The primitive Republican. (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-1852, 1852-02-19


there is no provincial freedom possible, is a
fundamental feature of our national charac-
ter We brought it with US from far Asia a
thousand years ago, and we conserved it
throughout the vicisitudes of ten centuries
No nation has prehaps so much struggled and
suffered from the civilized christian world
as we. We do not complain of this lot. tt
may be heavy, but it is not ingloriOus. Where
the cradel of your Savior stood, and where
his divine doctrine was founded, there now
another faith rules, and the whole of Europe's
armed pilgrimage could not avert this fate
from that sacred spot, nor stop the rushing
waves Of Islamism absorbing the christian
empire of Constantine. We stopped those
rushing waves. The breast Of my nation
proved break-water to them. We guard
ed Christendom, that Luthers and Calvins
might reform it. It was a dangerous time
and the dangers Of the time often placed the
confidence Of all my nation into one mans
hand, and that confidence gave power into
his hands to become ambitious. But there
was not single instaLce in our history where
a man honored by his peoples confidence had
deceived his people by becoming ambitious.
The man out of whom Russian diplomacy
succeeded to make the murderer of his ma
tom conference.-the never had it, but was
rather regarded always with distrust. But
he gained some victories when victories were
the moments chief necessity. At the head
Of an army circumstances placed him in the
capacity to ruin his country. But he never
had the peoples confidence. SO even he is
no contradiction to the historical truth that
| no Hungarian whom his nation honored with
/ its confidence was ever seduced by ambition
to become dangerous to his country's liberty
That is remarkable fact, and yet it is not
accidental; it is the logical consequence of
the influences of institutions upon the ma
tional character Our nation, through all its
history, was educated in the school of NUM-
cipal f-government; and in such a country
ambition having no field, has also no place
in mans character.
The truth of this doctrine becomes yet
more illustrated by quite contrary histOri-
cal fact in France Whatever have been
the changes of government in that great
cOuntry-and many they have been, to be
: sure-we have seen Convention, a Direc.
torate, ConsGls, and one Consul, and an En-.
perOr, and the Restoration, and the Citizen
King and the Republic; through all these
different experiments Capitalization was the
fundamental tone of the institutions Of
France-powcr always centralized; OmnipO
tence always vested somewhere. And. re
markably indeed, France has never yet rails
ed one single man to the seat of honor who
has not sacrificed his country's freedom t.
his personal ambition!
1t is sOrrowful, indeed, but it is natural
It is in the garden of Capitalization Wher'
! the venOmous plant of ambition thriVes.
) dare confidently affirm that, in your grea
country, there does not exist single mar
f through whose brains has ever past the
! thong ut that he would wish to raise the sea
of his ambition upon the ruins Of your count
rvs liberty, if he could. Such wish is i'm
possible in the United States Institutions
react upon the character of nations. He WIZ
, sows wind will reap storm. History is tht
E revelation of Providcnc. The Almighty
rules by eternal laws not only the materia
but the moral world; and every law is prin
ciple, and every principle is law. Men a
well as nations are endowed with free will tC
choose principle, but that once chosen tht
consequences must be abided.
j With self-government is freedom, ant
}; with freedom justice and patriotism. Will
f Capitalization is ambition, and with ambi
: ton dwells despotism. Happy your grea
b country, sir, for being so warmly addicted
b to that great principle of self-government
e Upon this foundation your fathers raised
: home of freedom more glorious than tn
Y world has ever seen. Upon this foundation
t you have developed it to living wonder 0
/ the world. Happy your great country, sir
5 that it was selected by She blessing of tn
) Lord to prove the glorious practicability 0
Y fcderative union of many sovereign State
d all conserving their State rights and thei
i self government, and yet united in one
every star beaming its own lustre, but alto
b gethcr one constellation on mankind's can
;; opy.
st Upon this foundation your free countr
l. has grown to a prodigiOus power in a surpri
II singly brief period, an attractive power il
r that your fundamental principle. You hav
IS conquered by it more in seventy-fve year
than Rome by arms in centuries. You
Y principles will Conquer the world. By tn
n glorious example of your freedom, welfare
; and security, mankind is about to becom
| conscious of its aim. The lesson you give I
II humanity will not be lost. The respect fc
re State-rights in the Federal Government {
e America, and in its several States, will b,
h. come an instructive example for universi
,e federation, fOrbearance, and justice to th
E. future States and Republics of Europe
a Upon this basis will be got rid of the mi
to chievous question of language,nationalitic
f, raised by cunning despOtism in Europe [
ii murder liberty. Smaller States will find S
" curity in the principle of federative uniol
at while they will conserve their national fire
lr dom by the principle of sovereign selfgO
S ernment; and while larger States, abdicatin
Ii the principle of Capitalization, will cease
b. be blOOd-feld to sanguinary usurpatiOl az
a. a tool to ambition of wicked men, m4niGip
IT institutions will ensure the development
le local particular elements; freedom, former
a political abstract theory, will become Il
ne household benefit to municipalities; and Of
to of the welfare and OORtentment of all par
TT will flow happiness, peace, and security f
be the whole,
es That is my confident hope. Then will
at once subside the fluctuations of Germany
c- fate, 1t will become the heart of Europ
he not by melting North Germany into Sout
it, ern frame, or the South into NorthsT
gs not by absorbing historical peculiarities
" centralized omDiPoteRceJ not by mixing