Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-01-30

JOHx BrIGHT, the great English Reformer, in the
of his speech at birmingham, on the Foreign
Policy of England, gave expression to the following
striking remarks
have been told by a very eminent newspaper
published in Calcutta. which, commenting Oh q
speech made at the close of the last session with
regard to the condition Of India and future poll
cy in thai country, said that the policy l reeom>
mended intended to strike at the root Of the ad-
vancemeut of the British empire aud that that ad-
yaneement did not necessarily involve the calami"
ties which / pointed cut likely to occur My
Calcutta critic assured me that Rome pursued
similar policy for eight centuries, and bGt for those
eight centur she remained great Now, do not
think that examples taken from pagan, sanguinary,
blood thirsty Rome proper models for the lnsi'
tution of a Christian country, nor would limit my
hopes of the greatness of Engani even TO the long
duration Of 500 years. lCbeers But what is
Rome now? The city is dead. A poet has de
scribed her as ''the lone mother CT dead empires
Her language even Is dead. Her very ombs are
empty; The ashes fher most illusrious citizens are
dispersed, for
"scipio's tomb contains ashes now"
Yet am asked, l. who am one Of the legislators
of Christian country to measure my policy by the
policy Of ancient snl sgan Rome! believe there
is no permanent greatness TO nation except 1t be
based upon morality. Cheers do care
for military greatness or military renown. l care
for the Constitution Of the people among whom
live TCheers There is no man in England who
is less likely 10 speak irreverenily of the Crown
and monarchy of England than l am; but crowns,
coroue.s mires, military display, the pOmp Of war,
wide colonies, and q huge empire are, in my view,
all tribes light air, and not worth considering,
unless with them you have fair share Of comfort,
cont eminent and happness amorg the great body
of the people ICheets. Palaces, princely cas-
Ties great halls, snowy mansiens DO not make
nation The nation in every country dwells in the
cottage Tcheers and unless the light Of your Con
stitution SHINE there, uBles the beauty of your
legislation aud the excellence OF your stste5man~
ship are printed there in the feelings aud oondi
ton of the people, rely upon 1t you hs7e yet to
learn the dulies of government.
These are glorious sentiments Sentiments wOT>
thy of study by American Legislators. Sentiments
SO true aud SO broad in their application, that go
where they may they will find responsive chord
in the breast of every patriot.
''The nation in every country dWells in cottages
Beautiful thought! Sublime truth Fit to be en-
craven in tie most putlc places of every national
capitol In no country in tine world should the
truth of this expression be so generally recognized
by public funclionaries as in this. And yet how
little of their official conduct based upon it?
How little comparatively speaking, of cur legisla-
ton, State or Federal, is inten led for those who
dwell in cottages. We hear much of Ocean Mail
Steamers, floating palaces sustained by govern
ment bounty;-Of great Isthmus Routes and Transit
Companies secured Dy diplomacy and protected by
the strong ann of our nsvy;-Of protection to the
lords Of the loom and the mill, taxing the labor Of
the country for the benefit Of the associated wealth;
of innumerable corporations with special privi-
leges that denied to the many, these and other
incidental interests occupy nineteen-wentieths Of
the legis alton of the country while the claims Of
labor-the absolute rights and the absolute acaRts of
man-things which vitality concern those who
dwell in cottages, are disregarded and overlooked
in the sublime contemplation Of great enterprises,
intended, not for the happiness of the common
people, but the aggrandizement Of a few and the
splendor of a nation.
What care the people for the mode of empire
for the glory of achievements-for The wealth,
strength and grandeur of a nation, unless these
things carry Nth them some national good; some
thing that lifts burden from their shoulders or ins
creases the security to privileges enjoyed!
These things, We fear, are too much overlookel
by public men of the present day; and it bchcoves
the people, whose interests are at stake, to think
more for themselves and indicate clearly their
appreciation of this evil in American politics, and
apply the means necessary for its correction.