The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-22

HIS oPsuh~ss7 ~ ptW8suhUj SADQ WIN. suS4 eE8~
steadily fixed upon the Constitution, ~ that Of
the mariner on the compass, hs would steer for
each worthy object that will promote the psos-
perity, develop the resources. sustain the power.
and augment the glory Of the whole Union.
Those are his opinions Of progress; and they
are mine -
This is nothing like turning the world upside
down we seek no innovation upon the Consti-
tuition; but we seek to progress under the Con-
stituton, and with the Constitution The whole
history of the United States il history of pro-
gress-physical, geographical progress-intel-
lectua moral civil. social, and political progress,
The internal idea, the abstract notion Of better
| things, the hope of freedom, the determination
to resist oppression, all that active principle
which makes great country and great people,
have wrought without ceasing in the American
mind Would gentlemen who arc afraid of pro-
gress stop this! Would gentlemen arrest it?
DO gentlemen desire Or believe it possible to
check the free current Of thought! This is not
metaphysics or nonsense. It is a fact, which
every man who looks back for a moment to the
philosophy OF the history of the country. nlnst
recognize and subscribe to. The gentleman. in
the defense OF rotten conservatism, seeks mn.
thority in the epitaphs of our honored ancestors.
but the Inscriptions are in character unknown
to him. lie reads them falsely He does not
take the magnificent and inspiring lessons which
those grave-yards teach to the careful and dis
Interested inquirer. There is no sermon on
progress so eloquent as to stand and reflect.
earnestly and honestly, by the side of the grave
of the Father OF his Country. And in these ir-
ritable times, would recommend to politicians
an occasional visit to Mount Vernon, to sootLe
their excited feelings, and calm them for tho
grave consideration of principles We learn from
the history of the fathers of this country. and
most OF all from the life of him who was the
most iustrious of all, that progress is the duty
OF every citizen. Did they not progress Look
at their movements. The grandest, the most
august revolution that any mortal man, or anv
set of men, ever undertook, they accomplished
They did enough for one generation, and more
than any generation before, or since, have ever
accomplished but did not do all. They left
much undone What was their mission What
was the evil they were called to remedy? The
eyes OF the men OF the revolution were directed
towards Europe They had no jealousy but
upon one subject, and that was, European inter
ference They soughtthe independence of these
States, and they sought little else To make
their own laws, and impose their own taxes, and
regulate their domestic AFFAIRS according to laws
enacted by representatives they themselves
would choose-that was AZ far as thev went, and
as far as they could be expected to 90. But the
condition OF the country at the successful con-
cluson of the war Of the revolution was as
wholly different, and the then policy and opin-
ions OF men were as clearly distinguishabe from
those now entertained as ours are from the poI-
icy and opinions of the Chinese
The territory of the Union was narrow limit
ed by the Mississippi upon the one side, by
Louisiana upon another, by the Lakes and by
the Atlantic. Why, it was scarcely larger than
a pre-. emption claim, in these days of expanded
liberality on the subject of public lands It was
narrow tract. They aimed to give it dignity
by peopling it with brave and free men. They
thought Of it only a small star bright spot
upon the surface of that continent, which neither
their ambition policy embraced They never
dreamed OF the vast and glorious constellation
which was to glitter around it, their policy
consequently could not be the same as ours.
Progress was the very condition of the exist
ence OF the next generation There were found
conservative gentlemen in that day who opposed
the first step of progress after the revolutionary
war was closed, who were afraid the world was
agolng to be turned upside down by every re-
form. When the debates arose upon the pur
chase OF Lonisiana--and We all know with what
heat those debates were carried on--there was
no want OF politicians TO declare it unconsttu-
tonal, and violation of the principle and doc
radical Democrat of that day, the author and
founder of progressive Democracy, doubted IL
under the Constitution any territory could be
added to the Union. The same sort of appeals
and arguments were made then as now Every
reform, every advance which the nation has
made, has been opposed by the same conserva-
tism which would now paralyze the national
energy. There is nobody now who questions
the propriety Of the purchase of that territory.
or the annexation of tina. more important terri
tory, which has been acquired since The poll
cy has indicated itself in its triumphant expc-
rierce
But there is another sort Of progress, to
which have before alluded, and the idea of
which would wish to develop, because it con-
stitutes great national characteristics There
is another sort of progress. What have nd
verified to and illustrated, is mere physical and
geogI aphioal advancement. | have, as vet only
spoken of the acquisition of territory alude
now to that progress which has enlarged and
liberated the American mind since the DAVIS of
the great patriots of the revolution, constituting
in itself a revolution important as that which
liberated colonies from British oppression There
has been going on in the human mind and the
human heart through all that series of years,
revolutions, each and all of them of vast i'm
portance. There rushes upon the mind and
memory OF every man thousand illustrations
of what mean. 1t was good old Democratic
doctrine-a conservative and safe doctrine
that the highest power in this country, the
power upon which mems lives property, and re.
putation depended, should hold IFS unapproaclp-
able and inaccessible position within the inner
temple that the judiciary, unlike the legislative
or any other power in the country, should be-
irresponsible to that people from whom their
power was legtimately derived; that they
should not be elected by the people, An cleo
tive Judiciary? Such heresy in the DAYS Of
the revolution would have raised an outcry from
all our assembled revolutionary ancestors.
Nearly all the States in the Union have made
this change in their constitutions 1t has re-
suited from gradual but constant pressure of
public opinion, which was irresistible.
There are other illustrations; one more stri-
king than this. There was law which existed