The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1845-02-05
lBRITlsH VIEWS AND INSTITUTIONS.

The following extract is from the Liberty
Standard printed at Hallowel, Maine, of Janua'
ry 80, 1S45.
FOREIGN OPINIONS.
The following extract shows the attitude in which
the Texas question places US before the world. viii
the democrats consummate our national shamel
The London Morning Chronicle Of the Sd inst
says of Calhoun's letter TO King:
"a meaner or more dsgraceiul document never
came from the pen If statesman. But at least II
has the merritt of being frank, and il puts the ques-
uon OF Texas on the plain ayowed ground Of slavery
on ~ SLAVERY. The plea for annexation is not an un'
settled frontier, Mexican proyocation, sympathy for
American emgrants the utility glory Of territorial
aggrandlzemeot"
I'VE are not sorry to have this of pro-slavery
so broadly stated and drawn up by leading American
statesman, laid before the French public II is cer-
tsinly accompanied by base calumnies against Eng
land well drawn up. But let the French judge
We do not think that they would consent 10 combat
England by vile as the extension OF slavery
The French do not want other arms, nor The manli'
ness to them IL the two nations are TO continue
rivalry and dispute, fields not wanting, indePen'
dent of the great questions of freedom and humanity.
These ought to be held sacred even by begerents."
This is from the Morning Chronicle, which
in August last, spoke in terms so indignant
against the conduct of France in the Morocco
war. The British papers must not suppose that
we will not observe the indications of "ryary
and dispute" between Great Britain and France
as they occur; or that we mean to desert our
ancient ally unless she should happen to be pal
paby wrong. England cannot have tlDo ALI
ances in Europe, France and Russia at the same
time. There is not question Of paramount
Importance which she can get up on which to
form such an alliance. As TO holding sacred
what the Chronicle calls "the great questions
of freedom and humanity" we apprehend that
in time Of war Great Britain will deal with them
as she has done heretofore during national hos
tilities that is, she will make them give way
to the grand object she may have in view, in
waging the war. We do not understand that
she has been more particularly delicate and sen.
siliye in this respect when belligerent, than
other civilized nations. She employed the saw
ages against US during the last war, as well as
during the war Of the revolution. We think the
limits Of the great questions of freedom and
humanity" will be considerably circumscribed
by her, when she shall become again a belige-
rent; and that this contraction will be quite as
great if she and France should be the anlago-
mist beigerents," as if war were carried on
between her and some other power.
No sane man on this side Of the Atlantic in
the United States Of the North, wants war be-
tween France and Great Britain. 1t is the in
terest of all the civilized nations to remain at
peace; and we may rest assured that all the
"great questions of freedom and humanity"
will be best settled in time Of peace. But il
ought to be understood, at the same time, that
peace cannot be preserved among nations with
out substantial justice towards each other
Ne morere quietd, is a maxim constantly incul-
Gated by some of the very ablest of her own
journalists and periodicals, and certainly some
of hei own institutions stand in very great need
OF its benefits. One of the latestt and most
conspicuous of them thus formally and solemny
announces lis views on this point Nor is
there shade OF difference among them in rea-
ton to it, except when they come TO treat of the
topic of personal slavery. We shall instance
the truth of our assertion presently, when we
shall have disposed of the quotation to which
we have referred:
And this explains what is the true meaning of.
and solid foundation for that reverence for antSuty
which Is So strongly implanted in human nature and
Is never forgotten for any considerable time without
inducing the most dreadful disasters upon socety-
1t means that those institutions which have descend
ed to us In actual practice from our ancestors come
sanctioned by the experience of ages and that they
could not have stood 30 long test unless they had
been recommended in some degree at least, by their
utility. 1t Is not that ancestors were wiser than
we are; they were certainly less informed and prob.
ably were, on that account, in the general case less
Judiclous. But time has swept away their follies
which were doubtless great enough it has done the
worthless ephemeTal literature with which thew as
We were overu hemed and nothing has stood the test
oil ages, and come down to US through series of
generations of their ideas or institutions but what
had some utility in human feelings and neces. tiles,
and was on the whole expedent at the time when il
arose. Its utility may have ceased by the change of
manners or OF the circumstances of society-that NAV
be good reason for cautiously modifying or altering
i-but rely upon il, it was useful If it has ex.
sted long, and the presumption of present and con-
tinulng utility requires to be strongly outweighed by
forclbls considerations before it is abandoned Lord
Bacon has od us in words which can never become
trite, profound is their wisdom that our changes.
to be beneficial should resemble those of time which
lougn the greatest OF all lnnovators works out its
alterations graduay that they are never perceived
Guzot makes, in the same spirit, the following fine
observations on the slow march of Supreme Wisdom
in the government of the world
If we turn our eyes to history, we shall End tl.at
all the great Developments of the human mind have
turned to the advantage of sociey-aIl the great
struggles of humanity to the good of mankind 1t is
not indeed, in medately that these efforts take place
ages often elapse, thousand obstacles intervene be-
fore they are fully developed but when we survey
long course of ages We that all has been accom-
pished. The march of Providence is not subjected
to narrow limits; it cares not to deveope to day the
consequences of principle which it has established
yesterday it will bring them forth in ages when the
appointed hour has arrived and its course is not the
less sure that 1t is slow. The throne of the Almighty
rests on time it marches through its boundess ex
panse as the Gods Of Homer through space; it makes
STEP and ages have passed away. How many ayes
elapsed how many changes ensued, before the regen-
Grafton of the inner man, by of Chrstia Siry