Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-03-15


But, Mr.. President the times are changed
greatly changed. New ideas of national pro-
gress, new theories Of national strength and
national glory. have sprung up A new
order of statesmen. more spirited and advcn-
turous, if you please, has risen up. seized the
reins of the chariot of State, and direct. or
seem determined to direct. its course. |
will ask your attention for a few moments to
the progress Of this sentiment The imme-
diate proximity in population, the same idea
Of the necessity of preserving some equili-
brium between the Northern and Southern
States. led to the acquisition of Texas in
in 1915. AS some concession to the North.
rs a means of sustaining the position of those
Northern men who had supported the policy
of the annexation of Texas. and possibly.
from some impression Of the eXpediency OF
some bold and dashing stroke of policy to
rally the di>contents of his followers, soon
after the principal offices of the Government
bad been distributed. in the first year of his
administration. Mr.. Polk gave notice of his
purpose To determine the convention under
which British SUM cts had been allowed to
occupy the country south Of latitude 81 deg.
40 mini believe it was--and of OPP ming
that fine region TO the settlement of Ameri-
can citizens. He took bis position upon that
parallel of latitude. and he said he would
not recede from il. 1t was said at the time
lI;lJ u" was ItTflbtFFfi W 20 10 WAT lbi IL.
There was some little war-frvcr getting up
in tho country. some little stir of war; but
upon its being well a~crrtain,d that til, re was
an active movement taking place in the Brit
ish backwards at home. the Administration.
in retrcating upon the forty-ninth parallel.
was suppose d not TO have gotten ont of the di-
lamma in which tn V had rashlv placed them
selves. with overmuch honor. The war spir-
it's were greatly disappointed. Some OF them
were indignant. Something was now ncces-
sary TO be done. War. which was before
merely expedient. was now a matter Of ahso
lutte necessity. There was but one resource;
and Mr. Polk fell upon Mexico with fury
increased by a sense of his mortitying retreat
from Lis encounter with British pride and
obstinacy.
Soon after that war was entered upon, it
was announced to the public that it would
not bp concluded without Indemnity for the
past. and security for the future" All the
country understood then that further &C.
QUESTION of territory was TO be made. 10
Wind cate the Administration against the
attacks which were made upon it by the
organs of the Wing sentiment. the Wing
journals. and Wing speakers. all the public
journals Of the country in the interest of the
Administration were filled with spirited. We IL
written app ais 10 the national pride, and to
the popular feelings and sympathleS, scorn-
ing the idea that the energy and spirit OF
enterprise of the people of this country were
TO be confined within narrow limits, or the
limits whether narrow or otherwise 10 which
they were then restricted, proclalmlng The
sentiment that il was the destiny, the mission
of this Republic, and particularly-l quote
the language by memOry-that it was the
special mission Of the Democracy of this
country to expand the area of freedom, and
to carry the benefits of our bencticent and
glorious system Of government 10 every
nc;ghbOring Safe and nation; that it was
our destiny, and we could not avoid II II we
would that this was an age OF progress; and
that all the aspiring youth of our country
or all public men generally who should refuse
to 90 with the current, would he swept from
public view 10y the violence of 1t, aud SINK
to rise no more.
Such was the Cifcct--yOu must remember
it well, sir-of these sentiments and doctrines
announced in "a seemingly oracular manner
upon the imagnatiOns Of the young, ambi
tious. and ardent men of the country, and
wen upon men who had long passed that pc
Rod of life; sub was the strength which the
propagation of those sentiments and doc
trincs brought to the Administration, that
encouraged thereby, aud still further EN-,
boldcned 10y the ecLdt and the brilliant
successes which attended our arms in
the war with Mexico, it came to pass that
there We're but forCy-eight hours between Il
Cabinet resolve to hold all Mexico. aud the
decision to accept the Tri>t treaty. Such
was the force of those sentiments OF eXpan-
sion its early as 1927 and 1913.
1t is not, therefore. surprising, Mr.. Prcsi-
dent, that the close of the Mexican war found
Il large portion of our population, especially
in tn South. deeply imbu, with the srnti'
ments and passions which had taken root
during its progress. That was the com
m"nccment OF what may be called the fill
clustering era. THIS policy. however, (ifpOl
CIV il NAV be called gathered large strength
and enlisted in its support many gallant a
well rs intelligent men in the South. 1t wa,
at this same era of 1919. or 1850 at all events
from causes which shall not rehearse--it Is
not necessary that | should do sO-they mus
be in the mind OF every person within the
hearing of my voice who has any knowledge o
the state of affairs in this country for the las
ten vears-that the idea of a great Southern
republic. long cherished by a few distin
guished dividuals in the South, received it,
dangerous and threatening Development Tn,
influence of these passions the policy of eX
pansion, the spirit of liibustering, assisted 10y
these grand notions of the destiny of thl:
country. became 80 powerful that they conlc
not he safely disregtrded in the political con
tests Of the dlv. On the contrary. it bccIm'
necessary To court and propitiate them.
Walker. with all his terrors and his faults
his imputed crimes, If yon please, was but
the type of "a large class in this country. &
representative man of all the eager and i'm
patient advocates of expansion; and he wa
a victim to his filth in their power. To for
ward his views, he calculated least upon
the conrivaucc of this Government through
their influence; but he was mislpd or deceiv
ed The terrible catastrophe of the eXpadi
ton ot Lopez. at an aniecedent day, may b.
traced to the same cause-an over-eStiinute d
the strength OF the sentiment which had
grown up in the country, which was sufficient
10 prevent the execution of tn law in some
districts. Though it had the power to paralyze
partially. yet il was not powerful enough IL
arrest altogether the Intervention IF the Gov
crnmcnt. Let no one suppose / am touching
upon quesiill irrelevant and foreign to Tia,
question now under debate. Ii is OF thc very
gist of the matter.
Passing over other consequences of the
prevalence of this passion for expansion. aud
the spirit Of iillibu~terism eagendered by It,
let us see what eff ct il has had upon our re-
lations with the Government OF Spain. Foi
nearly fifty YEAR, Spain was aware that il
was the cherished policy of this Government
at some period. ultimately 10 acquire the pos
session oil Cuba; ana thOuEh she was ire
quently threatened and alarmed by the r,'vo
lutionary spirit that prevailed in the island
she rested in rcposr aud in security rs To any
at, empts 10y this Govrrnm To disturb heI
rule. under the solemn and olt-repeated A.
snranees, that it was not the policy OF this
Government to give her any dis urbance, un'
less she proceeded to change the condition o
her population. Even the bad influence which
the expedition 81 Lopez had ON her public
councils might have been repaired.
Even the fact that she was suppOs, d, or did
perhaps. seek or accept the voluntary oiicr %
the aid and assistance UfFrance ana England
in maintaining the possession of the island
at that period, dad not necessarily Imply q
forfeiture of her confidence in the good faith
of the United States, far from it.; because the
return by the Government of Spain 1f thos,
surviving companions of the followers o.
Lop, e. who were citizens Of the United State,
clearly showed, and she might fairly, and