Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-02-27
The weak should never be Aggressive.

It is the height Of folly for weak nation,
party or individual to "teach bloody instruc-
tons !" in other words, to set examples of in
justice to other more powerful nations parties
or individuals, which may sometime or other
"return to plague the inventor"
II circumstances place it in the power Of the
weaker party to do an act that is not right and
just, and 1t is done merely because the weaker
party is to reap some temporary benefit from
II, they are as sure to pay the penalty Of injus-
tice and wrong at some future day as effect is
sure to follow cause and as those who are
made to suffer wrong are sure to remember It.
It is, hence, the interest and policy Of weak
nations to advocate strict justice, and to oppose
all fiillibustering or wars of conquest; because
in the long run they are sure to become the
victims Of such wars, if they prevail, and es-
pecially if they themselves have shown grasp
ing hand at any time.
These general observations we presume no
one win gainsay; but when we come to apply
them to the particular cas- now before the
country, there are many, we know, who will
dissent.
The case we have reference to is the contest
now going on in regard to the admission or
non-admission of Kansas under the Lecomp-
ton Constitution. The South is, almost to a
man, 1--WE speak of members Of CongressJ in
favor Of such admission, and it is probable that
with the aid of Executive influence, that in
fluence which arises from having the disposal
of certain desirable public stations, lit can &C
complish the measure against the almost unani-
nous feeling and opinion Of the North.
Now the North believes that the whole Of
this Kansas business, and more especially the
formation Of the Lecompton Constitution,
and the manner in which ii is attempted
to force it on the people Of Kansas against
their wishes, is a stupendous fraud, and an nm
precedented piece of political rascality and in
justice. Is it to be supposed that the minds
of the people oithe North will ever be changed
on this subject2 By no means. Is it not an
admitted fact that they are more numerous
than the people of the South, and will have,
therefore, party aside, the power to do their
will in Congressf Surely no one doubts this
Suppose then, that the South persists in
taking advantage of her temporary power, to
do an act which the North considers one o.
gross wrong; an outrage of the deepest dye
and which is SO pronounced by some o.
the most prominent Southern men and journ
ais: can she expect that the North vii
not be taught "bloody instructions" by hel
example, or what the North so charges and be
lieves; and can she suppose that there viii no
come time when her own chickens will come
home to roostf
As the South, or the Slave States, are now
in minority, and the Free States viii be con
tinually increasing while they remain station
airy, sound policy would seem TO dictate t.
them not to demand or enforce, even il they
happen to have, temporarily, the power to do
So any thing but what is strictly right ane
just, as we know they will submit to nothing
that is wrong. But, they may reply, we thinl
it right and just that Kansas should be admit
ted into the Union under the Lecompton Con
stitution, and therefore having the power t,
admit her, we will do so. 1t may be and i
rejoined, that nearly the whole North thinl
otherwise; and that even large minority O
the South, including some Of her most promi
nent public men, concur with the North il
saying that to force Lecompton upon the PEG
pie when it is known to be so abhorrent Il
them, would be great outrage, and viola
ton Of every principle Of free government, a
well as of the organic law creating that Terri
tory. [See extracts from Gov Wise's Phila
delphia letter, in another part Of this paper.]
We are not agitators, but are opposed :
agitation. We have had too much of II al
ready; and it is because we are opposed to
that we throw out these hints and suggestion
to the South. We do not like to see thcn
throw down the gauntlet, Of contention to tn
North; we do not like to see them set an ex
ample of wrong, because we wish TO hav
neither section furnished with an excuse 70
retaliation, which viii as speedily follow a
that injustice is perpetrated, some time o
other, sooner or later.
Our southern friends must not suppose W
are taking part against them; we speak
them in the most friendly spirit, and we do
because we would not see them put themselve
in the wrong.