Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-08-21
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
TO THE EDITORS.


On reading the article in your paper of Friday
morning from the "Lynchburg Virginian," COM
menting upon speech made by General CUSHING
on the last anniversary day of our Independence,
and noticing your ntmation that the doctrine dis
cussed was not original, | beg leave to request Of
you the favor to republsh the following portion of
communication written by myself, and published in
your paper of September, l843. | am the more in
duced to do this, since the remarks to be repub-
lished have also reference to the country with
which we are now at war:
81 will say few words about European Liberalism
In the United States appears to be generally thought that
must he always the side of the parties calling themselves
LIBERAL and those too claiming be the most LIBERAL in every
country where such parties may rise up, without any know
ledge of the particular objects they may have in view, of
the praccabty of accomplishing such Objects of the de-
scpon and character of the people composing the parties
Many too think that the European States
through revolution with much facility did, and
establish republican governments But these grand
Indeed ours can scarcely be called revolution II
he shaking off Of dependence upon and subsection to
distant foreign Power We had ancient and deeply
ed institutions up by the ROOTS nveterate and
yielding preudces to Neither had principles
of opposite extremes combating and couneacng each other
It true, abolished royalty and nobility but these had
taken root in SOIL and known only at dis
tance merely like cutting of the extreme ends OF the
small which had extended themselves great way with
out any actual interference with the body of the tree
with the principal Except in this respect then, the
systems of government and the spirit Of the laws
States remained essentially the before. In fne our
fathers had not to learn the principles of free government
they already understood them.
sThe question here suggests ITSELF whether, those old
If
for ages and all the habits customs, and laws well
auxiliary Institutions have become peculiarly adapted to such
governments it practicable abolish those FORMS and adj
vanageousy erect in their stead systems radically diff
ferent To accomplish such change appears to to be
mighty work. And yet how many there who think it is
only collect together multitude of armed men, and to get
upon platform and read off, amidst the hurrahs of the crowd
charter constitution and dried for the OCCASION and
that then all done They appear to suppose that to learn
the principles and operations of government by people who
dreamed about them is but the work OF day.
But alas how mistaken they are And how little do they
understand how lightly do they estimate the ravages and
the horrors Of revolution is indeed to be desired that
the monarchs and such countries would perceive
the wisdom and exercise the philanthropy make permit
improvements and reforms in the administration of their sys
TENS calculated render their practical results conform
able the principles of justice and the lights of the pre-
sent day. And not this already taking place, at least IN
measure, especially where attempts at actual revolution
have mpeded such course Is il not fact that the
between nations increases and civilization and know
ledge extended the people living under absolute govern
ments practically admitted greater privileges and
justly and mildly governed than formerly
Look at the situation OF the Spanish American States.
Have the efforts of the liberals there afforded any strength
been Of advantage TO the of pubcansm to the
true principles Of liberty Or have they, the other hand
like much fhe European Liberalism had tendency to bring
those principles into depute if not into disgrace And
those States in reality any better off than they colo
mics Of Spain That the establishment Of their independence
has been Of no benefit to us, political view, appears to
quite clear for than those Just referred
only account of the have with them that
their independence has been beneficial u.s. But would
Spain have allowed the freedom of trade with them
that we now have, would my Judgment have been alto
gether better for that they had continued colonies in the
hands Of weak and distant foreign Power In that case
there would have been difficulties jeaouses between
them and US but Independent nations lying it
by the side Of they vanly SET up rival us and from
their mistaken notions Of seconsequence and the ngues
foreign Governments, shall be exposed to frequent
alterations and difficulties with them" ". N.