Daily American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1852, 1852-02-20

" Gammel kone," (old wife, said he, "what are
you doing!"
She answered not and he slightly touched
her shoulder, thinking she was asleep Her
body gently slid to the ground at the touch
and he then saw that she slept the sleep of
death.
From the Delaware "Repubican" June Sd, 1861
Washington's Proclamation of Neu-.
tIaIity.
To the People Of the United States:
FELLOW -cITIzENs If we were here called upon
to say by what act of Washington's life, in civil
capacity, he had rendered most service to his
country, we should reply at once, BY his Pro-
clamation of Neutrality, issued in the year 1898.
To sustain that opinion, it is necessary to refer
to the situation of public affairs at that time,
both Mt home and abroad. At home, the country
had not recovered from the disasters of the war
Of the Revolution, ncr the burdens which it
everywhere entailed. Commerce and agriculture
were in depressed condition. The public debt
pressed heavily upon the country, and public
credit was not firmly established. The wounds
of the Revolution were still bleeding. Our whole
coast was defenceless, and whole western
| frontier exposed to the tomahawk of the savage.
The constitution of the United States had but
recently gone into operation, and its adoption
| had met With powerful opposition.
| home. On the other side of the Atlantic, that
| great political volcano, the French revolution,
had burst upon the world like blazing meteor,
| which our countrymen mistook for the star OF
| freedom.
The jacobns of France had made war upon
| all kings. In their war against England, they
| had resolved to enlist the United States The
strong prejudices which still existed in this coun-
try against England, and the sympathy felt fol
France, growing out of services rendered during
the revolutionary war, were highly favorable tt
such a measure The government of France lef
no measure untried to involve US in q war with
England. They went even so far as to fit out in
our ports vessels to cruise against England The
whole country was in a state of the greatest ex-
citement. The current of popular feeling ap-
peared everywhere to set in favor Of France.
Chief Justice Marshall says that the public feel
| ing was almost universal in favor Of France, and
that the majority of the people thought it crimi-
nal in US to be neutral in that mighty contest
| between our ancient enemy and our ancient ally.
Washington saw the imminent peril in which
| the country was placed. He saw that war with
| England at that time would be fatal to our COM
merce-exhaust our ACCOMPLISHMENTS our ex-
penses and diminish the means of meeting them
expose our seaboard and western frontier to the
ravages of the enemy-and, what was still more
important, put in jeopardy our new constitution,
which had then just gone into operation, and had
not taken root in the affections of the people
| He therefore resolved to meet the crisis, and
with a moral courage rarely equalled but never
surpassed, he took his stand upon the rampant OF
the constitution and resolved, at all hazards, tc
maintain the neutrality of the United States.
| For that purpose be issued his proclamation o.
neutrality, copy of which is hereunto annexed
| By this wise measure and subsequent policy in
accordance with it, he saved the country from the
calamities of war, without furnishing her honor
| or sullying her fame.
| Washington sacrificed his own popularity t.
his high sense of public duty, and was willing to
wait the judgment Of posterity upon the issue.
That judgment posterity has long since pro
nounced, by awarding to him the highest niche
in the Temple of Fame. What n solemn lesson
ought Washington's conduct, on that memorable
occasion, to be to all his successors, never to
sacrifice public duty to popular clamor, when
that clamor rests upon no other foundation than
misdirected sympathy or misguided philanthropy
Since the administration of Washington there has
been no period in our history where more energy
was required on the part of the Executive than
at present, to maintain and uphold the sover-
eighty of the constitution and laws A spirit of
recklessness and insubordination is abroad in the
land, which threatens to subvert all law. We
have full confidence that General Taylor will ex-
ercise all the authority which the constitution and
laws place at his disposal to cause both to be
respected. We were not amongst the original
supporters of General Taylor, for we have never
been led captive by military glory. We, how
ever, supported his election, and recorded our
vote in his favor, and we are free to express our
unqualified appreciation of the wisdom, energy
and foresight which have distinguished his ad-
ministraton. The spirit Of conquest anu lust Of
dominion, which have taken such strong hold Of
the public mind, will require all the energy Of
the goyernment to restrain. Many of our coun-
trymen appear to think that in whatever part Jt
the earth the standard of rebellion is seI, it is
the duty Of the government aud people of the
United States to rally under it. For ourselves
we have not yet heard Of any particular commits
sion from Heaven placing the liberties Of the
earth under our special guardianship. Until
that period shall arrive, we had better remain at
home and take care of our own liberties, than to
60 a-tilting after the liberties of mankind.
The couutenance and support given to the
invasion of Cuba is one of the worst signs Of
| the times We have no more right to invade
| Cuba than we have to invade Madrid for
tAe one is as much part of Spain as the
other SO far we are concerned That Cuba
will one day ne Independent, cannot be doubt
ed. When that day shall arrive, our govern
ment will not be backward ia recognising that
independence. In fact, we doubt if any ns-
tion in Europe, by the close Of this century,