Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1847-08-19

MANIFEST DESTINY.
E,,;,ov, n a. .natioaal T,aelIgentey.

To the Editors u the .Nao1saf infeiigentsF
CsrwrLEuEr.: Every one has heard of the
thief who, on trial for his crimes. begged the
Judge TO remit his punishment because il was
his .smaniSest Destiny tobe a thief at may
be So" said the judge, -"but dost thou not see
thai il is alsothy Misunderstanding to be hang
ed for siealing7"
In my opinion, gentlemen, honor, justice,
humanity, morality, and prudence are much
safer guides than "manifest destiny !" and, if
we neglectthe former to pursue the latter. we
may find ourselves involved in the most seri-
Gus difficulties.
II was the manifest destiny" os Bonaparte
10 conquer half Europe; but it was also his
manifest destiny" TO die miserable exile on
the rock st Helena
Ii was the ''manifest destiny" of the Ro.
mans to conquer and plumber half the world !;
but it was also their manifest destiny" to be
harassed by incessant civil wars, oppressed by
ferocious despots, and, finally, conquered and
plundered by nnnmerable hordes of pitiess
saVages.
II may be the "manifesi destiny" of the An
glo-SaxoD race 70 possess the territory Of Mex
lco; but If we pursue this manifest destiny"
by wantonly invading her soil, harassing her
people, breaking up herclyll institutions, and
numbering men, women, and children, it will
most assuredly be our manifest destiny" to
be punished for our crimes, or, what is the
same thing, Divine Providence willpermit US,
in the indulgence Of our ferocious passions, 10
punish ourselves.
But, gentlemen, DO we really need any
Mexican terri,ory7 BY no means. II would
be an incumbrance TO US if we had it. Our
present territory is amply sufficient for three
hundred millions of people, which is more
than our population will amount to for cen.
fury to come. And If the situation of the
Mexican people is as wretched as il is repre-
sented, they will before that time have destroy
ed each other, and we can then take posses
sion Of their vacant territory without blood
shed and without crime. Or, If the forty
thousand men which we have sent 10 Mexico
had remained at home. attending TO their farms
and workshops, or If they had been employed
in constructing canals and railroads, improv-
ing harbors, building cities, and clearing out
our Western forests, me product OF their labor
would in few years have purchased the fee
simple Of all Mexico; especially if we add to
it the principal and interest Of the hundred
millions of dollars which we have already ex-
pended.
Again, gentlemen, would il be good policy
in US TO annex any part OF Mexico to the Uni
ted States if her people were willing? Most
assuredly not. In a country SO prodigiously
extensive as this would then be it would be
impossible to frame laws equally acceptable TO
all parts OF our population; aad, unless they
were acceptable, they could not be enforced
Let us remember that the most ancient Re-
public in the world is the smallest. The Re-
public of San Marine, in the mountains of It,
ally, with a territory ofonly thirty square miles,
has existed for nearly fourteen centeries. A
deputaton Of her citizens waited upon Bona
pare, when he commanded the French armies
in Italy, and were received with marked res
pect He offered them some cannon and an
increase Of territory The cannon they ac-
cepted the territory they wisely declined, not
wishing probably TO be engaged in the misera
bic folly of attempting 10 govern people with
out their consent.
But we are told that this war is "doing
much good to both countries" Those who
give US this information are bound to inform
us in what this good consists. Is il doing
good 10 Mexico TO murder her people, des-
troy their property, batter down their cities,
break up their civil institutions, and expose
the peaceable portion of her population to the
insults of unprincipled men from this country,
and murderous guerrillas at home2 Or is it
doing good to the United States to entice a,
way our valuable citizens TO die or be killed in
a foreign land, to create an enormous national
debt, 10 exasperate the feelings of all Mexico
against us, and to neglect all improvement at
home, in order that we may have money 10
spend in numbering our neighbors abroad
If wars do good, then T.MERLANE, who laid
waste half Asia with his horde of barbarians,
murdered five millions of people, and raised a
pyramid of seventy thousand human skulls
on the plains otSamarcand, was phianthro-
pist, beneiactor of his race; and WILLIAM
PENN, the friend peace and humanity. who
founded the noble State Of Pennsylvania on
the strictest principles ofjusIice and benevo-
lence, was fool and visionary.
But peace is emphatically the mission Of
these United States, and five cleo, men 10 of
flee who, instead of encouraging the pursuits
OF peace, shall, in their insane folly, make il
their business TO excite wars between us and
foreign nations, we shall show but little more
wisdom than the tabled trees ofJotham, which,
in choosing their king, neglected all the useful
trees of the forest, and "put their trust in the
shadow of the bramble"
AN OLD FARMER.
Washington county, (.Nd,) judy q.