Freeman's champion., 1858-02-04
y From the Missouri Democrat. PF
The Central American Question

nize 1t with white men, not negroes
--freemen, not slaves. The expan.
siye force Of republican institutions,
the Joint demands of commerce and
civilization, and the military as well
Typographical positions OF the states
of Central America along the Gulf,
all point with unering certainty to
assimilation as a fixed fact in the fu-
ture. 1t must be done, it will be
done, and the only question withth
who would shape the courses of des-
tiny is to see that it be done with no
shade Of national dishonor attaching,
and with the greatest Of benefits to
the kingdom, and races, and progress
ions involved. u or
The questions that are now agita-
ting Congress in the shape of neutral
ity laws, Walker captures, fllibuster
sympathy, &c, only indicate clearly
two elements Of conflict which
would buccaneer those provinces into
possession, as the prize of q few ad-
yenturerS, the other, which would re-
claim them as the future seats of
wealth for millions of our country
men. The former would forthwith
seize upon them as chosen military
appanages for the support Of fierce
baronial leaders, with all the accom-
paning tenures of a new feudal sys-
TEN. The latter would democratize
them In their industrial development,
evolve new communities Of staunch
Anglo-Saxon growth out Of their le.
cuperation, and spread wide the foun-
dations of civil and religious liberty
throughout the continent. The fire.
eater wants to Alricanise them-the
philanthropist to Americanise them.
Need we say then that our views CO.
incide with the practical extension OF
free government to the nations Of the
south, rather than the degradation oil
the labor and population Of the trop-
les to still more servile condition.
We accept the future as it is written
in the book of fates, and see the over
flow Of people. the planting If colo
nies, the migration Of the masses, as
the native and irrepressible character
istic of ourlinstitutions; but in sow.
ing broadcast the new organizations
that are to cluster around the common
center, we would disseminate those
elements that are best in our midst
not those which are worst" The re.
| gions Of country embraced in this
view have already been the seats Of
three great attempts at social devel.
opment-Indian, Aztec, Spanish the
last Of which has failed even more
signally than the first, and now pre-
sents its dilapidated fortunes to the
commiseration Of the world. AnC
the reason is AZ obvious as the fact
Whilst the nations Of antiquity fur
nish memorable Illustrations Of col
onial settlement and long attachec
sub-republic blics-whilst England itself
at thisvery day exhibits the sublime
spectacle of a multitude Of her chill
dren going forth into all parts Of tho
world, and" fgalvanizing with thei
quickening presence the decayed for
COS Of old ldynasties Spain on til,
contrary, having the whole ives
tern world at one time as the seat o
Iher dominion, has been stricken will
"a blight, and one by one her depend
encios have dropped off from the pa
rent stem without maturing into fruit
and showing the signs Of an inward
rot. The difference lies in this, tha,
whilst the former have sent forth theil
men and women to infuse new ele.
ment Of labor and Of enterprise into
THE social organization, wherever they
Reflected lodgment, the latter con.
Tented itself with conquest md sought
TO reap an extorted wealth by onfor-
cling Vassalage and slavery. Hthett
/ be any instructive passages in history,
they are certainly those which treaI
Of the decline Of the transatlantic
provinces of tho united crown oI
CASTLE apd Arrsgon. They repeat
in almost every instance, the fable o.
the goose and tho golden eggs, They
show thatnatiohs canhot be built III
without nourislmeht in The shape q
freest Industrial encouragement, ant
that all policies which look TO Other
expedients-~all attempted shorter
paths to empifsacadi 6nlyntoI dcmor.
alization and decline. And the pro,
Ijected thought Of Ifllibuytering Gen;
ltral America into acquisition, and
founding there algovenment military
in cast, eprirhing q few, and resting
upon African slavery for its basis
would result just % the Spanish do
mlnion has resulted. II might fur
nish TO The world a Cbrtez and pizar.
ro at the outset, but il would exhibi,
a parallolto, ,Uayti In the end. w IVA