The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1846-09-05

in that over-appreciation other, and un-
der-appreciation of ourselves, arising
from q Gel tain morbid admiration Of
her institutions, and certain morbid
Indifference to our own. If, indeed,
she be so powerful, that is the best of
reasons, why we should show that we
fear her not; for it is the very fact of
our apparent fear that invites her to
aggression.
But, sir, this fear is groundless.-
England may continue to threaten, as
she ever has, and ever will, so long as
we continue to believe her threats,
and therefore, concede her demands.
Yet I boldly affirm that she viH not,
because she dare mol, all other State rea-
sons aside, make ,car, single-handed,
against The United StateS, for the Ore
gon territory. This is my proposition.
| say she dare not. Not that | sup pose
her people timid, for no man is braver
than a wel-fed Englishman, except a
better-ted American. But | say she
dare not, because forbidden by those
prudential reasons which ever govern
her sagacious councils, as govern they
ever do the councils of the truly brave.
Mercantile in Its objects, and, there
fore, in its calculations, no government
more than hers, ever balanced, with
greater care, the perils TO be met and
the cost Of the enterprise, against the
chances of success and the value of the
object. / say she dare not, because Of
the naked baselessness of her claim,
the perilous condition OF her empire,
and the hazard to which it would be
exposed. Of wreck and ruin, in con-
test with a government three thousand
miles remote, and which, if we did but
know it, can. in such cause, by the
single blast Of bugle, starts million of
armed freemen to their feet.
These, sir, are the opinions | enter
tain; and shall proceed to make them
good, by an exhibition of the elements
of relative strength, found in the con-
dition of the two. countries. This !
deem necessary, in order to break the
spell of that feeling, by which the Uni.
ted States, as junior offspring, has SO
long been held in subordination to
England, as the senior and parent ma
tion. ! deem it necessary, in order to
present my country to herself, as she
really is, not as an inferior Power,
humbly tagging behind her superiors,
but as one holding the first place in
the modern system of the world, and
by her institutions, her position on The
globe, her immense extent, her vast
resources, material and moral, her COM
merce, the number, freedom, intelli-
gence, energy, happiness, and glory
OF her people, leading 1t on to that So
cial regeneration. which promises the
delivery Of mankind from the miseries
of antiquated monarchy. deem il
necessary, in order that my country.
men may be made to feel who they
are, and what they are, as citizens Of
the great Republic. deem it neces'
sary, in order that they may feel, as
they have a right to feel, that to be an
American citizen, is 10 enjoy the proud
est privilege the world has to give; that
feeling thus, they may stand erect, in
all the pride of this great privilege, rea
DIV, each man of them, to defend the
honor and glory ofhis country, as things
sacred to himself.
: How stand we then, in the contras
with Old England? The line which
; separates her and US, is The line which
{ separates the past from the present
the old, from the new state Of the world
: The social principles, which, original
! ing in our Revolution, spread through
! Europe, drew that line strongly ant
> deeply. By taking the lead in til,
royal coalition to arrest those prlncl
/, Piles, England became the head of th'
$ ancient system, threatened by thei
f progress, as this Republic became th'
: head Of the new, as being the source o
: their origin. Thus, the two Govern
: ments stand confronting each other
a the one having the old decaying sys
D tenn of hereditary power, with its abus
/, es, 10 defend-the other, the new ant
: onward system Of elective authority
e with its freedom to protect Disguis
b it, therefore, as we may, these two
Governments are, by theresstless fore
e of events, placed in antagonist rela
!, tons 10 each other in struggle. whicI
: nothing human can prevent--a struggl
e destined to throw society backward
# or forwards, as the case may be, wit
e shock that must unsette the founda
e tlons of the one, or the other of thos
: systems. And, sir, the two nations ar
e brought more Immediately into con
1 f1ict. by that commercial rivalry whicI
i makes the American shores of the Pa
Z cifc, SO desirable to each, and whic
# lies at the bottom of the pending diff
I,,,lt,- hatuaan than, Ia ie in this com