The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-05-12

Can we hope to do better with the various
mixed races Of Mexico, Central and South
America, and the West India Islands? Some
of these countries have been trying for fifty
years to establish republican governments
on our model, hut in every instance have
miserably failed; and yet, there was no OBJ.
stacle to complete success but their own
inaptitude.
For my part, should be grieved to see
my country become, like Rene, a conquerine
and dominant nation; for think there are
few or no examples in history of Governments
whose chief objects were glory and power,
which did ever secure the happiness and
prosperity Of their own people. Such Gov
ernments may grow great and famous, and
advance few of their citizens to wealth and
nobility; but the price of their grandeur is
the personal independence and individual
freedom of their people, Still less am in
clined to see absorbed into our system, "on
an equal footing with the original States
the various and mixed races amounting to I
know not how many millions) which inhabit
the continent and islan,'s south of our pres
ent border. am not willing to inoculate our
bodypolitic with the virus of their diseases,
political and social--diseases which, with
them, are chronic and hereditary, and with
us could hardly fail to produce corruption in
the head and weakness in the members.
Our own country, as lis, in position, form
and size, is wonder which proclaims a wis
dom aboye the wit of man. Large enough
for our posterity, for centuries to come: All
in the temperate zone, and therefore capable
of ahomogenous population, yet so diversified
in climates and soils as to produce everything
that is necessary to comfort and wealth of a
great people: Bounded east and west by
great oceans, and bisected in the middle by
mighty river, which drains and fructifes
the continent, and binds together the most
southern and northern portions of our
land by bond stronger than iron. Be-
sides all this, it is new and growing--the
strongest on the continenl, with no neghbor
whose power it fears, or of whose ambition
it has cause to be jealous. Surely such a
country is great enough and good enough for
all the ends of honest ambition and virtuous
power. .......- .... -...
1t seems to me that an efficient, home
loving Government, moderate and economical
in its administration, peaceful in its objects,
and just to all nations, need have no fear of
invasion at home, or serious aggression abroad
The nations of Europe have to stand contin-
ually in defense of their existence; but the
conquest Of our country by a foreign power
is simply impossible, and no nation is so alb
surd as to entertain the Thought We may
conquer ourselves by local strifes and sec
tional animosities; and when, by our folly
and wickedness, we have accomplished that
great calamity, there will be none to pity us
for the consequences of so great crime.
IF our Government would devote all its
energies to the promotion ofpeace and friend
ship with all foreign countries, the advance
ment of Commerce, the increase Of Agricul-
ture, the growth and stability of ofManufactures,
and the cheapening, quckening and securing
the internal trade and travel of our country;
in short. lift would devote itself in earnest to
the establishment of wise and steady policy
ofinternal government, l think we should
witness growth and consolidation ofwealth
and comfort, and power for good, which can
not be reasonably hoped for from a fluctua-
ting policy, always watching for the turns
Of good fortune, or from grasping ambition
to seize new territories, which are hard to get
and harder to govern.
The present position Of the Administration
is a sorrowful CONNIE ltary upon the broad
democracy of its professions. I'm theory, the
people have the right and ability to do any,
thing; in practice, we are verging rapidly to
the one-man power.
The President, the ostensible head of the
National Democrats, is eagerly striving to
concentrate power in his own hands, ard
thus to set aside both the People and their
representatives IN the actual affairs of Govern
ment. Having emptied the treasury, which
he found full, and living precariously upon
borrowed money, he now demands of Con-
gress to entrust TO his unchecked dicretion
the War power, the Purse and Sword First,
he asks Congress to authorize him, by stat
ute, to use the army to take military pos
session Northern Mexico, and hold it under
his protectorate, and as a security for debts
due to our citizens--cirH possession would
not answer, for that might expose him, as in
the case of Kansas, to be annoyed by fac
tious Congress and rebellious Territorial
Legislature.
Secondly: Net content with this, he de.
mands the discretionary power to use the
Army and Navy in the South, and also in
blockading the coast and marching his troops
into the interior of Mexico and New Grenada
to protect our citizens against all evil-docrs
along the routes of Tehuantepec and Pana.
ma. And he and his supporters in Con-
gress claim this enormous power upon the
ground that. in this particular at least, he
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