New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-01-08
TIE EIGHTH OF JANUARY.


the great prize was decided between the
: American and British forces. The final
battle took place on the eighth, and tie
eighth is the day that has ever since been
held in remembrance by the citizens OF
the United States as the day that beheld
their final and complete delive1ance from
all present and future danger OF British
domination. And the feeling with which
the day is held in remembrance is height
ened by q strong faith that what Glfa.
Britain failed to achieve will never Ee
comprised by any other foreign power.
That momentous issue, the security Of
the Union from foreign interference and
aggression. of which the battle Of New
Orleans was the finale, has been sue
ceeded by other issues, so tremendous in
their import to cur national prosperity
and to human progress, that :. retrospect
Of them seems like looking into the regions
of widest romance. For series Of years
the national domain has been increased. by
peaceful acquisition. and in one instance
by an honest and honorable adjustment
on our part of a war in which the American
army !had been signally successful.
These various additions Of territory. &c.
CURED without violence by the inevitable
course Of human events. are SO natural.
that they excite no more surprise than
does the natural growti: OF the human
frame from earliest infancy to mature
manhood.
In the midst Of this quiet prosperity
the nation was startled by az event before
which all previous human events must
appear insignificant, when Judged by
their influences upon human destiny. A
revolution was inaugurated. and it IN
volved the question Of national life,
whether we should 60 On prospecting and
to prosper. as q united and might people,
or whether OR future was pregnant with
national woe. with national weakness and
insignifeancc. with impotence and pre-.
mature decay. the result Of frasusensary
division.
The result is within the memory Of tie
youngest. The right has trfu1nphed. The
government Of tho country. heretofore 50
mild that its power was felt by the citizen
only when exerted for his protection. has
proved strong beyond he utmost
strength Of lespotiara. Before that
strength. treason and anarchy have teer.
driven in headlons rout BY that strength.
the, strength 81 thA sovereign people.
homogeneous nationality has been estab-
hshed to endure. we trust. till the full.
ness of time. when. in accordance with the
DEGREES Of nature. nations as well as men
take their place anon: the things Of the
past.
The battle Of New Orleans IL now so
far away m the past that its remembrance
has become fainter before the vivid fresh
ness Of more recent events But its
memory should not be crowded cut by
remembrance of the civil var. the traces
Of which are already fast disappearing:
and by which human thraidom. the
legalized oppression Of man ~ his fellow.
has received its death bow.
For. far away in the past as it is, think.
ing men must perceive :ha: the struggle
on tho plains Of Chalmette has 10 remote
relation to the fearful civi! struggle now
happily at an end
That the purpos. OF the British in the
expedition against New Orleans was sb-
solute and permanent conq1es: is vel!
known. They intended to hold the
mouth Of the Mississippi. 'vrested from
the United States. as they hold Gibraltar.
wrested from Spain. /: is interesting to
reflect what would have been the ultimate
had they succeeded in ap-
"beauty and booty" instead
Of sustaining. veterans as they were. an
overwhelming defeat from mere noyices
in the art Of war. Would their success
and their permanent occupation Of Louisi-
ana, aided by their possession Of stroag-
holds in the West Indies. postponed
merely our national publication. or re.-
dered it an impossibiiity forever:
We are not Of those who iaud TO the
skies the cheap Exeter Hall philanthropy
which moved the English nation to pro.
cure emancipation in Jamaica by the ex-
penditure Of thirty millions OF pounds
sterling. To the mighty resources Of
that sum is but as dust in the
balance. Nor was slavery in Jamaica OF
any further use. Had Packenham De-
feated Jackson. and secured possession Of
this city and State. British views Of
slavery would have been Influenced by
no poetical sentiment Of the Wherefore
school. but by the omnipotent l.. S. :.
She would have taken L stand
in regard to slavery precisely as her in
terest prompted. Who has not heard Of
the ''Pasoda tree" in India. or o. tic
opium war in China
There is little need to inquire what
policy Great Britain would have pursued
had success on the eighth of January
given her possession Of Louisiana. The
with which she has looked
upon what she fancied u dissolution OF
our Union, makes it not uncharitalle to
believe that in some manner she would
have fomented discussions between the re-
of tha slave oI1iuC and nom