Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1857-05-20
Versatility OF the American People.


Il is usually taken Tor granted that the
chief characteristic Of the American lcu, e
IA e"tt fpriS---ueh enterprise a. without Ic
terence. to distance or difficulty. penetrate
every forest, and pushes lis energies OVER
every sea. These features of our character
arr indeed most ohNioi : to the ordinary OBJ
server. All can urpreciit. the hardy cn,r
" Of sncl a pioneer as Daniel Boone. and
the aggregate intreridity Of such u man "a
DIR. Kane. But al! 10 not observe the more
reconIite qualities which have distinguish /
our people. In the vegetable world, th,rc
are certain plants or trees which thirty,
most luNGriantly ly Icing ,ransplautc,, L.
another soil. We can trace an analogy here
between things natural aud thing, moral.
W. are n t%rau-plantei people. lac orislna.
stock was III the best lua.itt. aud We i"
not think it has legenrrate,l. From th,.
hour when John llatnpd.n protested again-t
the cNortitan' exercise ot kinsly o cr. ard
wet the soil Of England with patriot blood.
real liberty has been progressive; and while
neither i%iampden nor Cromwell was per
united To land on these shores. their princi
pies were sent over in the trus, of les, cele
hrnted. but not less rcsulutc and determined
men, 50 john Wesley came over To this
country to establish his religion here. bu,
went back without ,hccting ANYTHING. Pro
violence used other instruments To- circulate
those doctrines, which were to have a wild
sway in the world-We speak of the Rc,o
luton for the want Of better term. 1t i
a sort Of consccratcl name. which we sl,ou. d
not he likely to exchange for another. but I
was no revolution in such a sense as that OF
France al the close OF the last century. 1t
was simply the carrying out oi principles
that had long been held sacred hl the culo-
nialpeople. a monarch indeed they had. but
at the same time they had forms and insti
tutlons which recognized and expressed the
great power oftlc popular will. They were
not enslaved. though treated with an indip-
nity, a pertinacity Of disregard. which hast.
ened the assumption and declaration of their
entire Independence.
There was a good deal of LOYALTY even
among some of Washington's own friends
and neighbors, towards England. And even
many of those who proved to be sound
Wings. hesitated long and delibera,ed much
before they could consent To a rupture with
the mother country. But the English mi
nIstry were under an infatuatiou-as was
the Pope Of Rome when Luther arose to dis
pute that baleful supremacy. and to e,nan.
cipate, If possible. the souls OF men. Far
easier terms OF settlement and reconciliation
"'lsht have been obtained I. ON the great
1e'of'ner at an early period Of his career.
VA" were subsequently possible. when the
n'"S"''ness oil ecclesiastical power rose 10
W ,uii height, and the proyidential aestin,
~ me herman monk had more amply u,-
."sucn ITSELF ;" were the founder, of Amer
lean iadepen enc led on, tn by stem
,he iigii o. ti..r / tn constantly ine,s,s.
inS. until dut and destiny be, ame as ,L,;n
rs tie n.eri ian sur. An 81 has i, h..,
70 re pr 5 ut day. W. are nov known; H.
.he world as an eit e : ri ing. aggressive.
war!ike. acquisitive. commercial and dinlo'
matte nation. Even Eng and almires vii,
she s~atirizcs us; but this admiration wonl,
not be 50 fr' ely expressed. did it no, :. h,.c,
her W praise and exalt her own pride a.
pr, geli;or. She sees our mar clloYs
expansion on this "boundless CONT rent Of
ours, unemharrnssed 10y any such "pent M,
otica as her " sea girt isle. But IL Is
unjust to write US simply a calculating |
noney-lovina people; to DENY US ar |
HE. or any taste in the fine arts |
fhiiosophy 10 more acted than written i, |
ne dsvelopement VI American lie. Poetry
, Father illustrated " . LrunA sssle. thas
snesesd asessdiag y tesAaAonltulsA VEL