The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-02-29

scale of uncertainty.
Bul tits said our people ariH hare land, ant
that it will not do to make peace without some
acquisition. Sir, whenever the people are
truly informed of the condition of things, as
have already stated, then they can be easily
satisfied. The President has but to tell then
the whole truth. Besides, do not believe in
this uncomfortable avidity of our people to stea
land. Other gentlemen best know their OWL
constituents, but have no hesitation in say
ing, my constituents want no land but what
they own, or fairly and peaceably purchase and
pay for
1t is, however, urged, that We cannot make
a treaty of peace and,come away without dis
honor, unless we obtain 4 cession of some terri
tory. | have already shown that a treaty Of
peace may, any day, be made, if We do not in
sist on taking land. Now, sir, it is true that
we may not make peace and come home, OF
even come home without treaty, without
thereby mourning national dishonor, unless we
obtain soue land? If by the term honor is I'M
derstood something distinguished from honesty:
if reference is had to what is called the code OF
honor, then | am not good casuist, for do
not profess to be learned in that code. 1t has
been said that when man appeals to his hon
or, it is because his honesty has all been used
up. l hope it may not be so with my coun-
try. Now, profess to know something about
common honesty, and / think nation may do
with honor what ii can do with honesty, provi-
ded it does not furnish evidence of pusillanim-
ity and national cowardice. Can it be posi-
bic, after all the battles which our army has
so bravely and successfully fought against such
fearful odds; after destroying their army and
capturing their capitol; when in full possession
of their strong holds, and their officers captives
or fngitives; when Mexico is. PROSTATE at our
feet, can it be possible, we may not say, we
have whipped you enough and are going home?
There can neither be national honor or glory
in beating PROSTATE foe. Is it possible we
must keep our feet npon her neck, and pick
her pockets, and strip her, before we can hon
orally leave her? Has it come to this that af-
ter all the harvest Of laurels which has been
gathered, our glory and national honor will be
sacrificed, unless we get land? Amid shouts
of victory and halos of glory which riscover
the battleields, we hear, at last, the whole set
tie down into the mercinary and base cry Of
land, land, landi No, to my mind the sooner
we leave that PROSTATE nation, and the less we
demand Of her, the greater is our mdgnaninl-
ity.
1t is said we ought to continue the war, and
conquer Mexico, for the good of the people of
that country. 1t is new thing in the history
of man, that people should adopt the notion
their religion, government and institutions,
and even their race, are so much superior to
all others as to make it holy duty to ex-
tend them, even Jy force, as blessings to others
1t cannot be denied that there is much danger
that this may be the weak point in our nation
al character. So superior is the nature of our
Government to all others, as suited to oursel-
YES; so much have we prospered and improved
under it; so warm is our attachment to our
country and its institutions, that we are nat
urally inclined to consider it an act of human
ity, generosity, and magnanimty to extend
these blessings to others, even by force, and to
forget that these institutions of ours may not
be adapted TO every people. Our civil insti-
tutions are good for us because made ty cur
selves and for ourselves, and We have grown
up under. and are adapted to them. But we
should reflect that our institutions, like our
garments, cannot suit the taste and condition
of all men, and cannot consistently be coerced
upon others. Liberty or religion forced upon
people, ceases to be either liberty or relg-
ion. 1t is said the people of Mexico are ig-
norant, supertttious, and degraded. and inca
pable of self-goyenmgnt, and IN constant
state of internal revolution and anarchy. We
have not caused that condition: then let them
clone, and do not introduce seven or eight
millions Of such a people, nor any part Of
them, to participate in, and bring anarchy and
confusion into, our own affairs. Let them a.
lone, and they will, necessarily, soon settle
down into as good government as they are
fit for, and amend it when ihey improve This
principle of a nation extending the blessings Of
bx- hoe
always, and in all ages, been the bane OF ma
tons. 1t has been the truthful origin and a.
polory for nearly all the wars that have scour-
aed the world. The Greeks and Romans al
ways regarded all other nations as bdTddrouS:
and therefore conquered them to cirai-e them.
The swarms from the north of Europe and A.
sia, spread south on the same principle. Even
Attila was called THE .Scouge of God p doing
the holy duty of visiting the wrath of God on
the degenerate nations. Such was the excuse
for the extension of Nohammedenism by the
sword; such the fanaticism of the crusades; such
the cause of prosecutions. And the same ex-
cuses or reasons were given for the invasion &
conquest of Mexico by Cortez, to the eternal
disgrace of the Christian name.
II is not uncommon in the history of popu-
lar Governments, that an unmeaning phrase is
taken Nd as a catch-word, and becomes, for a
time, more potent than argument. Some in
stances of that kind might be remembered in
our own history. Much industry is now put
forth to promulgate another such-otr destiny.
| well recollect when the phrase was first adj
vanced in this Hail. 1t was in the discussion
on Oregon A gentleman from Illinois, IN in
sisting on holding up to "a . 40, among other
matters, claimed that we should so hold, be-
cause it was the manifest destiny of this Repub-
lie to include this whole continent. This was
then laughed at and the claim was abandoned.
and all was satisfied. 1t is now often repeated
and there is fear the people will be deluded
with its captivating pretensions.
No man, whatever be his hopes and wishes
can arrogate to himself to declare our destiny
1t is proclamation. But, even if any man were
endowed with the supernatural and miraculous
power to see that our desfinyis to include this
hemisphere, or the whole world, within this
Government, that could in no way justify our
now proceeding to take formidable possession
of it. Destiny must work out its own end by