Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-02-04
As to the universally of this Law, hear again the

the highest character and the court of pie oudre
aye, every constable's court. 1t is part of the
universal law 1t may share the glorious eulogy
pronounced by Hooker upon Law itself-that there
is nothing so high as to be beyond the reach of its
power, nothing SO low as to be beneath its care"
And shall we be gravely told that law like this,
law SO vital to the independence of nations even
the strongest, and irreversible in its precepts
to form part of universal law, has suddenly be-
come antiquated," and that too, forsooth, for no
other reason than because il conflicts with the
" ethics" Of propagandist democracy and fibus-
tiering patriotism? Let it be remembered that
every offence against international law is offence
against the rights of the civilized world offence
which justly entities US to brand the offender as
hosts generis humaai, and which therefore autho-
rizes the civil power whose sanctity he attacks to
deal with him as an outlaw, who, in violating the
nationality he assas, has forfeited his own.
But let us look little further into the logic of
the article above quoted 1t is attempted to justify
the expedition into Lower California and the occu-
pancy of its territory by the "Gberators," on the
ground that there is "neither political nor moral
guilt in wrestling from the savage territory whose
resources he is unable to develop" Though we
have, within the present limits of the Republic,
pretty wide of unoccuped territory to rest sat
is6ed with present boundaries is it seems, "to
be regardless Of the wants of the human family"
Now, in the name of Terminus and all the gods
who preside over food and field, have we not for
some years to come got room enough to grow in
Are we SO "cabin'd, cribb'd, confn'd" within our
present limits generally deemed quite spacous)
that in order to domiciliate the hundreds of thou
sands of immigrants yearly seeking shores from
the oppression and starvation of Europe we feel
justified in demanding that sufficient provision of
territory shall be made for their accommodation ?"
Are we under any immediate necessity of closing
our ports and declaring that the precepts of interna
tionallaw forbid our growth, and therefore exclude
accessions of foreign strength
We are not regardless Of the wants of the hu
man family but we do not fall into the mistake
of supposng that the people of the United States
and the "human family" are identical, as does the
journalist of the "National Democrat" and as do
others of his school, The fact that the human family
increases" seems to us but lame and insufficient
apology for such buccaneering exploits. The argu-
ment Of the article upon which we animadvert turns
entirely upon the idea that of the United States
are the human family, "whose needs and require
ments demand larger area" 1t never seems to
have occurred to the writer that Mexicans could
possibly be part of this family" or that, they
could possibly ever need any of territory on
which to settle their accruing population. We have
an undoubted right to hold as much unoccupied
land as we please but that Mericans should hold
any is deemed prepcsterous. And is it true, then,
that we are the only members of the human fami-
ly' who are to enjoy the privilege of owning land
except on condition that its resources be fairly de-
veloped by the occupants p And who is to Judge
when the of region are fairly developed
by its occupants? The man of Massachusetts may
not think that the resources of Virginia are fairly
developed but does this give him the right or in
clination to commence hostilitss against its landed
proprietors? The benevolent "man of Ross" may
not admire the niggardly manner in which the mser
husbands has resources but for this does he waylay
him and pick his pocket in order that his treasures
may be more proftably invested?
And this brings US to comment on the benevo-
lent aspects of flibusterism as so unctuously des-
canted on in the article given above. The occu-
pancy of Lower California by the expedtionsts will
enure, we are assured, Gas much to the advan-
tage Of the present inhabitants to the interests of
humanity" 1t would be sufficient reply to this
to say that the interests of humanity" can meyer
be really subserved by known and palpable in
fraction of the most sacred rights of humanity And
VIC must say that that benevolence is justly suspi-
cious which approaches the object of its charity arm
ed to the teeth with revolvers and bowe-knives If
it is the "interests Of humanity" which prompt
these "iberators' and cosmopolte patriots, why do
they not direct the march of manifest destiny"
into quarters where their dsinterested and sefsacr
fcing zeal will be subjected to no injurious impu-
tations, and where detracton will not dog their steps
to drop its eggs upon their motives?" Why do
they not carry their legons into lands of still worse
than Mexican degradation, and where the resources
of the country are even less developed than in Low
California regions, for instance, where the
mud hut of the Hottento and the fetd kraal of the
Catfre call aloud for "liberators" who shall Gre
place them by large and civilized community, edu-
Gated to the necessities of the time and prepared
to develop the natural resources of the countryW
If our credulity could for moment admit the
supposition that fllibusterism sought to subserve
the interests of humanity we should still be COM
PEELED just resolutey to lift up protest against
it. To do EVIL that good may come--the doctrine
that the end sanctfes the means-is n nern;cous