Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-07-15
HOW MUCH sHALL WE BEAR.

1t has come to be question of serious import
whether or not Great Britain shall be suffered to
trhe longer with the interests of the representa-
tive power of the Western continent. Shall she be
allowed to plant her flag every island in the gulf
and establish a supremacy in every neighboring
State Shall she be longer suffered to manufacture
and use pretexts for interference in the internal af
fairs of the Central American States interference
which British Machiavelism, so readily converts into
a sway absolute as despOtism can desire! Shall
contumelous upstart dynasties in North South
America be allowed to rob and murder our citizens
and when asked for redress and indemnity to threat
en- US with British power? viii the American Gov
eminent make good that holy declaration, that Sc
cond gospel which was proclaimed when Liberty,
fair and pure and young first marked America
for her home? Are we independent nation
among the powers of the earth is our indepen-
denoe an empty name only? Is there msaning in
our banner of the stars and stripes, or is it but
plaything for speech makers and song-writers?
1t is to us a matter of increasing surprise that the
attention of the whole North and the whole South
should be fixed upon the squabbles Of AboltiOnists
in Kansas or the filthy crimes of horde of Nor
mons in Utah, while the wrongs and aggressions of
a foreign power upon our rights scarcely excite
murmur of complaint. The American people look
on with supine indifference while rival nation
builds up in Central America Southern Canada and
hear asserted, without indignation and almost with
out remOnstrance, claims of sovereignty and dOmi-
like to right" to support them. foreign monar
chy has already debauched sister republics to its
all-devOuring lust for dominion. Its agents, secret
or Opeu already constitute the ruling power in Cen
trail America and New Granada British ships
whiteu their Pacific and Atlantic shores. Any island
where British subjects tempted to lands straights
way assumed to be British colony, and the pre-
text of protection to British subjects is sufficient to
call forth the most arrogant assumptions of power.
Ships bearing emigrants to a Central American
State whittier they have been invited from this
country by the supreme authority, have been sub
jected to stoppage and search under claims against
which the most earnest protestations should be
raised; while mongrel negro Indian natives of Costa
Rica proudly and insultngly assert that they are
British subjects. We have cOnversed much of late
with gentlemen who have been in different Central
American States, to whom they seemed no more nor
less than British provinces ready to become colo
MES at the first invitation. They appear to be in
the situation where interference by the British is
not only tolerated, but cOurted They are ripe al
ready for absorption, and only wait for preext
which shall give color of justification TO the act
which shall make them dependencies of Great Bril-
tain in form, as they<are now almost in effect.
The English are crowding into Central America
by thousands Americans are prosecuted and driven
away even when invited Every facility is afforded
to Englishmen to carry on business probably and
peaceaby there; Americans meet with nothing but
hostility from the time they land until the British
and gTedseTS expel them. English influences, rami-
flying throughout that whole region, are increasing
and strengthening, while the last vestiges of Anne
rican influence are fading away. right of pas
sage across the narrow isthmus is still open to US,
but even that would be closed except that our war
ships cause our rights to be still respected there
The occurrences of the last three years have caused
that manifest destiny" which we fondly looked up
on as the substantial reality of glorious future to
fade away like the shadows in q dream. II the
same process continues unchecked but little longer
our Monroe doctrine will become tradition of the
past and all hopes for the spread of our republican
liberty will serve only laughing stock to Euro
pean monarchs.-N. o. Courier.