The Aliened American., 1853-04-09
President pierce's Inaugural.

obnoxious to criticism, generally reads
well. The manner, too, of the deli0erg
of the Inaugural is said by those who
heard it to have been capital.
The Presidents allusion to the severe
aff1iction which had befallen his family is
touching. He however dispels the idea
of the necessity of any special leniency to
his new position, for he enters upon it,
he says, "with nothing like shrinking
apprehensions."
He calls our attention to the increased
duties of an administration of to day, on
account of the " changes which have oc-
CURED" " in territory, in population, and
in wealth." and here adverts to q ques-
ton perhaps in its bearing more impor-
tant than any other to a nation, and
which he says, "has been the subject of
earnest thought and discussion on both
sides of the ocean" That question is
Whether the elements of inherent force
in the Republic have kept pace with its
unparalleled progression ?"
What are the elements of inherent force
In the Republic? AS we CLEAN them from
the Message, they are 1st. A conscious
ness of strength even in weakness Cd. A
desire to reduce theory 70 practice; 8.
An energy and lth.sA tleyesioi4 u Esco-
dom. And the President seems to sup
pose the question SO discussed "on both
sides of the ocean," to be entitled to an
affirmative answer. We beg leave to say
we do not SO see it. We admit that there
was a consciousness of strength in the
Revolution We admit that the founders
of the Republic believed sufficiently in
self-governmcnt, to adopt the republican
principle; and that they felt that the
country was safe in pursuing a certain
policy. Sill, if we rightly recall the me-
mories of those days, this expansion"
OF territory was one of the very evils |
feared by them. 1t was upon this ground, |
we take it, that "less than sixty-three
years ago, the Father of his Country made
the recent accession of the important
State of North Carolina to the Confedera- !
ton of the United States, one of the sub
ects Of his special consideration. That
jhiS was true to marked extent, Presi-
dent PIERCE afterwards virtually admits
by saying" the actual working of our
system has dispelled a degree of solicitude
achich at the outset diStprJed bold hearts
and far-reachimg jateuec@." He then says
-" The apprehension Of dangers from
extended territory, multiplied States, ac-
cumulatcd wealth and augmented popu-
lation, has proved to be unfounded; ;" and
therefore concludes that this one ''clc-
ment Of inherent force''-a consciousness
Of strcngth-remains still, and that, SO
far, these elements have kept pace with
our unparalleled progression" in territory
1t seems to us, this conclusion is a beg
ring of the question. In the minds of
"o+ four of fho 1,nor,ln of tho Rnnnblir
there is apprehension of dangers" still,
from the extension already secured, and
from the extension towards our " mani
test destiny''-namely, the securing all
this continent. Extension or expansion
is not a sign of strength. 1t may be the
sure mark of weakness. England, the
moment this country was severed from it,
was stronger than before. A country or
government is strong not as it pro-
crosses in territory, but as that country
develops its own resources, as it advances
in education, in general intelligence, and
in a strict sense of justice. Let these be
absent, as to an alarming extent they ale
absent here, and expansion is but an evil.
Says the Inaugural, " Although com
paratiyely week, the newborn nation was
intrinsically strong lnconsiderable in
population and apparent resources, it was
upheld mot by expansion of territory,
butt "by broad and intelligent compre-
hension of rights, and an all-pervading
purpose to maintain them, stronger than
armaments" There, as we have said,
was its power, and in proportion as that
comprehension Of rights" is "broad and
intelligent" will our present government
and country be powerful, and ga con-
sciousness of strength be induced, even
in weakness.
9. We do not see that as nation we
have reduced our theories to practice in
proportion as we have extended our ter
ritory.
3. We are glad to admit that there is
some ground for President PIERcE's idea
that onergy-one of the elements of in
herent force in the Republic" kept
pace with our progression. And well has
he expressed it: ''The stars upon your
banner have become nearly three fold
their original number, Your densely
populated possessions skirt the shores of
two great oceans" Yet what kind of an
energy has it been? There is an energy
silent as the grave, and yet powerful
anourh tn brinc life from dull clods-;U