The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-06
THE UNION.
CORRESPONDENCE oE OF THE UNION.

\ CORRESPONDENTS OF The UNioN'
PANS June Is, 1886.
! We have not yet had the news OF the LIST OF Jun'
from America, and are consequently ignorant of thu
position Of Gen. Taylor, and the internal affairs o.
Mexico. 1t is very desirable, nevertheless, tha
this Mexican war should be brought to a speedy
and honorable conclusion, as a prolongsuon oil IT,
| with various successes and reyerses Of fortune
would do injury to our reputation and be an obsta
Gle to future arrangements of our international diff
eulties The enemies Of republican institutions are
constantly watching for opportunities of showing
the want Of spontaneous and harmonious action N
liberal governments and it behoves US for the sake
of liberal institutions throughout the world, 70 give
the practicable to their reiterated calumnies. The
hope of the monarchists of Europe consists now
solel yin want of spirit and union; prompt action
| on part will dsarm them, and put an end, al
least for some time, to diplomatic contryances
We shall not be molested from Europe, il we do not
ourselves open the door to European interference
by appearing TO harbor within ourselves party dis,
posed to be guided by European wisdom and pre-
cedents. If we allow q European standard oil
judgment be raised for national faith and
tons, the sehoomaster from abroad will not be
tardy Of adding his personal authority to his received
precepts. Viewed from afar, there are, properly
speaking, but two parties IN the United States, not
formed, as some imagine, by skilful and intrepid
leaders, but historically grown up with the insIitu-
lions Of our country. One is the colonial, the other
the national party, with whatsoever name they may
since have been bspused. The former has a
proper natural and excusabe respect for its parent
and, like simple and dutiful child, does not wish
TO be wiser than its father. 1t accepts therefore, in
general, the historical solutions Of the great problem
of society, far II has been carried in Europe
making scarcely some trihing allowances for youth
and geog raphical position. The history progress OF
the United States are TO II branch of the history
and progress of England, and the mission of Ameri-
collateral One--to fertilize the earth az a great
arm of a mighty river. The men belonging to that
party take delight IN special hisory-that which
tablished the preponderance of the AngoSaxon race
IN Euro pc; and they disposed to accept the
dluons of human development and progress as
they exist IN the most advanced civilization OF Eng
land. Those who follow that doctrine imagine for
the most part, that they have received il on sober
reflection and calm examination Of fact, for
getting that all similar doctrines are the
| offspring of habit and education, and that
in their examination of historical truth, they were
never furnished with other data than those which
grew out of the very system they embraced. The
other national party consists of men who believe in
a distinct progress of the human race, and them
selves destined to act important independent part
in the civilization Of mankind They have faith in
their MISSION for they look upon the political posi-.
ton Of America as an improvement that Of Eu-
rope-an improvement not achieved by folIooipg in
the footsteps of Europe, but by applying the pro-
gress of thought and reasoning independently to
advantageous and providentia circumstances. The
providenal Of these is undoubtedly the settle
ment Of the United States during the period Of civil
and religious revolutions in Europe, when the bat
tie between mind and brute force was already waged
by the people Of Europe and the great con-
quest Of ideas required but fertile soil for their
spontaneous development Had America been dis
| covered century sooner and had the United
States been settled by q nation less reused already
by the spirit of resistance to arbitrary rule the feu
dal system of Europe might have been transplant
ed to soil, and the liberty Of conscience estab
lished only after series of sangunary wars. Ia
king this view Of the history Of our country the
men of the national party certainly admit their Eu-
ropean parentage; but while the colonial party be-
lieve principally IN physical conception Of the flesh,
the NATIONAL party look upon the latter purely
cidental but lay the utmost stress the mental
principle which presided at the settlement Of their
| country. They look upon the spirit of progress
and innovation from which the chief emigrations to
our country were evolved, a movement in a
| established anfagonSm between Europe and
America, not only, some believe, in politics, but
| in the whole social organizations; in the mode Of
! thinking and acting, in public and private morals,
and, in short, in all the conditions Of civilized life.
The party which takes this view of the settlement
and progress of America receives with extreme Gnu
ton whatever theory Of church or state may ema-
nate from Europe They are impatient of being
| governed by European precept and precedent. for
they feel that they have an organized life within
themselves, which, as every other organism, is, in
its perfect state, destined follow it's laws de-
rived solely from the harmony and agreement of Its
own members. 1t is easy to perceive, even from
this imperfect delineation of the two parties, that
they are, in some respect, analogous To what
we find at all times, and in all countries, as the ne
cessary concomitants OF all civilized communities-
conservatism and progress with this difference only
that conservatism in the United States where it re-
fers to European principle, is, logically speaking
negation of our right of existence as nation, and
therefore destructive while progress is the legitimate
development of the vital principle which presided
at the very conception and birth of country
The word conservative, in America, is therefore
a misnomer. 1t is European word applied to Eu.
ropean thing with European meaning. An Amer
lean conservative, in that sense, is he who would
prevent the progress of civilization the extension OF
our settlements, and the spontaneous formation along
with political institutions, of an American char
| acter. 1t is not difficult to foresee on which side
ly be arrayed. Every organism possesses, from
its very nature, the instinct of self-preservation
without requiring for that purpose the aid Of meta
physical dstincons and this instinct Of self preser
walton will, as long we possess any vital energy
forever enlist the people on the side of the natona
party. By doing so, they follow but the law o
their own organism, their instinct, their politica
faith, their religion. have doubt, therefore, bu
that an Overwhelming majority Of the American
people will follow the impulse of their own nature
at the present trial; but | would only remind then
that time precious and that it is important in this
crisis that not only themselves, but the powers o
Europe, should believe in their destiny. If we Civ
evidence of our capabity to act, the present posi-
ton of our public affairs will only to serve to brn,
all pending national questions to speedy set
tement Europeans believe in the prestige Of on
country; and they will continue to do so, until W
begin to doubt it ourselves. Already some Of tn
public journals-and among them some that ar
otherwise friendly to us-begin to say that our pow
er, in spite of our infinite national resources, ha
been overaed from the fact that it is not organized
and that internally it meets with too many obstO
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