Washington telegraph., 1848-02-02

would be hostile, aud In conflict with our
tfee popular institutions, and in the end,
subvcrsve oi them. Sir, ho who knows
the American Constitution well;-he who
has duly studied its charaeler;-he who has
looked a, history aud knows what has been
the effect nj eonquosls of free States in
sariably, will require no proof at my hands,
TO show that ii would be entirely hostile 10
the institutions Of the country, to hold Mex.
leo as a province. There Is not an exam
pie on record oi any Tree State even hay.
Ing attempted the conquest of any territory
approaching the extent Of Mexico without
disastrous consequences, The nation con
qnered have in time conquered the con.
qnerors by destroying their liberty. That
will be our case, SIR The conquest Of
Mexico would add so vas, an alnoun, 10
the patronage Of this government, that il
would absorb the whole power OF the States
in the Union. This Union would become
imperial, and the States mere subordinate
corporations. But the evil will MT end
there. The process will go on. The same
process by which the power would be trans.
lefrrd from tho States In the Union, will
transfer The whole from lhi. department Of
the government | speak Of the legislalire)
u the Executive. All the added power
ami added patronage which conquest i'll
create, will pass TO the Executive. In the
end you will put in The hands Of tho E,ee.
niiye the power of eonqnering yal. You
give 10 II, sir, such splend,r, such ample
means. thai with the principle Of proscrip
ton which unfortunately prevails in our
country, that tho struggle will be grea,er
al every presidential election than our in.
siiiulions can possibly endure. The end
Of 1t will ba that that branch Of The gov.
enmen will become all.poweriul and the
result is inevitable anarchy aai dsspo,.
ism. |, Is as certain as that am hi, day
addressing tho Senate.
Sir, let i not be saii that Great Hfi,ain
furnishes an example 10 the conlfafY--,hat
she holds PROVINCES oi vast extent ofponu.
laiion wiltonl materially impafing The in.
etiy ol the citizen. or exposing her 10 an.
afchy, confusion or corruption. |, /. so.
But what Is the explanation Oh all gov.
ernmenis that ever existed ailording any
protection Whatever 10 liberty, the English
Government Tar lransenls them all il that
respect. She can bear more patronage In
proportion tn her population and wealth than
any govcnman, of that form that ever eI.
isled, nay, 10 20 farther than can dcspolsm
in It's most absolute form. | will no, 90
into tho philosophy of this. That would
take me iahher from the track than de.
sire. But | will say in 4 very few words,
Il results from the fact that tho Executive
and tho House Of Peers, the conservative
branch Ui her government, are both he.
rcdIiary. Tho Roman government may
have exceeded and did exceed The British
Government In iis power for conquest; bl,
no people ever did exist, and probably, nav.
CT will exist, with such capacity Tor con.
quest a. thai people. But tho capacity of
Rome 10 hold subjected provinces. was a.
nothing compared To that Of Great Britain.
and hence, as soon as the Roman power
passed from Italy beyond the Adriaiic ON
one side, and the Alps en- tho other, and the
Mediterranean, their liberty fell PROSTATE
the Roman people became a nbe-cor.
ruPlion penetrated every where, and VIC.
lence and anarchy ruled tho day. Now.
we see England with dependcn, provinces
Of vastly greater territorial extent, and
probably not less in populaiion-l have
not eIamincd-wo SEQ her going on with.
out impairing personal liberty or exposing
tho Government TO violence or anarchy.
Yet the English have not wholly escaped.
Although they have retained their liberty
aud have not fallen into anarchy and des.
poIIsm, yet We behold the population Of
England crushed TO the earth By tho super.
incumbent weight Of debt. Rejecting on
that government have often thought that
there was only ono way in which il could
come TO an cud-that tho weight ol the
supcrsluclufo would crush the foundation
that the wealth accumulated In part by
these very conqlcsts by the higher classes,
would crush the lab0rng masses below.
But has she obtained indemnify from all
her subjected proyineesl On the contrary,
instead Of drawing the means Of support.
ing herself from them, has sho not been
compelled 10 resort 10 the labor Of her own
population to hold them in subjociionl And
has she not thrown a burden upon them,
which, with all their industry aud skill
with all their vast accumulation Of capital
aud power VI machinery, they are incapa
bic of bearing without being reduced TO
poverty Take even her earliest and near.
est conquest-lho neighboring island Of
lreland-it is 10 this day source OF heavy
expense, and a buHhen to her, instead Of a
source Of fevenuel
But while the English government has
such vast power Of holding subjected prov.
inces in sublecIion wilhou, impairing her
libeny-wilhout the evils incident to il, our
government Of all Tree governments that
have ever existed, has the least capacity 10
bear patronage in proportion to ito wealth
nj nd If.g Il r.