The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-12-18
WHOLE NO. $50.

OF your attachment to the fundamental doe
trines of the founders Of your United Republic,
| beg leave with equal frankness to state that,
in my opinion, there can be scarcely anything
more dangerous to the progressive development
of whatever nation than to take for a bdsi,
that which is none-to take for a principle
that which is bat the convenience Of the pass
ing stuaton-to take for substantial that which
is but accidental-Or take for constitutional
doctrine that which was but the momentary
exigency of administrative policy. Such a
course of action would be like TO that, when q
healthy man would refuse TO take substantial
food because when he was once labOring I'M
der weakness of stomach, his physician order
ed him severe diet to keep. The consequence
would be consumption-death.
Let me suppose, gentlemen, that yonder doe
trine of non-interference was really bequeath-
ed to you by your Washngton-and that it
was not | will prove TO you afterwards and
let me even suppose that your Washington inn
parted such meaning to yonder supposed
doctrine--which were equivalent TO the. words
OF Cain, AMI my brothers keeper f''-which
supposition would he Of course a sacrilege But
suppose oil this. And believe that even un-
der such supposition may be entitled to ask
Is the dress which well suited the child still
convenient to the full-grown man-nay to u
grant, which you are? Would it not be ride
ulous to lay the giant in the child's cradle, and
to sing him to sleep by lullaby?
In those times of the foundation of the
United States, you were an infant people and
the large dress of your then comparatively not
large territory hung loosely on your puerile
limbs. In those times you had, of course no
wiser thing 70 do, but to gro%-to grow and
10 grow
But now you are so far grown that there is
no foreign power on earth from which you
e"v-e a"~thirs. to fAa- <Sr ~ss-. oUo~ aHistenee-
Tor YOUR own security THIS being your pres
ent cOndIdUG you nuso' ertered into tne sevvrss,.
I'd" r~'-;"sl ariS.-Si1a- the sisSsi=.st.i2cl
OF wInvn rs not Unly W exist lot youfson Ca
clusively but to exist ~ a member of the great
human family of nations, having the right to
all claims which are due from that family to-
wards every one of its full grown members. but
also engaged TO every duty which that great
family has the right to claim from every one of
its full-grown members.
A nation may be in the situation, either by
a comparative weakness, or by choice and pol
icy, AZ Japan and China, or by both these mo-
tives, as Paraguay, under DR.. Francia, to live a
life secluded from the world, Indifferent to the
doctrines of mankind in which it cannot or
will not have any share but then it must be
prepared TO become also excluded from the
benefits Of progress, civilization, and national
intercourse Such a nation may well say, 81
don't care about the fate Of whatever other ma
tons in the world"
But | am sure no citizen of the United States
had has, or ever will have, the wish to see this
country degraded to the rotting vegetation Of
Paraguay, or the mummy existence of Japan
and China The feeling of selfdignity, and
the expansive quality of that enterprising spirit
which are congenial to free men, would revolt
against the very idea Of such degrading ma
tional captivity. But if there were even mil
10 live such mummy life, there were no posi-
bility to do so!
The very existence of your great country
the principles upon which it is founded, it's geo
graphical position, its present state Of civiliza-
ton, and all its moral and material interests,
would lead on your people, not only to main
tain, but necessarily more and more to deyelope
| your intercourse with the world.
Then, of course, being in 80 many respects
linked to the world connected with the world,
you can have neither the wilIphor be in the
possibility, to remain Indifferent to the condi-
ton Of that outward world you are in 80 many
respects connected with. And if you cannot
remain Indifferent, 40 you must feel resolved to
put your own seli-conslstent weight into that
balance, in which the fate and condition of the
| world il weighed
In a word, the glorious Republic of the
United States must feel resolved to be poiCer
on earth-a power among the nations-or else
| itself would be doomed to continual decay, and
soon cease to be great glorious, and free.
You are power on earth. You must be II
m aarth CO nr al
| unhesitatingly accept all the natural conse-
quences of this situation You cannot allow
that any power whatever should dispose of the
fate of that great family of mankind, of which
you are such pre-emnent member; or else
you would resign your position, and resign your
still prouder future and be a power on earth
no more
Thus, hope have sufficiently shown that,
should even that doctrine of non-interfercnce
have been established by the founders Of your
Republic, that which would have been very
convenient to your infancy, would not be con-
venient TO your manhood.
Ii il beautiful word of Montcsquieu that
republics are 10 be founded on virtue. And
you know that virtue, sanctioned by our Chris
tian religion, is but the effective exercise Of
principle" Thou shalt do TO others, as thou
desirest others to do TO thee" So, am conf
dent that it were sufficient for me TO reply sim
ply--for the decision of the question have the
honor now TO treat--upon the virtuous feelings
Of your generous republican hearts, and the
consistency Of principles. But still beg leave
TO mention also in material respects, some es-
sential differences between your present cond-
ton and that of yore.
Then your infant Republic, composed Of
thirteen States, was restricted to the borders
of the Atlantic. Now your giant Republic
spreads to the Gulf Of Mexico, the Pacific, and
your territory is world Your right hand
reaches Europe over the waves, while your left
hand reaches over the Pacific, the East of
Asia and then, in the midst Of two great con-
tinents, there you stand, in proud immensely,
world yourself
Then you were a small people of three and
a half millions. Now you are a mighty nation
of twenty -four millions and more than nine
teen millions out Of these twenty-four are over
yonder immense territory--the richest in the
world-employe in the cultivation Of the soil
that honorable occupation which, in every age,
has proved 10 be the most inexhaustible, the
most unfaltering source of public welfare and
of private happiness, M also the most unwaver-
ing ally Of the love Of freedom, the most faith
ful preserver of all those straight noble and
generous sentiments which the constant occu-
patton with ever-young ever-great, eyer-bene-
fetal Nature, imparts TO man. Add to this con-
sideration, that this numerous agricultural in
terest, which, deriving large markets and af-
fording, at the same time, most solid basis,
also to your manufactured industry, and to
your commerce, has developed in such an inn
mense proportion, makes such boundless diff
ference between the Republic Of the time OF
Washington and your present giant Republic,
that though you may very we'll be attached to
your original constitutional principles because
the principles Of liberty are everlastngly tho
same; butin respect to the exigeucies Of your pol
lev IL il muOhle not To feel that IL Won are 10 be