Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1853-08-24
TERRITORIAL PROGRESS.

This policy of stimulating the lust for acquisition
in the popular heart is of the main stays of dem
ocratic influence. is the trump card of their pack
the secret of their success. Were they to stand
upon the moral honest upright and Straightforward
policy of the wings in this respect, they would not
exist an hour as dominant party Tens OF thous-
ands of votes that went to swell Gen. Pierce MAJOR
ity ibuster propagandist utterly plratlcal IN
the sight of Heaven and earth Hence the necessity
put upon them of trumping up apparent reasons and
justfications; hence the two-penny inventions OF
laws and progress and such trashy contrVances-
insult to the conscience and intellectual sanity OF
the age"
"Of all the attempts made to justify and recon-
mend the progress by leading and vigorous sec
ton of the democracy the acceptance of the Amer
lean people, we have one that will hold
water. They all inconsistent with morals, with
duty, with honor, character, and the protested P!-
cipes of our republican system from Its lncePuon.
Within the past fifteen years we have nationally ia
ken two steps which have resulted thus far, appa-
rently to advantage. But this disadvantage GER
tainly attends them-they stimulate to further en-
terprses of the questionable kind. And, quite
possibly, it is just here that the danger lies. Ihey
may act, by their apparent impunity as incentives
to further Deeds aught perhaps with penalties heaVy
enough for current and past offences"
The result of the earlier and of the more recent
elections at the South appears to have convinced the
leading journals of the wing party that there is no
longer any hope of successful assault upon the adj
miniStratOn upon the ground OF the policy pursued
in its appointments single ground upon which
the opposition at first rested its attacks The above
paragraphs from the American presenting fair spe-
cmen of the general tone of the more violent wing
presses the ubject indicate clearly enough the
second chosen preteXt upon which the announced pol
icy of the administration and of the democratic party
is to be attacked. The traditional democratic
doctrine in regard to the territorial expansion of the
United States is the ground upon which the admin
israton is to be arraigned before the people No is
sue can be imagined which the democratic party will
more cheerfully accept. On no single point of its
policy, hitherto developed has the administration
carried with it immense and irresistible pop
ular approval.
The doctrine of the administration and of the dem
ocrac party this subject is set forth by the Pres
ident with the most admirable frankness, clearness,
and comprehension in his Inaugural Address That
doctrine is in the first place. that national policy
towards all foreign powers is the policy of peace and
Justice and that neither with view to territorial
QUESTION, in any other view, shall govern
ment take any STEP or within the sphere of its pow
permit any step to be taken by citizens, which,
upon grounds of strict right and of absolute good
faith may not boldly challenge the verdict of the
civilized world That doctrine is, in the second
place. that our experience as nation forblds any
tmid orebodngS of evil to result from the extension
of our territory when accomplished in conformity
with the rule of our national policy thus laid down;
and that the eXgences of position indicate such
acquisitions as inevitable in the future and de-
manded at once by our prosperity, our safety, and
the natural law of national existence and growth
For more than fifty years the wing party of the
"
this doctrine and has insisted that to extend the
jurisdiction of our government was in itself great
evil and great peril. Upon three signal occasions
those of the successive ACQUISITIONS of Louisiana
of Texas, and of Calforna-this battle between the
two parties fought out to the last and the whole
history of politics shows other instance in which,
by the of discussion at the time by the sub
sequent teaching of event and experience and final
ly, by the universal popular acknowledgement, the
craftsmanship of great national party has proved
itself to be wholly at fault and in the dark
the policy of the wing party upon each of these mo-
mentous issues. The proof of this is, that no one
statesman of any party in country, and no wise
and liberal statesman anywhere pretends to
stand up and deny that-whether judged as a matter
of right or as matter of neutrality-suspicious. re-
garded in the light of political morals of political
economy-each of these great acquisitions has been
alike honorable and advantageous to this country,
and that each of them has formed a conspicuous for
ward step in the progress of civilization and of good
government. In fact, the wing argument, clearly
stated above by the American is that each of these
acquisitions has proved to be wholly wise that its
example will betray us into folly wholly Just that
its example will lead us into crime; wholly safe
that its example will carry us into peril; wholly
fy? " f 40 law 1
We have deemed it proper thus to point out the
folorn predicament of the wing party before this
question of our territorial progress, because it
to explain, in some measure, the uneXampled
nifty of misrepresentation and falsehood to which
portion of the wing press and some of the wing lead
have resorted in order to fsten upon the admin
istration the charge of having, through of the
members of the cabinet-the Attorney General-a-
vowed upon recent occasion, the opinion that it is
the policy, the destiny or the doom of this country
with view to its territorial ACKNOWLEDGMENT stride
from act of national murder and robbery to an
other, till it shall find conquests to make
till it shall fall before the vengeance which such
of national criminaity must invoke from the
justice of the Most High!
Now, of course, it is utterly impossible for any
to 6etere that any statesman in this land vors
any such policy this; and yet find even staid
and sober wing journal as the Baltimore American
openly charging it not only VI Gen. Gushing butup
on the whole administration. Here is its language
false and malignant enough, and yet more decent
than that of the New York Tribune and several ofis
kindred prints. Speaking of Gen. Cushing's speech
at Newark the American says
"He assumed that if we do not go on to appropri-
ate the foreign territory that abuts u.s. shall go
out like exhausted candle Hence the law of self
preservation impes and justifies any amount ofland
stealing may deem convenient, which, according
to Mr.. Gushing, is to continue as long are
nation. Now, is it not fair to hold the administra-
tion whole, responsible for these sentiments in
all their length, breadth, and consequences? For
aught we know to the contrary they spoken to
order; Illuminated and prepared for the occasion. At
least they have never been rebuked The Union in
referring to them only indicated them from being
republican propagandst' but substantially endors-
ed all that is mischevous under the attudinous and
hypocritical cloak of considerations of
ton"
"Tae-ping the chief of the Chinese progressives,'
in his path to conquest curiously contrasts with the