Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-03-02
From the Albany Express.
Americanism illustrated.

The elements of every reform are crude. Re-
formers are called vile names at first, and they
become great only as they accomplish great re-
suits "Know-Nothing" and /" Hindoo" are just
now common nick-names, but under these ungain-
y form Of speech there not living ideas and
suits which the tme-serving politician cannot COM
prehendr The old man in the fable taught his
quarrelsome sons a lesson with bundle of sticks
Breaking one across his knee he tied the other in
to compact bundle, and requested his turbulent
sons to break it. They tugged in vain. The po-
tency of united force was never more clearly de-
monstrated
A woodman endeavored to split into fragments
the trunk Of gnarled oak. Blow after blow fell
from his stalwart arm in vain. At length with a
wooden wedge he brought his whole strength to
bear, and with an easy blow accomplished his OBJ
ject by concentrating his scattered forces to sin
gle point.
The bundle of sticks and the woodmans wedge
teach US lesson which carries us back to revolu-
tionary times.
The fathers of the republic fought well, because
they fought unitedly. Like a wedge they forced
themselves into the contending armies and over
came them. Linked State by State into COM
mon confederacy, they aptly illustrated the fable of
the bundle of sticks which one by one child
could break, but which united, could withstand the
world.
The oldest nation on record preserves its identity
because, amid all changes, it preserves its nation
ality. The Hebrew nation has been conquered
but not overcome, scattered but not disunited,
"led away captive" but not extinguished 1t will
never be disntegrated until it loses its national
spirit and that cohesive power which links each
individual to the nation
A little people conquered Europe and overran
Asia. From feebleness came strength, and from
weakness, Empire. The nationality Of triumphant
people never was lost until the people were con-
quered. 81 am Roman citizen" was the watch
word of Liberty and Conquest, and was only lost
when Rome lost its nationality, and fell an easy
prey to barbarian invasion.
The American people has grown to be too little
like a wedge or a bundle of sticks, too little like
the Hebrews or the Romans in their day of triumph
As a nation, we lack homogeneousness and unity
of purpose. We hear much Of north south, east
and west, too little of the United States. Much is
said Of the Irish, Scotch, Welsh and English-lttle
of Americans.
Travellers abroad represent sections Of the coun-
try-rather than the ,ohoie country. The Yankee,
the Southron, the New Englander, and the Hoo
sier are represented but we hear little Of the AMER
IcAs. Texas and Maine, Iowa and Georgia, Yir-
gina aristocracy and New England plebianism, are
represented in European courts, and shine respen-
dant before the people Of foreign governments.
We want, instead Of this konogeneousness of the
people, a concentrated action on the part of all,
which will represent not part, but the phoie, and
like both wedge and a bundle Of sticks, conquer
and resist by the force Of united and concerted dc.
tom
The American party will, to some extent,
and we hope to very great extent, remedy
the evils above described.
The homogeneousness above adverted to,
must be the work of time, but it win be grad
ually produced, and especially IL we succeed in
getting rid of the foreign influences which have
hitherto operated so disastrously.