The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-12-07

While other nations were eraWn INTO tnis Wloo
sweeping whirlpool, We sat quiet and unmoved upon
our own shores. While the flower of their numerous
armies was wasted by disease or persisted by hum
dreds Of Thousands upon the battle field the youth
of this favored land were permitted to enjoy the
blessings Of peace beneath the paterna roof While
the States Of Europe incurred enormous debts,
der the burden of which their subjects still groan,
and which must absorb small part Of the product
Of the honest industry Of those countries for genera
tons to come the United States have once been
abed to exhibit the proud spectacle OF nation free
from public debt; and, if permitted to pursue our
prosperous ways for few years longtr In peace we
may do the same again.
be changed Europe is no longer separated from
us by a VOYAGE of months, but steam navigation
has brought her within . few days sail Of our
shores. We see more Of her movements and take
a deeper interest in her controversies. Although
no one proposes that we should join the fraternity
Of rotentates who have for ages lavshed the blood
and treasures of their subjects in maintaining the
balance Of power" yet it is said that We ought to
interfere between contendiDg sovereigns and their
subjects, for the purpose of overthrowing the mo
narchies of Europe and establishing in their place
republican institutions. 1t is alleged that We have
heretofore pursued different course from sense OF
our weakness, but that now our conscious strength
dictates change Of policy, and that it is conse.
quently our duty to mipgle in these contests and
TO aid those who are struggling for liberty.
This is q most seductive but dangerous appeal to
the generous sympathies of freemen. Enjoying as
We do the blessings Of = free 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 his oppressor anywhere
without the deepest sympathy for the former. and
the most anxious desire for his triumph. Never
theless, is it prudent or is it wise to involve our
selves in these foreign wars Is it indeed true that
we have heretofore RETAINED from doing so merely
from the degrading motive Of q 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 tho expressions of the mother
country, and pledged to Heaven their lives, their
fortunes and their sacred HONOR, to maintain their
freedom, could never have been actuated by 80 un-
worthy motive. They knew no weakness or fear
where right or duty pointed the way andit Is libel
upon their fair fame for while We enjoy tho bless
ipgs for which they noby fought and bled, TO in
sinuate it. The truth is that the which they
pursued was dictatedby stern sense of international
justice by astasesmsnlike prudence and far seeing
wisdom, looking not merely to tho present necessi-
ties but to the permanent safety and interest of the
country. They knew that the world is governed
less by sympathy than by and force; that it
was not possible for this nation to become "propa
gandist" Of free principles without arraying against
it the combined powers Of Europe. and that the
suit was more likely to be the overthrow of republic
can liberty here than its establishment there His.
tory has been written in vain for those who doubt
this. France had no sooner established republi.
can form Of government than she manifested o de-
sire to force it's blessings oil the world. Her
historian informs us that, hearing of some petty
Lys
"The National Convention declared that she
would afford succor and fraternity to all nations who
wished to their liberty; and she gave it in
charge to the executive power to give orders to the
generals Of the French armies to aid all citizens who
might have been or should be oppressed in the
of liberty" Here was the false step which led to
her subsequent misfortunes. She soon found herself
involved in with all the rest Of Europe. In less
than ten years her government was changed from
republic to an empire; and finally, after shedding
rivers OF blood, foreign powers restored her exiled
dynasty, and exhausted Europe sought peace and
repose in the unquestioned ascendency Of monarchi-
cal principles Let US learn wisdom from her exam
Ple Let us remember that revolutions do not al
ways establish freedom. Our own free institutions
were not the offspring Of our revolution.
They existed before. They were planted in the
free charters Of self government under which the
English colonies grew up, and our revolution only
freed US from the dominion of foreign power,
whose government was at variance with those
institutions. But European nations have had no
such training for self government and every effort
to establish it by bloody revolutions has been, and
must, without that preparation, continue to be
failure Liberty, urregulated by law, degenera.es
into anarchy which soon becomes the most horrid
of all despotisms Our policy is wisely to govern
ourselves, and thereby to set such an example of
national justice prosperity, and true glory, shall
teach to all nations the blessings of self government,
and the unparalleled enterprise and success Of free
people.
We live in an age of progress, and ours is EN-.
phatically country OF progress. Within the last
F,
has nearly doubled, the population has al
most quadrupled, aud our boundaries have been
extends from the Mississippi to the Pacific. Our
territory is chequered over with railroads, and
furroweS with canals. The inventive talent Of
our country Is excited to tho highest pitch, and
the numerous applications for patents for valuable
improvements distinguish this age and this peo-
pie from all others. The genius of one American
has enabled our commerce TO move against wind
and tide and that Of another has annihilated dis
lance in the transmission Of intelligence The
whole country is full Of enterprise. Our common
schools are diffusng intelligence among the people,
and our industry Is fast accommodating the comforts
and luxuries of life.
This is in part owing to our peculiar position, to
our fertile SOIL and comparatively scarce population
but much of it il also owing to the popular in
stitutions under which we live, to the freedom
which every man feels to engage in any useful
pursuit, according to his taste and inclination, and
to the entire confidence that his person and property
will be protected by tho laws. But whatever may
be the cause of this unparalleled growth in p,pu
1ation, intelligence and wealth, one thing lie clear
that the government must keep pace with tho
progress Of the people. II must participate in
their spirit of enterprise, and while it sxac.s
rzed inyasons Of the rights of neghboring Stat,s,
it should foster and protect home industry, aud lend
its powerful strength to the improvement of such
means of INSTRUMENTATION as are necessary to
promote our commerce and strengthen the ties
which bind us together as people.
1t is rot strange, however much it may be re-
GREETED that such exuberance of enterprise should
cause some individuals to mistake change for pro-
gress and the invasion Of the rights of others for
national prewess and glory, The former are con-
stanty agitatiDg for some change In the organic
law, or urging rev and untried theories Of human
rights. The latter are ever ready to engage in any
wild crusade against neighboring people, regard
less of the justice of the enterprise. and without
looking at the fatal consequences to ourselves and
to the cause of popular government
Such expeditions, however, are often stimulated
by mercenary individuals who expect to share the
plumber profit OF the enterprise without exposing
themselves to danger, and are led on by some rres
ponsiDle foreigner, who abuses the hospit alty Of
our own government, by seducing the young and
ignorsnt to join in his scheme Of personal ambition
or revenge under the false and delusve pretence Of
extending the area Of freedom These reprehensible
nation and tarnsh its fair fame. They should,
therefore, receive the indignant frowns of every
good citizen who sincerely loves his country and
takes pride in its prosperity and honor.
Our constitution Though not perfect. ia dOubtlegg