The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-02-11
MANIFEST DESTINY.

selves talk. This playing of magpe is tire
some. Ii they would vary the tune, or enliven
their discources by something new, 1t would
be more endurabe. IL they would favor us
with the eighth part Of new idea, or refresh
US with speculation that has not been worn
utterly threadbare, we would rejoice and take
courage. But this eternal iteration and re-
iteration Of the same old song sets ones teeth
on edge. We had as lief listen to the filing
of a mill-saw. When are we to have relief.
Will not the Manifest Destiny statesmen die
to oblige us us! In the ordinary course of
nature it will be long before we shall get rid
of the existing crop. Unless we can have
the aid of the cholera or some other agent of
translation, our case is folorn and we'll nigh
desperate. They stand round about us with
grave and sage looks-the solemn procession
confronts us at every turn; as we prolong our
gaze they look more lugubrious and dismal
than the chaps that froze Tam O'Sbanter's
soul in that atmemorable visit of his to Alloway's
Kirk, some years ago. They grow to be grim
spectres, with skinny, witch-like fingers. bare
arms, ragged notwithstanding uridtorSh-
es--and whips of scorpions, with Haunting
motto "havoc, and spoil, g. ruin are my gains."
Their turgid nostrils breathe, and their burst
| ing eyebals glare upon us. We look again,
and find they have come like shadows, and SO
depart. They have all dss olved into thin air.
The Manifest Destiny men have become mere
wreaths of smoke to the Imagination. And
so they are in fact.
One of these gentlemen spoke in the SEN
ate on Tuesday 1t was Gen. Lewis Cass.
He canted, descanted and incanted, and his
carnations brought up the same old figures.
We had the same spectre Of "inevitable war;
that the old gentleman used to frighten the
women with during the Oregon controversy.
But then the General was younger and the
"inevitable" of that day had more distinct
outline and wore iercer aspect than now.
r The General shook in his shoes and was then
plainly in earnest as he declaimed upon "Ine-
vitable War with England" as the sure result
Of the Oregon boundary question. Now he
is less in earnest. He is simply cnging to
the skirts of an idea that once possessed him
thoroughly. lie is making feeble s. awkward
efforts TO replace mutiated bugaboo that he
originally put up, but which fell from its pole
, long ago. The old gentleman may burst his
1 mex pressbles in the effort to get it into a
CONSPICUOUS position again, but he is doomed
to fail.
We do not wish to intimate anything to
Mr.. Cass's discredit. He is an old man.
His career is about run. Buta short time will
f elapse before he must sing his nunc dimittis.
, We cannot inpute to him unworthy motives.
f He processes to be Christian. We think he
lis, with qualifications But he made silly
4 fillibustiering speech on Tuesday 1t was
without merit or force in idea or expression.
= 1t was poor re-hash of old meats without
i, pepper or salt. He made tive have no doubt
at Mr.. Soule's instigation. The Frenchman
wanted a sort of snow plough to clear his way
and so he put forward the old gentleman.
Mr.. Cass was always dull and. heavy. He is
y now logy und flatulent. SO have we seen old
horses pushed on the course and driven past
their powers. Whip and spur made them
. save their distance, but with what heavngs
and noises would they go over the track
:, We cannot think of soberly critisising in
detail this effort Of the venerable General
1t is part of himself. 1t is one chip pout OF the
log. The General is old--so is the speech.
. The Generals spongy, so is the speech. The
= General is tremulous and fussy-so is the
speech. He is full of doubts and fears-so is
the speech. He is possessed by vague appre-
henson Of wars and rumors of wars-so is
the speech. He is all "mops and brooms' on
England and France, and Manifest Destiny,
and ,"inevitable war;" So is the speech.
Clouds and darkness gather round his mental
vision as the night of his life approaches, and
ais thoughts become muddy So is his speech
The General is feeble and tottering. So is
his speech. Why, what statesman not in his
loto sc Ca. A.
of the French Government from fugitive
publication in u newspaper, containing the
extravagant vagaries of moon-struck specula-
tor like Monsieur Dupes quier du Dammartinl
Or to infer the policy of the English Govern
ment from dashing magazine article of some
hare-braned aspirant for notorty! Yetupon
no better or more solid ground than this, does
Gen Cass gravely affirm the policy of both
these Governments in respect to their future
action upon this continent, and call upon Con-
gress for vote of defance
It is said that old men are good counsellors.
But not quaking men. Mr.. Cass is quak-
ing man. He always was. He could always
see what was not to be seen. He does now.
He said in lS4S and 9 that war is inevitable
But it did not come. He sees now that Eng
land and France are conspring to arrest the
growth and pogress of this mighty and rapidly
growing Republic; and that unless we forth
with order them off the continent, nobody can
tell what mischief may happen. Mr.. Cass
was frightened, before, at nothing. He is
alarmed now at less than nothing. Mr.. Cass
has had his day Let him retire, We shall
be rid of at least one of the Manifest Destiny
statesmen, a leading Characteristic of all of
whom is that they love to dwell upon the
vague & uncertain things of the future, rath-
er than devote themselves to the discharge of
the vital, practical duties Of to-day.-N. Y.
Tribune.
Tom ConwIN.-The Boston Bee this speaks
of this Statesman: .. . .-.