Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-12-15

done, by the enactment of all proper lega
penalties. The laws, In this respect, are
supposed to be defective, and I therefore
deem it my duty to cali your attention &c
the subject, and to recommend that pro.
vision be made by law for the punish
ment not only of those who shall accept
brides, but also of those who shall either
promise. give, or offer to give to any OF
those officers or clerks bride or reward
touching or relating to any matter of their
official action or duty. AEess ~ = 20
IL has been the uniform policy-of this
Government from its foundation to the
present to day Ito !. abstain from
all interference in the domestic affairs
ofother nations. The consequence has
been. that while the nations of Europe
have been. engaged in desolating wars,
our country has pursued its peaceful
course tonnexampled prosperity and hap
piness- The wars in which we have been
compelled to engage. in defence Of the
rights and honor of the country. have
been fortunately of short duration. Du-
ring the terrific contest of nation against
nation, which succeeded the French reyo-
luton, we were enabled by the wisdom
and 6rmness of President Washington 10
maintain our neutrality. While other ma
tons were drawn into this wide-sweeping
whirlpool, we sat quiet and unmoyed up
on our own shores. While the flower of
their numerous armies was wasted by dis
ease or persisted by hundreds of thous-
ands upon the battlefield, the youth of
this favored land were permitted to enjoy
the blessings of peace beneath the pater-
nal roof While the States of Europe incur
red 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 countries
for generations to come, the United States
have once been enabled TO exhibit the
proud spectacle of a nalion free from pub
lie debt; and. if permitted to pursue our
prosperous way few years longer in
peace, we may do the same again.
But it is now said by some that this pol
icy must be changed. Europe is no longer
separated from us by voyage of months,
but steam navigation has brought her
within few days sail of our shores. We
see more of her movements, and take
deeper interest in her Controversies
Although no one proposes that we should
join the fraternity of potentates who have
for ages lavished the blood and treasure
of their subjects in maintaining "the bal
ance of power" yet it is said that we
ought to Interfere between contending
sovereigns and their subjects, for the pur-
pose of overthrowing the monarchies of
Europe and establishing in their place re-
pobiican institutions 1t is alleged that
we have heretofore pursued different
81 L,,k
that now our conscious strength dictates
a change of policy. and that it is conse-
quently our duty TO minyle in these contests
and aid those who are struggling for lib
erty.
This is most seductive but dangerous
appeal 10 the generous sympathies of
freemen. Enjoying as we do the blessings
of Tree 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
the oppressor anywhere without the deep
est sympathy for the former, and the
most anxious desire for his triumph
is it prudent or is it wise 10
involve ourselves in these foreign wars?
Is it indeed true that we have heretofore
refrained from doing so merely from the
degrading motive of conscious weakness?
For the honor of the patriots who have
gone before us, cannot admit it. Men
of the Revolution, who drew the sword
against the expressions of the mother
country, and pledged to Heaven "their
lives, their fortunes, and their sacred hon
or to maintain their freedom, could never
have been actuated by so unworthy a
motive. They knew no weakness or fear
where right or duty pointed the way, and
it is libel upon their fame for us, while
we enjoy the blessings for which they SO
nobly fought and bled. to insinuate it
The truth IS, that the course which they
pursued was dictated by stern sense of
international justice, by statesmanlike
prudence and a far-seeing wisdom, look
ing not merely to the present necessities,
but to the permanent safety and interest
of the country. They knew that the
world is governed less by sympathy than
by reason and force; that it was not, pos
sible for this nation to become "propa-
gandist" of free principles without array
ing against it the combined powers of
Europe; and that the result was more
likely to be the overthrow of republican
liberty here, than It's establishment there.
History has been written in vain for those
who can doubt this. France had no soon
er established republican form of gov
eminent than she manifested desire to
force it's blessings on all the world
Her own historian informs us that, hear
ing of some petty acts oftyranny in neigh
boring principality. The National Conven-
ton declared that she would afford succor
and fraternity to all nations who wished
TO recover their liberty, and she gave it
'in charge to the executive power to give
'orders to the generals of the French
tarmies to aid all citizens who might have