The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-01-19

ooms the determination II the American peoule u
pcOcct their interests and their honor, whenever and
Wherever and however these i may % a.:aiied Why
and to the next would appear perfectly incredible
unless established by the irrefagable evidence OF
public records, that for twenty years we seriously
whether her naval officers had right 10 enter and
search our vessels wherever these might be met on
the ocean, and to take thence at their mere will
any person they might find, and consign him to
that worst OF slavery the slavery of unlimited
service on board hostile ship, to fight against his
own country. Well, sir, we have exhausted that ar
gument, and shall supply its place by other means.
we have got far beyond discussion; and the first
man impressed from an American vessel by Bri
fish officer, whose act is recognised by his govern
ment, will be the signal of Nor shall we ever
again discuss the legality Of Berlin and Milan de-
crees and all the other schemes OF rapacty by which
neutral property stolen during the terrible con-
tests arising out Of the French Revolution. Schemes
which were defended in elaborate state papers, upon
highwayman's plea, that he robs you because you
have been or viii be robbed by some one else. All
this, too, is with the things that have been. And
think you sir, that the time will ever return when
third Of the territorial extent of Of the States of
this Union viii be coded upon such pretexts as
Never, In my opinion, was there a public claim
urged upon grounds SO utterly indefensible as that
But we yielded, and, acquiring resolution as we &C.
qulre confidence, let do just what Is right and
demand it from others. That is our true policy.
And as it is right that we should exercise the same
authority as the other powers OF the world, our Co
equals only IL position ~ the declaration Of great
sefFespect viii teach US, ere long, to maintain its
inviolablity, when threatened with dangerous inno
vatons hostile to the freedom and independence of
nations, by the same solemn and authoritative pro-
ceedure as that which announced its peril. five
CHOOSE that our chief magistrate should wear hat
and not crown, we desire it to be understood that
we are just as jealous Of our rights and honor and
have just much Of both, as the gaudiest monarch
of them all. We committed great error, not fatal
one-that it would be difficult to do, in condition
OF elasticity-when last session. We refused to pass
declaration denying to the Emperor of Russia
the authority he had assumed to act the part
OF universal legislator and to impress his own
viii on the code Of the public law of man.
kind, prOstrating with his pen, preparatory to
prostrating with his sword, all the barriers that
protect the political rights of nations. Well we
shrank also, from this high duty; got alarmed at
the shadow of something, do not know precisely
what whether Russian urkases or entangling ALI
ances and lett the Car to pass his own law and to
enforce it too. And hereafter, when the occasion
comes, and it will come for power, like the daugh-
tiers OF the horse eech always cries "Give, gve-he
VIII be able to quote his own precedent submitted to
in both hemispheres, and seek TO regulate the whole
subject of international communication and of nation
al rights by ukase, lie regulates the lives and for
tunes OF sixty millions Of people who call him lord
and master. In brief time shall ALLURE all this as
well our own subservence his presumption and
assume our place IN the great legislative council of
nations.
We have evidently reached one of those epochs
in the career OF nations to which thehstoran OF their
decline and fall looks back in his searching invest
cation into the Of their fate. Our duties are
plain-nobe, indeed and position invites us to
fulfil them firmly and fearlessly. The progress and
improvement, III all the great branches OF human in
dustry, and especially in those which relate to the
INSTRUMENTATION OF nations, and to the benefits
that each may derive from all by the interchange as
well OF knowledge as Of material products, have
brought the human family more closely into contact
IA at nQripT and au spfara
which have If not new, become much more powerful
IN their extent and operation, and which gave some
degree OF unity to the public feeling Of the world.
We cannot withdraw from this great association, We
cannot isolate ourselves from the common sentiment
Of the age, nor ought we to do so if we could. Our
place is assigned to us by events almost beyond our
control; and will fill it worthily or unw0rthily
the judgment OF the future will pronounce US the in
heritOrs of the spirit have been of the labors
and sacrifices of the Of the Revolution or craven
descendants, false to their principles rs to
honor. | am well aware, Mr. President that such
views expose man to great deal of obloquy in this
country l have experienced all that in common
with many others. But neither the advent nor the
apprehension Of it has deferred me at much earlier
periods Of life, and certainly will not deter me now
when that life is fast drawing to close from the ex
preston of earnest hope that the American name
and fame will be maintained by the American people
with the brightness OF true glory undimnished by
the neglect OF a single deed the commission Of
single deed, which national honor may require We
should do or leave undone.
There are men, American citizens even, who can
not appreciate sentiments like these-who disbeleve
in their existence and who deride and denounce all
those who avow them as demagogues That is the
term, and which, when truly translated from our
party vocabulary into old-fashioned English means
all who differ in great from this standard of
faith, and advocate them, though they are ac-
ccptabc to the people-a fatal error, indeed, in
country like this. | saw, the other day. specimen
of this exclusive patriotism which rails at all it does
not accept, in Buffalo paper-the Commercial Id
/fy t. nPa ne
administration should have thought would have
tried to elevate itself above this tone Of affected
moderation, but of real subservency, and which de
precates all these efforts to resist European
croachments-talks of the ghost of the Monroe doc
trne, and of "palpable absurdtes, introduced into
the Senate, with .owllike wisdom, and in "a spirit
OF demagogueism and OF the equality of rights of Eu
ropean monarchs with the United States upon this
tnent and much more of the same sort, little suited
10 the banks Of the Niagara, but which would find
its proper home upon the banks oil the Thames, as
would he who cherishes and utters such ant-Amer-
can sentiments But time win bring its for this
Anglo mania; and when the patient once recoyers
he wonders how he ever caught the disorder.
| have seen great deal OF this political perver
sity-this unpatriotc predispostOn--whc prompts
many always to take part against their country
whatever be the position in which she is placed. /
do not recolect a single controversy in which we
have been involved with foreign power, since
have been on the stage of action, when the whole
sentiment Of the country was united in the cause OF
the country. | doubt If there is another people on
the face Of the globe whose history presents
so many instances of this want Of true national
pride patriotism, rather, as our own. Whether il
suits from any peculiar political idiosyncrscy, know
not. Or whether our party feelings are so strong
that blinded by them, and led, in their vehe
mence, to think that all is wrong opponents do;
or, it may be- at any rate so far England il
cerned that some Of the old colonial leaven still re-
mains, which leavens much of the lump be it one
the other or whatever else, the deplorabe conse
quence is certain, and the sentiment Of Decatur not
less noble than just, Our country right or wrong"
which, being truly understoOd-fct, rather-means,
that when embarked in controversy with a foreign
nation it becomes every true citizen after the course
Of his country has been decided by the constitutional
authority to submit TO that decision, and to support
her cause and not the Of her foes. This noble
sentiment finds many who repudate it-many who
possess the character without possessing the feelings
OF American citizens.
Mr.. President, trust our imperial neighbor on the
eide nf the PACIFIC the mighty Rrnther oil the