Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-11-05


of neutral territory" any where beyond our own
borders; and especially do we protest against
the delegation of the prerogativcs of our Govern
ment to subordinate military or naval officers who
may, in the exuberance of chyalrous spirit, fancy
that the honor Of the country demands of them the
redress Of imaginary wrong
We have been for half century fond of thinking
ourselves Republicans in the true sense of the word,
or in what thought Its true sense But if it be
duty imposed BY republicanism to carry its house
hold lessons wherever its interests are thought by
the progressive philanthropy of the age to be IN
eopardy," and to declare that the code at home
shall be the code abroad, if accredited and saluary
authority intcrposes no barrier" we must confess
that we have hitherto misunderstood the meaning
of the word We had supposed that the war Of
/" l776 or 1872" had worked out no "yast prob
lens" except that people may be free and indie
pendent whenever they may choose 50 to declare
and that il is the duty of a free and
Government to defend the rights of its
citizens against all wrong, at home or abroad But
that any such corollary" that, because we be-
came free and independent we were therefore bound
in honor or justice, policy to insist that all other
peoples in the world should also become free and
independent, and to spend our time, our energies,
g our lives and fortunes" in making them so, whe-
Their they desire it not, whether they fit for it
or not, or whether our own prosperity and happi-
ness were to be the sacrifice or not-such a corol
lIsy as this we certainly did not dream of, or we
could never have rejoiced in the name of Republi.
can. We believe that higher, holier duty forbids
us to draw so broad an inference from any thing
our fathers have done or left to be done. That
duty not only authorizes but requires US to do
whatever may be necessary to the continuance
of these blessings 70 ourselves and our children
and therefore, being independent nation, We have
right, and it is our duty, tc participate in any
conyocation Of nations that may be called for the
purpose of forming a code Of national law 1t would
be bounden duty in such convocation to protest
against the enactment Of any law in such code which
might in the slightest degree affect rights an
independent nation, put in jeopardy any Of the
blessings which it is still more duty to protect.
Fu.ther than this, religion and morality both forbid
US to 60 We are neither authorized nor required,
by any duty We owe to Heaven, to ourselves, or to
Others to make any attempt to enforce or to recon-
mend "that the code at honae shall be the code
abroad" II any other Of the family Of nations
were to propose that we should abandon that form
of Government under which we have enjoyed 50
much pros perity and adopt another more resembling
the almost universal forms Of European Govern
ments, our blood would rise to fever heat in mo-
ment And yet, if anger would permit us to
reflect calmly, and pride would yield its place for
moment to the nobler emotion of fellow feeling, we
couM not help admitting that zee, as a nation, have
no more right to carry our home code abroad than
the nations abroad have toimpose their home codes
upon rs. If we really and truly desire to see the
superiority Of Institutions, as the phrase is, ac-
knowledged abroad, let us do more at home to show
what advantages must follow the faithful admins
tration Of them. Let US show, BY exclusive atten-
tion to our internal concerns, that there is enough
in them to keep Us happily employed, and that We
feel brothery interest in every one Of our fellow.
citizens sufficient to make us anxious that even the
meancs: Of them should share with US in the enjoy
ment Of the blessings nseparabe from the honest
useof the freedom which our Government was formed
to bcstow. If such an example to the world aJroad
be not sufficient to bring about the change we pro-
fes~ to be 50 ardently DESTROYS to see we may rest
assured it will only be retarded, and not promoted
by propagandism or fllibustering
We arc not certain that we rightly understand
what the Editor means by the sole check to our
forcing our domestic policy upon other nations,
which he seems to acknowledge in the phrase +" II
accredited and sanitary authority iaterposes no
barrier" If he admit that the laws of God arc
accredited and sautary authority he must be blind
indeed to their visible operation throughout all ma
turc if he cannot sec that THEY intcrpose barrier
against all interference Of one nation in concerns
that belong exclusively to another lie admits that
"whether other nations will adopt our form Of Gov
crnment and practise our hereditary faith is nothing
more to US than whether they viii wear our serious
'looks and patronisc Broadway gate in walking
their streets" Ifthis be true and we think nobody
will deny it. we cannot imagine by what ingenuity
he makes it to correspond in his own mind with
what Immediately follows it" but the peculiar
relations in which we stand, the elevation Of the
individual man to the high position of indiyidual
soUereyny the existence Of institutions for the
benefit Of their subjects, and the influences that
inevitably flow from our acknowledgment Of human
rights, arc clearly within category that his cout-
nent is too small 10 bound Such things know
neither mountains oceans. They arc our creed,
our oath 10 he Torld, our sacrament 10 HcaUen."
Can it be possible that this continent is too small
for the secure defence Of all our rights, national or
international? Can it be necessary for us to jump