Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-12-06
THE THIRTy-sEcoND CONGRESS.

Once again, we have witnessed, in the opening of
new Congress, the renovation of the Legislative
bodies the flow of young blood into the veinsof the
Government; and its consequent renewed and rein
vigorated action.
The assembling of Congress at the seat of govern
nent is spectacle which can never be without
interest to any man capable of realizing the
beauty and harmony of our political system, OF
sbe of the advantages which its action secures to
him an individual and to the millions of his fell
low-men who live-under it. To the simple grandeur
of this spectacle may we and our readers never be
indifferent
When, through the happiest possible combination
Of wisdom, and patriotism, and circumstances this
Government was established by the People, it was
confessedly experiment, the success of which was
doubted by some even here, and by many in the
European world, who, though enlightened friends of
America, had their eyes ntently fixed upon us after
the termination Of the Revolutionary struggle, hop
ing, rather than believing, that good government
would succeed to the reaction and istlessness which
naturally and necessarily followed the excitement Of
a seven years war. The States had indeed con-
quered their freedom from foreign thrall but they
had yet before them a perhaps more difficult task,
that Of subdung their separate interests and aspr
ations, and uniting all the external powers-all
those by which national existence is established and
recognised-under one common Government
One of those Europeans, who though an English
man and nobleman, had, throughout the Revolu-
tionary struggle heartily favored the Of the
Colonies, understood and delineated with remarka-
BILE precision the problem which, after the acknow-
ledgment of their independence, this young people
had yet to solve. It was Horace Walpole who,
in one of his public letters to the Countess of
Ossory, Gin January, 1889 on hearing of the news
Of the conclusion Of Peace, wrote as follows I" Ny
g wish was to have peace and, next, to America
secure of its liberty Whether it will make good
q use of it is another point. 1t has opportunity
g that necer occurred IN the aoor1d before of being
q able to select the best parts Of erery knoaoa Con-
stitution but suppose it will not, too pledged
against royalty to adopt it corrective of
/" aristocracy and democracy, though our system
I" has proved that every evil had better have two
g enemies to contend with than one, as the third
" may turn the scale on every emergence; but
when the one defeats the other, it is decisive In
short, it is necessary that there should be Govern-
/" ment; but that government should be checked as
much as those IL controls for one man, few,
multitude are still men, and consequently not fit to
I" be trusted with unlimited power The misfortune
is that men cannot be trusted with the power Of
doing >right without having the power Of doing
T" wrong too, and, the you limit them, they
pant for greater latitude. However, the more
they are limited, the further they have to 60 be-
g fore they acquire the boundless latitude they
| !" long for. These some of my visions, which,
the experience Of all ages and countries has
shown, are such as scarce ever have been realized
! No waking dream could have been more exactly
realized in the event than was this vision of an
experienced statesman, who, devoted as he was to
America and her cause doubted the consistency and
the courage Of her People to accomplish any thing
near perfection as this Government of ours con-
structed it was of the best parts of every known
Constitutions Government that Is a Government,
and yet !" checked as much as those whom it con-
trolls" Old as he was when he dreamed this dream,
Walpole yet lived long enough not only to witness
its realization, but to his beau ideal of Govern
ment in full operation till nearly the close of the
Administration of WASHINGTON, at that time the
object Of his and of the worlds admiration
With what complete success this q experiment
of Government has worked, from that day to this,
the growth the population development Of resources
and rapidly increasing wealth of our country, album
dainty testify There is nothing in history to paral
lei it, and probably never will be. Well may we
contemplate, with increasing reverence, the miracle
of it's structure.
If, at the opening of each Session of Congress and
especially of each new Congress, we have regarded
with complacency the continued triumph of Repre-
sentative Government, may honestly exult in the
now recurring evidence of the strength of this Union
when it is accompanied with such proofs as we have
lately had of its still firm hold in the heart of the
People. All that the friends of the Constitution
have to ask Of the Senators and Representatives
in Congress is that adhering to the established in
situations and policy of this Government, they shall
faithfully reflect the sentiments and the affections of
| their constituents
The latest accounts from the RIO GRANDE inform
that the defence Of Matamoros had been strength
ened by the arrival there of eight hundred men,
under Gen. URAaA. 1t is also reported that Car
vajal, the insurgent leader, had received consider
able achievements, but not sufficient as yet to en-
courage him to renew active operations
LOUISIANA ELECTION.
The New Orleans papers confirm the report of the