Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-07-03


make forever indisputable the grounds we are now
taking) after he had himself expressly cited the
Monroe principle as that Dhich should govern the
case. Thus every thing like personal authority,
and the force of precedents and decisions is utterly
against this pretended principle, either as rule Of
right or OF policy. But let us now examine il for
ourselves, in both these aspects.
As rule Of right, Mr.. MONROE could not have
set it up, for the plain reason that he directly as
serts it extending to both Amercas-to countries.
therefore, where zoe have no claim at all, and to
cases where European Power may have the only
title at all tenable, though not yet reduced to set
tied form by regular and continuous OCCUPATION.
Had it pleased him TO declare that country's Sc
lecting or suffering one form of government rather
than another can take away from it its title, other
wise the best to an unoccupied region, and confer
that title upon people who have otherwise none,
he would only have been asserting an absurdity at
which every intelligent man-every one but those
ignorant men with knavish instincts who hold the
rote-yourset principle would smile.
Our own institutions-the very title by which Mr..
MONROE sent to Congress the Message in ques-
tion-found the legitimacy Of all government upon
THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED. Suppose people
to prefer Monarehica forms to, Republican does
the doing affecta of their rights towards other
nations Certainly not. Mr.. MONROE himself
says in part of the longer of the very passages
which we are considering, that our policy always
has been to consider the Government de facfo as
the legitimate Government for u.s." Such has ever
since been our practice and, indeed, it is the un-
equivocal and just rule of all National Law. For
that law holds that each people is only accountable
to tseJffor the mode of government which it ADOPTS
To other nations it is responsible for its conduct as
people THAT is to say, the conduct of its public
authorities for the time being) towards them and
their citizens and it is responsible for nothing fur
ther. What difference can counry's being ruled
by Magistrate entitled by this name or by that
name make in its right to have what is its own!
One people believes that Republic is the inevta-
BILE scene of a thousand disorders, and trembles at
the thought Of any other rule but that OF a King :
another is skittish about the word King because it
had rather bad ones, called Tarquin, of old,)
but has sort of objection to letting successful
General, under the less odious style of Emperor,
pull down the laws and do as he lists, ten times
more than ever could their former Kings. Another
people still would think that ruin awaited them
were their Gear or their Sultan taken from them.
When the Romans overthrow the Kings of Cap
padocia, land, assembling the people, offered to make
them free, the Cappadocians very respectfully beg
ged to be excused for, said they, "we have been,
for generations used to being slaves, and we great
: ly doubt if should know exactly how to be
: Free" (Ah, wise Cappadocians What clever
nation ye must have been, thus TO conceive once
how difficult Freedom is, and what plague when
people attempt it and miss y In short, you may
govern your household very i'll, and your next
neighbor his very well but we do not see why, on
that account, that worthy neighbor of yours must
have the liberty behaving i'll abroad just in proper
ton as he does well al home, and of plunderingyou
or your poor ignorant, slavsh, suffering children,
because, forsooth, his are happier. 1t is very
Just, generous, magnanimous doctrine, no doubt, and
most fifty applied against Mexico, by good Pre-
sident, who is SO esteemed, popular, was so fairly
elected and is doing so much for Law and Freedom
and Good Government at home: but, really all
the Rights Of Nations against it, and every prin-
ciple of justice, peace, and common sense between
nation and nation.
dhc ~ tlieH, do = VI Hele OttCyS
and let us see if il is any better. On that score,
this is, first of all, to be said that our whole sys-
TEN, the entire idea Of Government, is founded
upon the suppostion that Equality detUeen all
men-that is to say, equal rights protection, priv-
leges favors all which are summed up in the words
Eract and Equal JusTIcE-is the great and sure
la,c Of human happiness IN society, both as between
the members Of each community and as between
communities-both individually and collectively.
Our first national principle has, therefore, always
been, THAT NOTHING CAN DE PoLITIc EXCEPT IN
PROPORTION AS IT is JUST AND RIGHT. This idea,
this spirit of Equity, this of what is Right and
Good towards ourselves and others, is so complete
ly the soul of institutions, that these in real
ity subverted and at an end the instant we admit as
our guide the opposite aggressive principle, and
begin to do gross wrong, either towards other ma
tons or among ourselves, thing which will be,
either at the time present or ultimately, profitable
to us. Indeed, the whole notion of such policy
is, in effect, but the robber-noton that wrong is
more advantageous than right; that wickedness
produces happiness TO its authors even, without
taking into the account its Victims
4 Al ~