Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1859-03-02
Ir is patent 70 every observer Of the DIN of

American politics, that there is growing up in
our country an element of war. Once were
content with defending our shores from agrees
sion, and very thankful for being able to do so.
Now we arc IN turn becoming aggressors, in
spirit, if not in fact We are continually agta-
ting some new scheme of ACKNOWLEDGMENT Now
it is Mexico, now Central America, now Cuba.
For the war spirit in monarchies, there may
be some show of apology. War is part of the
system that supports thrones. 1t gives EN-
ployment to FESTIVE spirits, who, with idle time
for reflection would be dangerous, and throws
off the surplus population that must either
starve or rebel. But in 3 country such ours,
where we have the breadth Of a continent for
expansion, and where the great aim aud end of
government is the bono pubLieo, this element
has no proper place As people, ought 10
be eminenuy peaceful. The "grim visaged"
gentleman who has such 'wrinkled 'front.'"
should never be permitted to frOwn on our fair
fields and peaceful hamlets. We have gone
through the wars necessary to secure our ma
tional existence, and the object should now be
10 carry out its true ends. We are not war
like people, and ought not TO be. Ours are
the arts and occupations that belong 10 peace.
erything but soldiers. No country could suf.
er more from war than ours, and hence, above
all others, aim ought to be to preserve am-
icable relations with the rest of the world.
But ever since the Texas revolution, and fur
Their stimulated by the Mexican war and con-
quest of California, there has been growing up,
in some parts, and among some classes, Of the
country, n spirit of rapacity. Ever since the
Mexican. war it has been the peculiar policy Of q
certain party TO advocate aggressive measures
There is class of politicians belonging to that
party Tor rather to whom that party belongs,)
who do not hesitate to sacrifice the safety, in
deed the very existence, of the mass, to crafty
personal ambition. They are men ofdestiny.
They were not born TO live pcaceable life or
diea quiet death; they were not born to be
drowned, or hung (perhaps,) but their whole
destiny is glory, and that too of the most daz-
cling sort. They arc all to be founders offulure
empires. the rude material for which is supposed
TO exist somewhere in the Torrid zone; and
wherever they go, it is expected to be their pro-
vince to sustain tine grandeur Of the American
Eagle. These the men who have gotten
into the high places of our Government; and
theirs are the projects that distracting Con-
gress with Fibusterism in all its different forms
and phases. They have at length brought the
question to this: Shall our policy be national
justice or national piracy. Soften it down as we
may with euphemisuIs that is now the issue
The present administration goes the whole ami
NAL for piracy-Buchaneer OF the worst
type. 1t is made the test of fidelity, and those
vino will not swear by the blood red flag are
hustled overheard.
To say nothing of the injustice of our course,
are we in such pressing need of more territoryl
Is our population becoming SO dense that our
soil will no longer afford subsistence? 1t
would not be hazarding anything to say that
the territory now under State government will
maintain ten times the present population.
Besides this we have nearly thousand millions
of acres Of land, virgin wilderness, not yet
touched by civilization-the finest in the world,
with salubrious climate, fruitful soil, cut up by
great navigablc rivers, with mountains full of
mineral wealth, only waiting for the hand of
free labor to transform il into the greatest en-
pire ON earth. There is field for expansion
There is an opening for little war, too-not
war on the poor degraded Spanish Indians of
the tropics, but war on grizzly bears, and
stiff prairie soils; war against rocks, grubs and
trees the strife of civilization with the forces of
untamed nature If We nre to expand let it be.
n filling out of our own limits, instead of peril
ing our safety in stealing the pcstlentinl regions
of the tropics only to secure the prepOnderance
Of negro interests