Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-04-01

involve even our distant and happy shores in the
oootiess contest attempting directly to pull down
President WASHINGTON, when he wisely stood upon
our pacific policy, and even made that claim of
forcing from us moneyed composition for peace
winch was SO well answered in the indignant words
OF our Minister, Mr.. PMcKNEY, +" Millions for de-
fence Not cent for tribute !" A Republic in
France has, we say, been but sort of social vol
cano rocking and blasting with its commissions its
own foundations. and sending forth its streams of
lava to desoate abroad all that they reached. The
Gallo people delight in war, in military glory, and
want almost entirely the better and lin true sense)
drawer instincts which found and which defend law>
right and freedom He who consults this heirmartial
genius, and can lead them tovicory will govern them.
Gratifying it, NAPOLEON reached and long held an
absolute dominion which say La France, c'est
Moi" Thwarting it, Louis PHILIPPE has been
unable to maintain with all his abilities and caution.
constitutional throne. Full, then, of this spirit.
tempered with little of modesty or discretion, and
too hot and too vain for the drudgery of patiently
making freedom for herself by the humble process
(the only sure one) of observing even bad laws and
gradually changing them into good, FRANCE, should
the revolution become permanent, is almost certain
at once las before to consider revolution Liberty,
and to set about forcing change upon all the other
States of Europe, before yet she has really accom-
plished for herself any thing that is fit for wise
nation to live under. In short the new Republic
will too probably be a propaganding, fighting,
/" fraternizing" one, such will at once peal the
old cry of universal instruction and waken up a
general European war. This is an event too de-
plorable in all its immediate effects and too uncer-
tain of any ultimate good, for either the humane or
the prudent to contemplate, in any country, without
horror. None but people with the heads Of dema-
gogues and the hearts of jacobins can think of it
without shuddering. But, in addition to this genera
dread for humanity and civilization in their old
seats, considerate men might well, in such con-
juncture, tremble for them in their new.
Would we of the United States be certain to
keep out Of strife where we should have nothing
to gain and so much to lose? Possibly not Once
before, when, in the very infancy of our Govern
ment, European commotion, such as is now to
be apprehended, blazed out our people-though
already possessed of the largest gift of freedom that
Gods good providence ever crowned nations vir-
tue and valor and sense wth-haed that frightful
confagration as the dawn of some new, some no. :
bier, some holier liberty, for which men were every
where to trampe out the fire on their own hearths,
to extingush the domestic lights of their own dwell
lings and it required the utmost wisdom and the
whole influence and frmness of the most consum-
mate patriot that ever lived-of WASHINGTON him
self-to stay the public madness which would have
rushed into that flame. Are we better or more
save us!