The republic., 1851-01-30
Ffom The London Times, January ).
Americnn Dostiny

Sir Henry Bulwcr has just established conspic-
title 10 the post which he has been selected to
fill. At banquet, crowded by enthusiastic New
Enganders, assembled in celebration of their most
famous anniversary--Foref Day-he out
shone even American eloquence. upon American
topics, and piled his delighted audience with
the tropes Of rhetoric and the brilliances Of
phor, that he fairly carried the field before him.
Yet he had no easy task to perform. Mr.. Webster
had anticipated every fayorte apostrophe, and had
led his countrymen through the history of two
hundred and thirty years, to that moment OF pride
with which the moiety of century was closing
But no sooner had Sir Henry warmed in his dis
course than he elaborated every familiar point Of
transatlantic oratory, and without disparaging his
allegiance, succeeded in satisfying every uspi-
ration OF American pride
In simple truth, the two speakers had straight
and obvious course to ruin. They could well at
ford to join hands in congratulation and compli-
snent. At this marked period Of history and Chico
nology there are but two civilized governments in
the world the citizens OF which could socmnize
such festival that reported from New York; and
the events of the last two years have amply shown
that constitutional monarchy and constitutional
republic differ only in political terms when con-
rastcd with military tyrannies or democratic
periments When M Guizot eiucidated for the bene-
htothis countrymen the principles Of succsss revo;
lutions he confined his illustrations to two examples,
that of England in 1858, and America in l776, and
he frankly confessed that forms Of government
signi6cd little long the securities Of good ad
ministrntion were supplied by the self denial, for
bearance, and moderation Of the people concerned.
No governments DO either durable pros
perous without the submission of individual con-
ceit to the resolutions Of the nations legally de-
carcd. There exists in the United States, no less
than under absolute monarchies. party discon-
tented with the established order Of affairs and the
violence Of political dissent has lately been carried
to such pitch to elicit suggestions for the abro
CATION u the Constitution itself. But the great
body Of Americans are sound in their convictions
and clear sighted in their views. They have had
of n
struggle and great deal of noise, they declared in
the theatrical riots that the magistracy should rule
the mob, and in the slavery agitation that the Con-
stitution should rule the country.
But it not the Declaration OF Independence
or the foundation OF the Republic which the New
Englandcrs met TO celebrate on the occasion to
which we refer. 1t was an anniversary more
completely commanding the sympathics OF Brit
sh minister aud well calculated to unite in emo.
tions Of common pride the 'Englishnlen OF the
Old World and the New. Two hundred and
thirty years ago, within few days of tho time
when tho religious convulsions of Germany
inaugurated by the great battle Of Prague, a hand
ful Of Pilgrim Fathers landed at Cape Cod from
tho .May yflower' bark, after pcrilous and stormy
voyage across the Atlantic deep. On piece oi
rising ground they built row Of small tenements,
with common store house between them Strong
they in faith, in hope, and resolution, but 80
straitened we're their means that when another
batch of pilgrims arrived to share their fortunes,
the entertainment provided Tor the new concrs con-
sisted of single lobster and three fish, and these
caught, but purchased OF the Iudans for in the
whole colony there was neither hook nor net. The
pilgrims held their own, and transmitted their Set
tiement to their progeny, but with tenure SO pre-
carious that their bones buried, without mark
sign, to preserve them from the Dissertation OF
the sayages, who might one day recover foreground.
Such was the origin OF New Engiand-a glorious
topic, it must needs be owned tor juetifiable de-
clamaton. These al families now represented
by 3,0000i0 sous. From single port of that set
tlement. where neither hook nor net existed, there
now issue annually 600 ships, manned by 10000
seamen, to capture the mightiest monstcrs.ot the
deep. The capital of the colony contains nearly
lot, 900 inhabitants within its wails; supports 10
daily ahd so weekly newspapers, and maintains
$50 public carriagcs, employing 600 horses, ire
spectively of railways, each Of which upon AN
average conveys loo passengers per day. Such
is the picture Of modern Boston as delineated On
the last Anniversary Of Pilgrims Day; and happy
1t is for England and America when their represen
atives can unite in cxpatiatng on these wonderful
statistics, instead of awakening the injurious and
forgotten cchoes Of Bunker's Hill.
That the AMERICANS owe to their ancient stock
the qualities which enable them to found and pre-
serve thlr system OF comAonWeaths, - fact
which they may acknow ledge without dieparagc-
ment OF their intrinsic powers. They carried
with them across the ocean not only the forms OF
good governmeat, but the principiea of good citi-
zenship. They never built upon political theories
or affected any change except upon sound reasons
and by sober means. They did not substitute a
republic for monarchy in difference to any i'm
aginary code of rights antecedent to recorded
lawe, bat when, in pursuance OF settled convlc-
tions, they had reluctantly renounccd an aiic-
glance, they made the beat proviaons in their power
for administering the government themselves.
Little wac changed beyond the form OF the execu-
tive. They dtvised no new relations between man
and man, nor did they doem themselves compe-
tent 10 recast the frame oil civil society. They
tanned every institution and practice which could
be accommodated toa Congress instead OF king.
Far from cxtcmporislng new laws, they preserved,
in their reverence, eventhe least desirable attributes
of the old, and have only just reformed their
system of procedure, when We their elder brethren,
arc coniessing like necessity and acknowledging
the goodness Of their example.
These we're the principles which preserved them.
Amid variety OF temptations, apparently infinite
when viewed from TINS side Of the Atlantic, but
perhaps less serious, when more closely contenl-
plated, they have always acknowledged that pri-
vate opinions must yield to the recorded will OF
society at large, and that no community can main
tain political existence where every citizen claims
the right OF promoting by violence his own specu-
lative conceits.
We believe MIR. Webster was substantially JUS
tilted in treating already exploded the recent
agitation Tor the dissolution OF the Federal Union
There is. indeed, something unprecedented in
this enormous aggregation of States and Terrific
res, that il liz impossible TO arrive at any probable
conclusion respecting the future destinies Of Ame
RIGA. The weights on the two scaboards are now
80 immensc that the constitutional fabric must
needs be exposed TO severance from it's own gravi
tation dionc Aht uilftetn Ctktca ol Uniun
have already become three and thirty if not more,
for they increase as we write, and there is space
and verge enough for converting the number into
a hundred.
1t is beyond all human power 10 Calculate the
prospects Of Il Gvernment to which one continent
supplies territory and another population. What
California is TO America, America Is to the whole
world. Noexamplc has ever yet been seen of such
mighty and intcrmioabe ooniiux ofpcoplcs. Ireland
alone supplies yearly to this extraordinary Statc tho
population OF a first-class city. San Francisco has
M, reared more in two years than Brighton in Fifty.
The treasures oi the territory have attracted
iin,nigrantsin IN equal numbers from the two proven
bal cAtrenitios of the wofld--rom CnnS and Peru;
and yet by some wonderful process the systcm OF
the Union appears to absorb aud assimilatc 10 ice
Constitution thcsc various and conflicting ele-
ments No epcculator can prognosticatc inc end
of such prodigious experiment. or prophecy the
eventual decisions OF a Chamber in which the dele
gates to California and New Mexico will meet the
representatives OF Florida. and Maine. But thus
much wo may at least say, that the American
Union is now discharging providential part In
the progress Of the world, and that IL the possible
notifications oi ita political Constitution sre but
effected in obedience 60 the principles which have