Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1848-05-25

still true enough to a great extent
that even horse shoe nail could 4 not
by law, be made in America, but must
be manufactured in England. Every
war in Europe was war upon this
! continent. Governments, compare
lively imbecile, like those of Span
| and Portugal, and in the last stages Of
political decrepitude, owned and con-
trolled half the world. Magnifcen:
regions, destined by God TO be inhabl-
ted by millions of human beings, pen
e,rated bv great arteries, divided by
lofty mountains, where were embow-
eled the riches Of the municipalities
and pa,npas, and forests, as boundless
in extent as they might be rendered
fertile in their product,ons-all these
gifts of nature to man were locked up,
rendered useless by the wretcbed poll
cy or the little miserable s,intrigues Of
the courts of Madrid and of Lisbon.
Such was the condition Of this con-
tinent, when we came upon the scene
of POLITICAL actionAs one Of The indie
pendent powers ofthe world. New
interests then arose, and new party
to assert and protect them With the
change in our situation, came changes
in our rights and duties. 1t was obvi-
Que that n,any old things must pass
avay. The first link in the chain of
serviIe connection between Europe and
America was broken. When the
whole connexion shoulG be dissolved !,
became thenceforth only a question Of
time. For while, however, we had
too much to do with the present, to
take any accurate survey of the future.
Emerging from terrible war, our first
object was to repair its ravages, and
recover from its material effects. We
had then 10 consolidate our govern
ment, and to immediate our instltu.
tons, state and general, to the new
circumstances of our position; and
while we were doing this, that tremen-
dous storm arose in Europe, which
swept over the Old World, and, du-
ring its progress, involve all the ma
tons ofthe earth, directly or indirectly,
either in its operation or its effects
Until this passed away, the govern
ment Of the United States had no OPP
portanity TO Investigate and assert the
new principles arising out of their in
dependence and their connexion with
the other communities otthe American
continent. But the revolution of the
Spanish colonies gave them this OPP
portunity; and their increased power
| gave to the Executive-if 1t did not
| give to Congress-the confidence nee.
essary for decisive action. There was
an American interest upon this hemis'
phere, separate from the European IN.
ierest. The powers inhabiting it, be.
sides their more general relation with
the nations of the earth, had polio,
! more peculiarly their own. The CUES
tons leading to war in Europe were al
most as endless as many Of them were
futile. They were wars ofsuccesslon,
of interest, of aggrandizement, of re.
sentiment, and of almost every othe1
passion which sways the human breast
Minions and favorites and mistresse.
acted upon inbecile soYereigns akt
corrupt cabinetssand the peace Of the
world was sacrificed to the most despi
cable motives. 1t would really ap
pear in some Of the modern times a:
though power were something's placed
in unworthy hands, 10 show how fal
human forbearance can be carried, and
the dignity Of human nature degraded
We desired to live out Of the sphere o.
such operations, and we could not dc
so if they were brought into close con.
tact with us. Political propagandisn
| has no place in opr policy. We prefe
our own form Of government, from &
conviction that it is best calculated t{
promote our happiness; and we rejoice
when other nations are willing and pre-
4 pared 10 adoptit, from an unequal con.
/ viction thati it will promote theirs
But with determination to judge fol
ourselves, we leave them the same
right. Certainly it should be republi-
can as we'll as independent. We car
assimi|ate more readily with them, anc
we Believe their condition will be safer
and more permanent. But whatever
form of government they might choose
10 adopt, it was for their interest and
ours that they should advance in all the
elements of Improvement, moral ant
material; thattheir powers should be
developed, and their own industry
opened to the world, and that of the
world to them. Connected with the
UNCERTAIN and never changing fate oI
European soyereigns, their condition
would not only be precarious. continu'
ally exposed 10 war, buttse sources Of