other,
of course, could make no objection to this double
liquidation, placed in that right order Of integrity
first and punctiio afterwards Well, they lived on
upon these notorious terms until the entire amount
was punctually refunded and then the borrower
his probity safe thought he could indulge his honor
So he sent his cartel it was accepted with due
sense Of his punctualty, and they fought, the ex
creditor breaking one of the ex-debtors arms, and
the EXHIBITOR shooting him down with wound
nearly mortal.
Now, we do not say that these parties did wei
to shoot at each other for an offence FIVE years old
Nay, we think there is often much honor in not
quarrelling as there can afterwards be in fighting
But if, under such circumstances, there was to be
fighting, this j: seems to was the only honora-
Die way Of doing it. And we hope that either Mis-
sissippi, Arkansas, &c. will send message such
as we have mentioned to Great Britain or that the
General Government, seeing how those States are
situated, will send the message for them. Though
opposed, under present circumstances, to the Gene
raj Government taking upon itself the debts Of tn,
States, we trust it will not think of going to aca
with Great Britain without making some provision
to vindicate the national reputation in that part
cular.