Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1847-03-27
n. Whoever would know


the further fate of this Roman Deity.
so recently taken under the patronage
of American Democracy. may lind am
pie qualification of his curiosity, IN the
luminous pages of Gibbons "Decllae
and Fall.'' Such will find, that Rome
thought as you now think, that it was
her destiny to conquer provinces and
nations. and no doubt she sometimes
said as you say, 81 will conquer a
peace.0 And where now is she, the
Mistress of the world? The spider
weayes his web in her palaces, the owl
sings his watch-song in her towers
Teutonic power now lords it over the
servile remnant, the miserable memen-
10 of old and once omnipotent Rome.
Sad. very sad, are the lessons which
time has written for US. Through and
in them all, / see nothing but the in
flexible execution of that old law,
which ordains as eternal, that cardinal
rule. "Thou shalt not coyet thy neigh
boris goods, nor anything which is his
Since have lately heard SO much a
bout the dismemberment of Mexico, |
have looked back to see how, in the
course of events, which some call
providence" it has Jared with other
nations, who engaged in this work OF
dismem5erment. see that in the lat
fer half Of the eighteenth century.
three powerful nations, Russia, Austria
and Prussia, united in the dismember-
ment Of Poland. They said, too. as
you say, ssit is our destiny" They
"wanted room" Doubtless each of
these thought, with his share of Po-
land, his power was too strong ever to
fear invasion, or even insult. One had
his California. another his New Mex
leo, and the third his Vera Cruz. Did
they remain untouched and incapable
Of harm? Alas! No-far, from it..
Retributive justice must fulfil its dcs-
tiny too. A very few years pass off.
and we hear of new man, Corsican
lieutenant, the self-named "armed-sol-
der Of Democracy" Napoleon. He
ravages Austria, covers her land with
blood. drives the Northern Caesar from
his capital, apd sleeps in his palace. -
Austria may now remember how her
power trampled upon Poland. Did
she not pay dear, very dear, for her
California?
But has Prussia no atonement to
make? You see this same Napoleon.
the blind instrument of Providence at
work there. The thunders of his can
non at Jena proclaim the work of re-
tribution from Poland's wrongs; and
the successors of the Great Frederick,
the drill-sergcant Of Europe, are seen
flying across the sandy plain that sur
rounds their capitol, right glad if they
may escape captivity or death. But
how fares it with the Autocrat of Rus
sia9 Is he secure in his share Of the
spoils Of Poland? No. Suddenly we
see, sir, six hundred thousand armed
men marching to Moscow. Does his
Vera Cruz protect him now? Far
from it. Blood, slaughter, and DESC
lation spread abroad over the land, and
finally the conhagration of the old
commercial metropolis Of Russia, clo-
SEES the retribution, she must pay for
her share in the dismemberment of her
weak and impotent neighbor. Mr..
President, mind more prone to look
for the judgements of Heaven in the
doings of men than mine. cannot fail
in this to see the Providence of God.
When Moscow burned it seemed as If
the earth was lighted up. that the Ma
tons might behold the scene. As that
mighty sea of fire gathered and heaved
and rolled upwards, and yet higher.
till its flames licked the stars, and fired
the whole heavens, it did seem as tho
the God of Nations was writing in
characters of flame on the front Of his
throne, that doom that shall fall upon
the strong nation, which tramples in
scorn upon the weak. And what for
tune awaits him, the appointed execu-
tor of this work, when it was all done?
he, too, conceived the notion that his
destiny pointed onward to universal
dominion. France was too small -
Europe, he thought, should bow down
before him. But as soon as this idea
took possession Of his soul, he too be-
comes powerless. HIS Terminus must
recede too. Right there, while he
witnessed the humiliation, and doubt
less meditated the suojugat;on Of Rus
STA, He who holds the winds in bis fist.
gathered the SHOWS Of the north and
blew them upon his six hundred thou
sand men. thew ned-fhey frnze-fher.