Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-05-14

whole, or individuals Of people, in defiance of
the treaties solemnly enacted by their own Govern
ment, suffer their preudices their passions or their
interests to lead them into acts subyersiye Of TIE
national faith and derogatory to the national cha
racter and honor in which individuals bring shame
and unmerited reproach on the Government and on
the body of the People To this charge of violation
of treaty obligations by organized individuals asso-
cated in greater or less number, it cannot be denied
that we are to some extent obnoxious.
1t appears, indeed, that it is becoming the ind-
yidual creed of considerable numbers throughout
the nation, that, because the Government of the
United States is popular, holding its power at the
pleasure of the People, and constituted by them to
be their temporary governor, the People have,
| therefore, the right, as individuals, at any mo-
ment to dispense with and nullify the acts Of their
own Government, and to violate with absolute
deeds and overbearing arrogance the solemn faith
pGghted for them, according to the Constitution
and the law, by their own elected Representatives
When in truth the very reverse Of all this is
true; for the mere popular the Government 2he
more clearly are the acts Of the Government the
true acts of the people, and the faith Of the Govern
ment the faith of the nation. For, if people can
allege that its Government is nc tacto and not
de iare that its dongs ADVERSE te thesptt, the
WILL and the interests of the people, then has the
people some shadow of right at least te say this
Government and its acts We repufiate, and by its
: contracts We will not be bound
This plea the People Of the United States are
not competent to sustain nor could this rretext avail
them VIXEN, in the year 1887, they attempted az
n. n ~. i
Gently, they invaded friendly Cuba; nor now, while
they still planning its sutjugatoI by unlawful
conspEacies and enterprises.
Nor is either any Nation or People competent to
set UP as defence for their violation of tresties
that such treaties are adverse to the true interests
of the nation That should have been thought of
before the treaties were ratified That is, in some
sort, provided fer by the numerous steps which
must be taken before treaty vita foreign Power
can become the law of the land.
All nations, as all individuals, how base and bad
sewer, keep their faith unbroken, when by doing
they are the gamers. All honorable nations and
honest individuals keep the faith Of their promises
intact when by doing so they the losers, This
is the difference between honesty and fraud, infamy
aud honor.
| Into this train of thought we have been led by
| the very painful impression, which is gradually
coming over U.s. that reverence for the solemn sane
tity of treaties, nice regard to national faith and
belief in the accountability Of individuals, moral
as well as real for the breach Of national promises
is gradually dying away from among US.
The individual who knowingly and wiifully
breaks the faith Of treaty, pledged by his nation,
breaks, in very truth, his own word of honor, and
ought to be regarded as disgraced person. lie is
too often glorifed as Hero.
We hear it, nowadays, constantly urged IN con-
versation nay, it argued in influential journals,
that because such or such clause in treaty, or
such or such treaty n oto is contrary to the in
terests, or passions, phantasies Of certain class
or number Of individuals, it must be, ought to be-
violated.
Our people have, it appears, fallen into the habit
of deliberately violating the fishery treaties with
Great Britain because it is theft gain to do so and
we are even told that such treaties are not binding
because adverse to their interest in that particular
Again the treaty of extradition Of felons is VIC
lated checked because another class Of our citizens
set themselves against its execution.
Our Government We are now told, desire to vio-
late the Cayton-Bulwer treaty, because, since its
ratification it has been found out to be our true
policy to n,oaopolize the highway Of the world be-
tween the two great oceans; and we are told that
such treayis not binding, because tits contrary
Monroe doctrine; that is to say, to solitary dicum
Of on individual. We repudiate the idea; utterly
disbeeve that Government dreams of violatngits
own solemn legally plighted word-of dishonoring
the great and noble people whom it represents.
}, May that Providence who has thus far watched
n.
solcitude, protected with so strong an arm, and
blessed us with benefcence so lavish preserve us
from the last dshonor, the merited and just re-
! proach Of being held to be People without pro-
mise, Government without faith, Treaty break
, ing Nation
GUANo DIscoyERY.-The Journal Of Commerce
states that parties in the city Of New York have as
certained the existence Of large deposte Of guano
!. on barren and uninhabited island Of the ocean,