Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1848-06-09

Inc following Is an extract elci't6 ~ "
course which should be pursued IN maln'aln-
ing our rights to the territory IN questlon:
Sc AS to receding, it is neither 10 De olscuss-
ed nor thought of. | refer to IT but 10 de-
nonnce ia denunciation which will find a
in every American bosom. Nothing
is ever gained by national pusillanimity. And
the country which seeks TO purchase Temporal
~ security by yielding TO unjust pretenslons,
buys present ease at the expense of permanent
honor and safety. 1t sows the wind, 10 reap
the whirlwind have said elsewhere, what
will repeat here, that it is better TO fight for
the first inch of national territory than for the
last. 1t is better to defend the door-sill than
the hearth stone-the porch than the altar
National character is a richer treasure than
gold or silver, and exercises moral influence
in the hour of danger, which, if not power it.
self, is its surest ally. Thus far, ours is IN
furnished; and let US all join, however sepa..
rated by party or by space, so to preserve it,
In the month of March following, General
Cass delivered his celebrated speech on the
Oregon question. AS this speech has been
circulated and read very generally, mere al
fusion TO it here is all that would appear ne
cessary; but the following extract expresses
so fully the sentiment of every patriotic Anne
rican, that it is worthy of record:
1t pains me, sir, 10 hear illusions 10 the
destruction of this government, and to the dis
solution of this confederacy. Itpains me, not
because they inspire me with any fear, but
because we ought to have one unpronouncea-
BILE word, as the Jews had of old, and that
word is dissolution We should eject the
feeling from our hearts, and its name from our
tongues. This cry of d" Wo, aro to Jerusa-
lem," CRATES harshly upon my ears Our Je-
rusalem is neither beleaguered nor in danger.
1t is yet the city upon the hill, glorious in what
it is-still more glorious, by the blessing OF
God, in what it is TO be--G landmark, lnvl-
ting the nations of the world, struggling upon
the stormy ocean of political oppression, to
follow us to haven of safety and of rational
liberty No English Titus will enter our tenn
pie of freedom through breach in the battle.
ments, tc bear thence the ark of our constltu'
ton, and the book of our law, to take then
stations in triumphal procession in the streets
of a modern Rome, as trophies of conquest anc
proofs of submission.
"Many a raven has croaked in my day, bu
the augury has failed. and the republic ha;
marched onward. Many crisis has presen
ted itself to the Imagination of our politica
Cassandras, but we have Still increased, ii
political prosperity, It's we have increased il
years, and that, too, with an accelerated pro
gress unknown to the history of the world
We have a class Of men whose eyes are al
ways upon the future, overlooking the bles
sings around US, and forever apprehensve o
some great political evil, which is to arres
our course somewhere or other on this side o
the millennium To them we are the image O
gold, and silver, and brass, and clay, contra
Iiety in unity, which the first rude blow O
misfortune is to strike from its pedestal.
"For my own part, consider this the strong
est government on the face of the earth TO
good, and the weakest for evil. Strong, be
cause supported by the public opinion of {
people inferior to none of the communities o
the earth in all that constitutes moral wortl
and useful knowledge, and who have breath
ed into their political system the breath Of life
and who would destroy it, as they created ii
if it were unworthy of them, or failed to full
fiji their Just expectations.
"And weak for evil, from this very consid
Grafton, which would make its folIies and it
faults the signal Of its overthrow. 1t is tn
only government in cxi,tence which no revo
luton can subvert. 1t may be changed; bu
it provides for its own change, when the pub
lie will requires. Plots and instructions, an
the various struggles by which an oppresse
! population manifests its sufferngs and seek
the recovery of its rights, have no place here
We have nothing to fear but ourselves"
The part taken by Gen Cass in the subse
quent exciting controversy on this question
and his vote IN opposition to the treaty, ar
too we'll known to require further notice. Hav
ing been trained in the school which laugh
him, IN our intercourse with foreign nations
10 ask for nothing but what is right and sub
NIT to nothing that is wrong, he had the NOR
al courage to stand up for the right, whateve
might be the consequences.
During this session of Congress, hostiltie
commenced between the United States an
the republic of Mexico. Gen. Cass advoca
ted the most energetic measures for vigor
Gus prosecution of the war, and for carrying
it into the heart of the enemy's country.
In the winter of 1847, the d" Wilmot Provi
So was introduced into the Senate, as an a
mendment to the three million bill, by fede
raj Senator from New England. The desg
OF the mover was evidently to defeat the pass
age of the bill to which ii was 20 be attached
and 10 embarrass the administration in tn
prosecution of the war Gen. Cass voted a
ganst the proviso, for reasons given in hi
speech on the OCCASION
} 1t was during the session of this Congress
that the tariff of 1916, and the independer
treasury were established. 1t is not alone t
} the exclusive champion of free trade, and tn
: ultra advocate of hard-money currency, thu
, the opponents of protection, and the enemie
, OF paper currency, are to look for the defe;
OF those measures. Such men are usually i
) the pursuit some theoretical abstraction, whic
gives them but little influence with practice
men. But it is to men of enlarged and liber;
views, whose strength of character and Unfit
, ence carry conviction with their action, tn;
the country is indebted for radical and benef
cIal reforms. Gen. Cass gave to these gre;
measures the wait of his influence, and h
| Jealous, and unfinching support At til
| close of that Congress, General Cass was il
vlted, by the democratic members OF the legs
, lature of New York, to partake of publ
, dinner a Albany, as mark of their apprec
alton of his brilliant public services, and the
estimation of his character as a man. TIL
: honor, however, he declined.
: In August following, he delivered an az
dress before the literary societies of Dartmouth
) College, New Hampshire, at the annual con
> mencement of that institution. The societit
, afterwards prepared an elegant gold heade
: cane, with appropriate devices, which VIZ
presented 10 him in Washington On the 4th
March, 1913.
On the meeting of the present Congress
Gen'l Cass was elected Chairman of the Con
mttee on Military Affars-a post for whc
he was most eminently qualified, and which
} as he had been unanimously selected, he col
sldered it his duty to accept. His course 6
Chairman of that Committee, and his view
upon the war question, have been seen in Ii