Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-10-09
ISSUES BEFORE THE PE0PLE-@ W.
FLIBUsTIERISM.


of in our last number Of this series, is that mon
strous practical evil, whose outlandish name
stands at the head Of this article. Sorry and sad
enough are we to be obliged to recognise it, not
alone as the representative of an idea, but as the
memento Of facts fraught with great, growing, in
calculable evils to our country evils affecting her
hitherto untarnshed fame; her unbroken faith with
the nations her pure and high tone of international
morality her present and her future peace, glery,
and prosperity. Whose is the advocate Of Flibus-
tiersm is, according to the Of his influence,
the punderer not Of other States only, but Of his
own land; in robbing her Of that good name which
is above all price. Whose is seeking to weaken in
the hearts of the People the bonds Of justice and
good faith and the obligations of solemn treaties to-
wards other nations, is doing what in him lies to un
dermine all law, and to take away all vital power
from own domestic codes and constitutions. The
same reckless and dishonest spirit which is to-day
evoked to perpetrate fraud open violence against
foreign treaty may be expected tomorrow to null
tiply itself a thousand fold in scenes of domestic
fraud and violence 1t is in vain that any just dis
tnction is attempted, that any limits propos-
ed in the career Of such spirit as this In coun-
try like ours, where the people all in all to
rupt them, if that were possible, would be to infuse
slow poison into the whole body polite. 1t can
not be sound and heathful in its domestic relations
when it shall have become utterly rotten towards all
the world beside. Our curses will come home to
roost Even-handed justice WILL and that right soon,
Commend the ingredients of our poisond chalce
To our own lips"
No man, We are persuaded, can calmly look into
this subject, its origin, doctrines, works, and
denotes, without seeing all this unless indeed he is
not susceptible of the impressions which tell upon
all manly and patriotic hearts And yet true it is,
"and pity tbs tbs true, there are advocates and mis-
sonaries of Flibustierism, deluded perhaps them
selyes-at all events the instruments of cheating
others-by deceptive colorings, by pure and nspr-
ing motives stolen from truly high, noble, and
sacred source, and desecrated to the work of the
buccaneer and the pirate-advocates and missiona-
res who on most subjects WELD potential influence
with masses of the people; of the unsophisticated
and credulous people, who, trusting in the patriot
ism of these popular declaimers, and conscious of
their own honesty of purpose, do not pause to ex-
anime and analyze for themselves. For that other
fraction inseparable from human society, who know
no motives but those of personal interest, and are
restrained by no law but that which seizes them by
the throat, thank Heaven they are sufficiently in
considerable, if left to themselves, to be dealt with
as their deeds, overt attempts, may from time to
time require 1t is from far different class that
real danger is to be apprehended. 1t is with a
view to them that all patriotic citizens should think
and write, and speak, and VOTE, upon this question
AND IT Is QUESTION TO BE VOTED ON. Every
man who casts his vote at the coming Presidential
election will vote yea or nay on the question Of
Flbustierism. True, as we have already remarked
in our article Intervention the Platform of the
Pierce and King party is silent Gas we think, cul-
pably and unpardonably silent) in regard to our
Foreign Relations and future policy But no man
who is alive to what is passing around him can fail
to and to hear from authoritative quarters, what
those relations and that policy are to be, it, for our
SINS that party shall be triumphant Nay, more
he must have seen and heard from the same quar-
ters that it is made the ground Of violent assault
upon the present Administration and, prospectiyey
on that which we trust is to be its successor that
Intervention and its legitimate offspring, Flibuster-
ism, at variance with Wing principles, or Wing
instincts" as we believe the language is. We are
devoutly thankful that they are so !; and we can
scarcely find fault with the expression, contemptuous
as it is evidently intended to be, which assigns to
every true Wing an Unborn repugnance to these fatal
hereses, amounting to an memorable law Of his ma
ture-the gift Of that Gracious Power who by in,
stinct withholds the brute beast from destruction
Pity, indeed, that such instincts" are so industri-
ously sought to be countervailed
But let us see that we are right in saying that
Flibustiersm is avowedly adopted by the Pierce and
King party, and that the want of it is alleged by
them a crime on the part Of the Wings. In his
Speech at the Ratification meeting in this city, Mr..
Senator DOUGLAS says
If you look into the management Of our foreign
relations, you find no more to cheer the patriotic
heart, or to elevate the American pride and pro-
tect American honor than you will find in our do
nestle concerns When has the American flag
traied lower in the dust, in the face Of foreign
Powers, than il has under Wing rule You find
that when American citizens are shot and butcher
ed upon the Island Of Cuba in violation Of solemn
treaty stipulations, instead Of this American re-
public insisting upon that satisfaction which such
indignities and outrages demand, they content
themselves with making humble apologies for the
conduct OF our own citizens" TGreat cheers.
And what are these things proper "to cheer The
f,r LSur ~ Il