Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-10-09
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
FROM OUR EUROPEAN coRREsPoNDEN
LONDON, SEPTEMBER 8, ls47.


18th ultimo the following passage in speech of
the Hon. Il. b. KING, of Georgia, which he dev-
cred at Chicago. This speech was strongly en-
bued with the iberaty of sentiment and elevation
of thought which always characterize the addresses
of that gentleman; nor does the following sentence
detract from these attributes any further than it
is thought to be founded in error, and does not al
low enough for the operation OF those feelings OF
lberality, of forbearance and of recprocating kind
nesses, which it is to be hoped, for the future, will
mark the conduct of both England and the United
States. Mr.. KING said: I" In our next contest with
{ John Bull, and a contest must come, sure as
the great world rolls round, the theatre of action
will be on these inland lakes" Ii contest must
come, and, taking Mr.. KINGS speech literally, there
will be no avoiding it, why then there will be no
thing to be done but for the United States to create
large fleet, and prepare their harbors the lakes
for its reception. But is it certain that such an
event is SO inevitable! The cause OF this war is
evidently to be Canada and the other British pos
sessions to the north Of the American frontier.
Thanks to able and pacific negotiators, the bounda
ry line has been adjusted from the Atlantic to the
Pacific. There can be no dispute in future about
snesna Ell tu,sna ; for neither nation will be foolish
or dishonest enough to encroach upon its neighbor
The days of border warfare, formerly productive
OF dispute between nations having conterminous
boundary, cannot find place in the annals OF the
people on the face of the earth. The evils and in
furious effects of contraband traffic will not need
the strong arm of war to put them down; and, be-
Sides the continual approaches which both Govern
ments seem intent upon making towards free trade
will lessen the temptations to this illegal commerce,
and in time destroy it altogether. From what
source, them is this "next contest with John Bull"
to arise Is it to have its birth in the United States
taking sides with the Colonies in some contest be-
L IL al,
absence of any other assignable cause of war, let
this be assumed as the source from which that hor
rble scourge is to take its birth, and examine first
into the probability of such a contest arising be-
tween Great Britain and her Colonies, and then in
to the danger there is Of the United States becom-
ing party in such embodiment The dispute will
arise of course, from the Colonies wishing to throw
off the government and control Of the mother coun-
try, and from the latter wishing to maintain and
continue them. 1t is thought, probably, and the
thought is likely to arise in the breast of high
toned American citizen, that the British Colonies
may wish to follow the example of their elder sis
tiers, the United States, and declare themselves in
dependent, and commence self-government. If
Great Britain was about to Cypress and tyrannlZe
over Canada and Nova Scotia, as the Ministry of
George iii. attempted to do the colonies which
have since become the United States, the former
would do right in resisting such an attempt, and
may Cod grant them success should such event
take place But Kings and Ministers are wiser in
the days of VICTORIA and RUSSELL than they were
in the reign of George III. and during the purblind
policy of Butte and North England will never
attempt to govern any of her colonies as she was
foolish enough to attempt TO govern the United
States. Where, in all her present colonial policy,
is there any the least symptom of such desire !!
Her colonial system is essentially paternal, and,
should the peace of Europe not be disturbed, it will
continue TO be increasingly so.
But it may be said that, let the course of England
be as truly protective and liberal as may towards
the Colonies, there will be time in the history of
these latter when they will naturally wish to assume
the privilege of selfgovernment, and to take their
place among the independent nations of the earth !;
that this time is fast approaching that 1t is near at
hand that England will resist this separation that
her fleets will be busy on the lakes of America, and
her armies on the borders of the United States that
the charter from Heaven, by which the latter hold
their liberties, contains clause which renders it
imperative upon them to take sides with the Colo
MES and aid them in the holy cause of freedom.
Thus is the next contest with John Bull to arise"
and hence the necessity for the improvement of the
United States harbors on the lakes. This is good
:" ad cdptndum" argument, but it is not consider
ed as legitimate one to use In conjunction with
those which Mr.. KING adduced in favor of those
improvements as necessary means of protecting
and encouraging the rapdly-increasing commerce OF
the West, and of forwarding the immense agricul-
tura products of that country its distant market,
Europe.
That the old world will every year become more
and more dependant upon the new for part of its
supplies of breadsuffs is every day more and move
apparent. Even this year of productive plenty
throughout Europe will be no exception to the rule !;
and in case of continental war, which Heaven
forbid or OF year Of scarcity, which may soon oc-
cur again, which may Heaven also prevent the vast
regions of your Western States, finding their outlets
through the lake ports, would be the store-houses
and the granaries Of the old world Here, then, are
abundant reasons, founded upon peaceful, benevo-
lent and christian principles, for promoting the great
and good work which Mr.. KING so ably advocated,
without breathing word about such an las it is
hoped) improbable and horrible event as a war with
England.
But this is quitting the point at issue, which was
the probability of the present British North Ameri-
can Colonies entering into contest for their nation
al independence with the mother country, and the
United States becoming an ally with, or at least
getting mixed up with, the former in the strife.
There three points to be considered here.
The first is, the probability of the British North
American Colonies entering into struggle with the
mother country for their political independence