The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-09-28

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At the Inauguration Of the Perry monu-
ment at Cleveland, Hon. Geo. Bancroft,
orator of the day, delivered an eloquent
address, concluding as follows:
1--WE have met the enemy" were Perrys
words as he reported the result of the battle.
And who was that "enemy?" A nation
speaking another tongue? A state aban-
doned to the caprices of despotism? A
people inimical to human freedom? No!
they were the nation from whom most of us
sprung, using the same copious language,
cherishing after their fashion the love of
liberty, enjoying internally the freest govern
ment that tbs world had known before our
own. But the external policy of their gov.
eminent had been less controlled by regard
for right than their domestic administration;
and series of wanton aggressions upon US,
useless to England, condemned now by her
own statesmen and judges as violations of
the laws of nature and the law of nations,
forced into conflict two peoples whose
common sympathies should never have been
disturbed. And is this aggressive system
forever to be adventured by her rulers ?
How long is the overshadowing aristocratic
element in her government to stand between
the natural affections of kindred nations?
Even now a British minister whose past
career gave hope OF greater fairness, is re-
newing the old system OF experiments on the
possible contingency ofthe pusillanlmity, the
Indifference, or the ignorance of some future
American administration, and disputes our
boundary in the Northwest, though the
words OF the treaty are too plain to be per.
verted, and though the United States claims
no more than the British Secretary of State
who offered the treaty explained as its mean.
ing before it was signed. British soldiers
are now encamped on part of our territory
which bears the name of Washington.
With moderation that should have COM
manded respect, the United States waived
their better claim to Vancouver, and even
to any part of it thinking it conducive to
peace to avoid two jurisdictions on different
parts of the same island and in return for
this forbearence, the British Minister, yield
ing perhaps to some selfish clamor of a trad
Jog company, as much against British inter-
ests as against American rights, reproduces
on an American island the Inconvenience of
divided occupation, which it was the very
purpose of the treaty to avoid. If the hum
Of the American seaboard is in part the echo
of sentiments from abroad, here the unmixed
voice of America may be heard, as it pro-
nOuces that it is too late to wrest territory
from the United States by prevarication, by
menance, or by force. From the English
dockyards it is long voyage to San Juan;
the only good land route across the CONT
nent lies South of Lake Superior; in a few
years there will be three Ohios on the shores
of the Pacific. 1t is England's interest as
well as duty to give effect to the treaty as it
was interpreted by her own ministers to
ours. Your voices on this memorable day
give the instruction to our own government
to abide by the treaty faithfully, on the con-
dition that Britain will do the same
but the treaty must bind neither par
ty or both-must be executed in good
faith or cancelled. The men who honor the
memory of Perry will always know how to
defend the domain of their country.
Has any European statesman been mis-.
counting the strength of this nation by SUBJ
shutting Renaissance of our old feeble
confederation for the present efficient and
almost perfect organism of the body polite?
Has any foreign ruler been so foolish as to
listen with credulity to the tales of impend-
ing disunion? Every man of the people of
Ohio, this great central highway of national
travel, will, without one exception, tell the
calumniatof or the unbeliever that the voices
of discomfort among US are but the evanes.
cent vapOrs of mems breath; that our little
domestic strifes are no more than momentary
disturbances on the surface, easily settled
among ourselves; that the love of Union has
wound its cords indissolhbly round the whole
American people.
So then our last word shall be for THE
UNION. The Union will guard the fame of
its defenders, and evermore protect our en-
tire territory; it will keep alive for mankind
the beacon lights of popular liberty and
power; it will dissuade nations in state of
unripeness from attempting to found repub-
lican governments before they spring up
naturally by an inward law; and its mighty
heart will throb with delight at every true
advance in any part of the world toward
republican happiness and freedom.