The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-01-15
The Ere sident's Message, and the Gold Mine
of California;.

Had the gods made President Polk classical, he
might (and there cannot be any doubt would
have drawn Plutarchian parallel, and established
proud contrast between himself and Mtades
What Mitlades, he would have said, gulled his
Athenians by promlslng-lO! have performed
The boundess wealth he promised to help them
to, II they would but fit HIM out feet, and ask
no questions, 10! have realized for you, without
any naval operations worth mentioning Ihave
made you mint of monev--that is, have laid
out for you 925 $1,000, to get you territory
and am going to make you a mint, which will
make money as fast as you bring In the raw ma
terlal. have proved to the world that free and
independent citizens are born fighters, and need
SO judiciously, that they not only come of with
glory but with great gain and that the model re-
public, tthe shortest notice, can make war with all
the world and his wife without the slightest appre-
hension that they will ever have to pay war taxes.
1t Is well known that monarches and aristo.
cracies are always ambitious and rapaclous; and
that republics are always the reverse oil these
things. Still Mr.. Folks 7s Deum reads rather
clent democratic precedent. Not to return to Mil
tiades, President Folks vastly inferior prototype
the Slcilan expedlton-whlch the Athenian
moderates vainly endeavored to dlssuade from
the succor OF the Roman sympathlsers to the Ma
mertines, IN the teeth of all treaties and in spite
OF the Senate--these, and sundry other sallies of
ancient democracy, are strangely similar In spirit
and origin to this last new specimen of the age of
cratlcal auspices We desire to be no satrists Of
a regimen, which has naturally enough taken root
in the New World, and the lax bonds of which
pennsylvania to wiD have favored the free spread
OF population, and march OF material culture. But
we must wholly demur TO Mr.. Folks averments,
when he says, Sour beloved country presents a
sublime moral spectacle to the world.
Oui lame and character as nation continue ra-
pldy TO advance In the estimation of the civilized
world" The nearest approach to " moral spec
tacle" which the United States Just now presents
to the world, is the spectacle Of the Hon-re-elec-
ton OF Mr. Polk himself for second term of pre-
toied to deserve your prase''-had he been ella 3
siealy addicted, he might excaim. And now you
have gone and superseded me by sort Of sexa-
genarlan General Cavaignac! Who knows-if
Ingratiude of wing, antl-savery, ant-tarifT, free
territory, Tree soil, free totaller, bunker, barn.
burner, loafer, locofoco coalitions had fully
been developed at an earlier PERIOD whether our
part OF new Aclbiades, and carried over
TO hated ollgarchcal rivals the lessons of sue
cessful aggression, and OF boundess conquest
President Folks, fiscal and currency doctrlnes
seem TO us sounder than his political ethics but
In these departments also he INDUCES In {" boast
ing, which is not convenient" He saws. "Tnouph
our debt, as compared with most other nations. il
small, 1t is our true policy, and in harmony wlth
the genius OF our institutions, that we should pre-
sent to the world the rare spectacle of a great re-
PUBLIC, possessing vast resources and wealth.
wholly exempt from public indebtedness. This
would add still more to our strength, and give TO
us a still more commanding poslIlon among the
nations OF the earth" Now President Polk else
where describes the federal government. and de-
scrbes II justly, as "inendcd by its trainers to be
PLAIN, cheap, and simple confederation Of States
united together for common protection. and charg,
ed with lew specific duties, relating chiefly to our
foreign affairs" From this description 1t Is clear
that the government OF the confederation could on.
~ De small part OF the government of the coun.
ty-and the " indebtedness of the government