Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-12-10

While the States of Europe incurred enormous
debts, under the burden of which their subjects
still groan and which must absorb no small
part of the product Of the honest industry of
those coutries for generations to come the Uni
ted States have once been enabled to exhibit the
proud spectacle of nation free from public debt;
and if permitted to pursue our prosperous way
do the same again.
But it is now said by some that this policy
must be changed Europe is no longer sePara-
ted from us by voyage of months, but steam
navigation has brought her within few days
sail our shores. We see more of her movements,
and take deeper interest in her controversies:
Although no one proposes that we should
ioin the fraternity Of potentates who have Tor
ages lavished the blood and treasure OF their
subjects in maintaining "the balance of power"
vet it is said we ought to interfere between con-
tending sovereigns and their subjects, for the
purpose of overthrowing the monarchies OF Eu-
rope and establishing in their place republican
institutions. 1t is alleged that we have hereto
fore pursued different course from sense Of
our weakness, but that now our conscious strength
dictates change of policy, and that it Is conse:
euently our duty to mingle in these contests and
aid those who are struggling for liberty.
This is most seductive but dangerous appeal
to the generous sympathies of freemen. Enjoy
ing as we do the blessings Of free government,
there is no man who has an American heart that
would not rejoice to see these blessings extended
to all other nations We cannot witness the
struggle between the oppressed and his oppres-
sor anywhere without the deepest sympathy for
the former, and the most anxious desire for his
triumph. Nevertheless, is it prudent or is it
wise to involve ourselves in these foreign wars
Is it indeed true that We have heretofore refrain
ed from doing so merely from the degrading mo-
tive of conscious weakness?
For the honor of the patriots who have gone
before us, cannot admit it. Men Of the Revo-
luton who drew the sword against the oppres-
sions of the mother country, and pledged to
Heaven "their lives, their fortunes and their Sal
cred honor" to maintin their freedom, could nev-
er have been actupted by so unworthy motive.
They knew no weakness or fear where right or
duty pointed the way, and it is libel upon their
fair fame for us, while we enjoy the blessings for
which they so nobly fought and bled, to insinu-
ate it.
The truth is that the course which they pur-
sued was dictated by a stern sense of internation-
al justice, by statesmanlike prudence and a far
necessities, but to the permanent safety and in
terest of the country. They knew that the world
is governed less by sympathy than by reason and
force; that it not possible for this nation to
become pro7agaudist" Of free principles with
out arraying against it the combined powers Of
Europe; and that the result was more likely to
be the overthrow Of republican liberty here than
TUs rsU're.ivIr--rvrJ tIIelp
History has been written in vain for those who
can donbt this. France had no sooner establish
ed republican form of government than she
manifested desire to force its blessings on all
the world Her own historian informs us that,
hearing Of some petty acts of tyranny in neigh
boring prncipality, The National Convention
declared that she would afford succor and fra
ternty to all nations who wished to recover their
liberty and she gave it in charge to the execu-
tive power to give orders to the generals Of the
French armies to aid all citizens who might have
been or should be oppressed in the cause of lib
ertv."
Here was the false step which led to her sub
sequent misfortunes. She soon found herself in
volved in war with all the rest of Europe. In
less than ten years her government was changed
from republic to an empire; and finally after
shedding rivers of blood, foreign powers restored
her exiled dynasty and exhausted Europe sought
peace and repose in the unquestioned ascendan-
cy Of monarchic,l principles. Let us learn wis
dom from her example. Let us remember that
revolutions do not always establish freedom. Our
own free institutions were not the offspring Of
our Revolution.
They existed before. They were planted in
the free charters Of selfgovernment under which
the English colonies grew up, and our Revolu-
ton only freed us from the dominion of foreign
power, whose government was at variance with
those institutions But European nations have
had no such training for selfgovernment, and
every effort to establish it by bloody revolutions
has been, and must, without that preparation,
continue to be failure Liberty, unregulated
by law, degenerates into anarchy, which soon be.
comes the most horrid of all despotisms. Our
policy is wisely to govern ourselves, and thereby
to set such an example of national justice, pros
perity, and true glory, as shall teach to all ma
tons the blessings of selfgovernment, and the
unparalleled enterprise and success of free peo-
pie.
We live in an age of progress, and ours is en-
phatically country of progress. Within the
last half century, the number of States in this
Union has nearly doubled, the population has
almost quadrupled, and our boundaries have been