The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-12-31
From the Philadelphia Leger.
Old Politicians.


ways aim upwards, and generally aim high.
Old men are conservative, and consequent
Iy hmid. They wishto keep things as they
are, because they have monopolizcd the best
of every thing yet obtained. Old men wish
to keep what they have got, young men 10
get what they can. Among farmers, old
men plod on, and laugh at the innovations
which young men call improvements.
Among mechanics, old thinkers shake their
heads at new machinery. Among physi-
clans, old men bleed and blister and butch
er according TO old books, established au-
thoriiieS when they were young. Among
preachers, old men stick TO creedS and plat
forms, and swear by Hooker or Hopkins.
Old soldiers stick TO Frederick and Baron
Steuben. Old politicians stick TO their old
mistakes. In our revolution, the old men
were tories. who wished to keep what they
had got, while the wings were young fel-
lows, seeking their fortunes. Washington
was middle-aged, the great lights OF the Con-
tinentai Congress no more Knox and
Greene and Schuyler and Mercer and Nor
gan and Sheldon and the rest cf them were
Young fellows, and Hamilton hardly Of age.
In the French revolution, the old mobiles. the
old priests, the old fools-ran away. The
Increment was directed by those splendid
young men who afterwards became Napo.
Icons marshals; Napoleon himself being
little more than stripping when he cross
ed the Alps, and cleared Italy of Austria's
grannieS.
In our last war with thc British. the war
department was directed, first by DR.. E,ls-
lis. then by Gen. Armstrong. and our armies
led by General Hull, Gen. Wilkinson, Gen.
Hampton. Gen. Dearborn, all remains of the
revolution. Every thing went wrong. De
feat. surrender. disgrace were the order of
the day. il our young soldiers and subordi-
nate officers gained victory, the granny
generals were sure 10 lose all its fruits. Mr.
Madison became Disguised and the country
indignant. He called 10 bis cabinet Alex
andcr j. Dallas, and other men of greater
years, and put our armies under the com
mahd of Brown, Scott, Gaines, Ripley, all
young fellows. Then everything prosper
ed, aud the star.spangled banner was en-
velorcd in blaze Of glory. cold Hickory"
was Just or scarcely forty when he gained
the battle Of New Orleans. On the ocean.
all thc commanders who did anything were
yomE. While old Chauncy was poking
about IN Lake Ontario. Yoang Perry, and
youag Elicit, and young McDonoueh wor.
gaining victories on Lake Erie and Cham.
plain. Willie aid Rogers made cruise after
cruise without finding the enemy, young
HUI, and young Decatur, and young lIiddle,
and gouHg Jones and middle. aged Stewart
and Bainbridge were finding and capturing
the enemy every day. Give us young men
TO act, and nothing over middle. aged men
TO TANK: Our country is young, and there
fore We must 90 ii wldie we're young.
Old Mr.. Gallatin, who was on the SUPER
animated list, even nj the close of the las,
war, ,hiriy-,hrce years, or one generation
ago, has lately dug himself up in pamphlet.
for The purpose of showing that our war
against Mexico is UNJUST, contrary to tie
laws CT nations i'll the time of William the
Conqucror, inconsistent with allthe political
maNlinS III CGsar's Commentaries. con-
demncd by the ethics of Confucius. forbid.
den by IoroaStcr, and darkly limited At rs
unjust III an obscure passage Of Ezekiel.
We opened Ezekiel at random and found
the very passage, and here it is.
"Thcrciorc thus saith the Lord. Because
We multiplied mere than the nations that arc
round about you. and have not walked IN
my statutes, neither have kept my iudg-
menlS, neither have done according 10 the
judgments of.,h nations that aIc round
about you;
wherefore thus saith the Lord. Behold.
!, even am against thee, aud will execute
judgments in the midst of thee, in the RICH,
OF the nations. f-Ezck. ", 4. 8.
Mr.. Gallatin was Secretary Of the Treas
ury under Mr.. jefferson. and managed vc,v
wei. department, that had been organized
and arranged by Mr.. Hamilton. But the
Treasury Department has become very
different thing since: and we doubt wheth-
or Mr.. Gallalin, III his best days, could have
managed il rs now constituted, any better
'han each among some dozen Of its clerks.
lie was n man of respectable talents and
requirements; nothing more. And being
born and educated in Switzerland before our
constitution was adopted. all his political
IDEAS were derived from European sources.
He is at home among the fogs and m!S,s Of
Bnrlamaqui, Nattcl, Wolfe. Grotius. Bynk.
crshock. and all those Dutch. German and
Swiss civilians who were always los, in the
smoke OF thcirown pipes. Beginning in the
last age rs an antique, Mr.. Gallatin has
come down to ours rs fossil, and his at
Temps to enlightcn the present generation
upon lis duties towards Mexico. is about MS
wise as would hc n reference to Aristotle for
instructions in steam navigation. lIeis not
merely behind this age. lIcis buried under
therubbish ofthe last. The pamphlet which
nc has written is curiosity: and so would
ne translation of n manuscript newly dis.
covered in Pompcii. But Supposing that his
opinions will have the least influence upon
any portion Of the American people, excep-
ting few Snpcranua,cd Bourbons. who can
neither forget nor learn, is supposing that
the elements Of human nature are radically
changed. And The old gentleman tells the
present generation Of Americans that they
must not conquer Mexico, As well might
any nonagcnarian tell an ardent and s,rar-
ping young great. grandson that he mus,
not fall in love. Mr.. Gallatin's pamphlet
against the morality Of the war with Mexi.
co. Ia! ha! We intend to rcpnbli,h, for
public instruction. an old sermon Of Crom.
Wells time, entitled "a high-hcelcd shoe
for limping sinner"
We give from an exchange the following
historical items in continuation of the views
of the Ledger;
"Don John. Of Austria, won Lcpanto at
the greatest battle Of modern
times. had II not been for the jealousy of
Philip. the next year he would have been
Emperor of Nnurtann. CASTOR dc Folk