The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-01-05

of these mines and all their make,
lands And ismust not be forgotten il
this connection that one month Ct va
with France Would cost this nation, il
the loss Of its National credit and tn
depreciation Of its currency, more thai
all Mexico is worth in fee simple AnC
with its people cumbering the grounC
Patriotism averts her eyes from th'
horrid picture. Only imagine our Con
gressmen, Senators and Presidents o
the grade of intellect and morals o
Mexicans, our new Southern Breth
rem by the aid Of their allies, our raw
freedmen, ruling Us and our posterity
For it Is of the nature Of our institu
/ tons and habits that its worst classe.
must rule US, greatly beyond the pro
/ portion of their numbers. The hear
SINKS and almost settles in the sadness
Of despair in the apprehension Of suct
a dismal fate for our renovated Ma
ton.
The lesser questions of this subject
are all on the same side and in the same
direction. We are asked to go 70 wal
with France, or 70 menace and bully
her in behalf of Mexico IN Other
words, we must plunge into war with
one of the foremost nations and peo-
Piles of all this world or of Time, in the
imaginary interest of one of the lowest
and last We are to be involved in bit
ter, and, il may be, incurable contrO
Yersies and embroilments with nation
and people to whose treasure and blood
we so very largely owe our national ex-
istence, for the sake of another which
we have fraudulentiy aud remorselessly
plundered and slain, and which, of all
Others, we most bitterly despse and
hate-and to which We also almost ex-
clusively owed our great danger of ma
tlonal destruction aud ruin. For with
out that fatal golden apple of discord, {"
the Mexican possession of TexsA and
her other territories, We should not
have had our war Of Rebellion.
1t may be very true-is is very true
that neither France DOR Austria has
any business in Mexico. But the
answer is very plain-"no more have
we! Because our government was
established for the good of our own
people. 1t was neither given to US TO
prOpagsndizs liberty among the Mexi-
cans and Hottentots, nor Christianity
TO the SaTacens of jerusalem, nor the
Chinese at Pekin. And, if monarchs
have no more sense nor principle than
SO TO have used and use their peoples 3
money and lives, let us Republicans,
at least, set for both--the peoples and
their mouarchs-the higher example of
administering our own affairs honest
", humanely, aud wisely, aud in accor-
dance, too, with q blessing and . re-
straint, they have not--a Constitution
That France took advantage OF our
weakness in planting her seeds ol
Latin despotism in Mexico, IS also very
true Neither was this act very chival-
ric, OF fair, or friendly. But it is never
theless, only what human nature al
ways has done and always will do II
| is exactly what We have done, and what
this same class OF crusading propagan-
digts, nOtoriOUsy, are waiting to do
now with Great Britain. More than
that It is exactly what we deserved.
We had abased, demeaned, weakened
our national power. Our power de-
served the contempt Of all other ma
tiOns, except Mexico. Now that we
are strong are we TO aiilict OF
punish other nations with wars,
because we were weak or con
temptible or because they had the
| sense to see US rs we We're, and the hui
man nature to treat Us rs we deserved
But the truth is, weak or strong we
had and have, no business with Mexico
or France, in this affair. As TO any
point of honor therefore, it is IS base
| less as this doctrine, OF which il is til
part. flour statesman of 1870, or our
politians OF 1864 (ior the age of AmerI
can statesmanshIp has passed) have
made an untenable point Of interest or
! honor, the sooner we abandon it now
| in our pride Of strength, the more be
| cOmingly and decorOusly We shall act.
! This conduct will also be more cOnsis-
! tent with that calm, conscious sense OF
! power which BELTS a strong, brave peo,
/ pie, trusting ourselves and fearing none
Others. Ii is only the vain and weak
who should parade and Auster at every
constructive injury or imaginary insult
IT, then, these our fellow-citizens
mean war-we have only had too much
of that for the preservation Of our
wealth and happiness, or the safety o.
our own republican institutions. A
more certain and pstentright plan o
| becoming a monarchy ourselves could
/ neither be devised uOr imagined, thai
for US to 20 TO war with Europe and the
rest of mankind, in behalf Of the re
publicanism Of Mexico. In that case
treason will have done its worst 4
standing army and a continuance anO
confirmation of this irresponsible exc
cutive military power, beyond a ques
ton must make US the very hOrrO
these optimists affect to resist and Oyer
throw throughout the world-a Despot
ism. And, if it mean only menace anC
bluster, we have already done too much
Of that, either for our credit abroad o
self-respect at home. Besides, the deeC
may 60 beyond the purpose. France
not nation to be much or long men
aced and bullied She IS easy to bt
seduced into a war-nOt very easil,
allured again to peace. One Of thr
bravest most chivalric and sensitive o
all people, not even the memory of he
Beaumarchais, ROchambeau and La
fayette, and of our Franklin, Adamses
and Washington--the traditions of III
men and deeds of l175--can make hei
in quietude, long endure our arrogan
J championship OF Santa Anna, Miramol
aud Juarez, with their motley, anal
) chic principles and doings Of this era
1t Is not, perhaps strange that i
1920 Mr.. Monroe and our fathers G
, that age, should have had high ideas c
7 South American independence, an
b the universal spres6 Of free prime
p pies Bolivar seemed a Washingt0
tbeu. But with cur advantages {
having seen, in the interim, their ?,
p suits, IL IS passing strange that any Of U
, should cling or affect to cling TO ths
J delusion. A lifetime of uuex1eptiona
, bic, ruiuous and ignOminous failures
5 throughout all these Republics
! ought TO adnOnish Us Of its fuLility. ]
5 is as ifsOme old knight Of Malta shoul
. now arise to urge upon us again Ia
; march to Jerusalem. Surely, h
3 would shout "the bones Of our Savic
! ought not TO be kept in the desecratin
/ custody Of infdels Press on Ii
e holy crusade Mr. Monroe va
j. doubtless, q very good, seusibl
/ honest, old fashioned sort Of Pre-
5 dent. acolsding TO the measure {
, his abilities. Il may be possible tbs
E he really was absurd enough with h
doctrine of SIate rights and strict con
, struc:iou) to have claimed this nations
: power to establish and usurp the oils
. OF an universal Wet>nurse to ell ID
g orphan republics ~ the world HoE
e ever that may be, there was once
patriot and statesman whom we cs
!, trust George Washington-the Onl
{ really and truly grandly great ma
{ who ever flled that ssat-has taugI
, US 3 doctrine worth his teaching an
D our remembering and Observance, ID
Eleventh Commandment, Mind yol
4 own business The especial prophet
= Of this course, in this particular il
! stance, Is the more apparent from ID
! strong probability that If we leaV
1 things alone, they will Of themselv,
Il come around 70 the point We desire.
This, truly, is very plaln talk, bl
T none other is suited 70 the dread eme
: gency. just escaped from 8 war, q
d grsndest and noblest OF all history, y