The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-09-06
THE SPECIAL PROVIDENCE OF
AMERICA.

oNN%s
used to relate at social and dinner parties
with that inimitably humorous and dramatic
style peculiar to that great orator. Ii was OF
a wager he made at Client with Lord Gam
bier. one Of the British commissioners who
were engaged with Messrs. Adams, Clay and
Russell, the American commissioners, In dis
cussing and arranging the terms OF the treaty
which was eventually concluded at that town.
Mr.. Clay, II will be remembered, was the
American commissioner who resisted with
such great earnestness and pertinacity the
proposed concession to Great Britain OF the
right OF free navigation OF the Mississippi In
return for the concession by Great Britain OIL
the privilege OF free fishing on the coast
OF the British provinces. Lord Gambler and
Mr.. Clay frequently engaged In little side
talks and banters on this question at dinner
and card parties while the grayer and more
solemn commissioners were absorbed In pre-
pairing their diplomatic papers and arguments.
The two happening to meet, on some social
occasion, In the early part OF December, 1914,
| Lord Gambler, who was an old sailor, saluted
Mr.. Clay with the inquiry whether he had
heard the latest news. Mr.. Clay replied In
| the negative, whereupon his lordshtp In
| formed him that he had received authentic
| intelligence of the departure from Jamaica oil
the most powerful squadron which England
| had ever sent forth, and the most effective
army OF ten thousand Peninsular veterans,
| to capture and occupy New Orleans, and that
| by that time this object had been accom-
plshed, as the United States. had been unable
| to collect for the defense OF the city more
than few Thousand Harmed militia, COM
manded bya militia general, whereas the
British army would be commanded by Vel
lington's most successful subordinate and
brOther-in-laW.
Mr.. Clay, without manifesting the slightest
alarm or even surprise at this communion
ton, inquired OF his lordship Ii he could give
him the name of the militia general who had
| been assigned TO the defense OF New Orleans.
His Iordship, after ransacking his memory
| for the name Of the American at last replied
obviously:
| II believe his name is jackson, Andrew
jackson, or some such name, and the troops
with which he Is to defeat this splendid Brit
ish fleet and army consist Of backwoodsmen
from Kentucky and Tennessee and squad
ron OF six little schooners."
"And your lordship 10 Satisfied that they
won't be able to hold the city and drive off
the invader, and that, In fact, the British
forces are already in the occupation OF the
4 city 7"
$50 much So" remarked Lord Gambler,
'that I'll wager hundred guineas ON It,"
II take 1t, your lordship."
Some weeks after the treaty OF Client had
been signed, and the commissioners were
waiting to receive dispatches from their sew
eral governments, the two commissioners
met again at social party. Lord Gum
bier, approaching Mr.. Clay with a far diff
| erent expression and manner from that
which he had worn at their former meeting,
and handing Mr.. Clay purse containing q
hundred guineas, remarked In q somewhat
bitter manner:
classes of people who seem to be under the
protection and guardianship of a Special
Providence They are idiots, lunatics and the
American people. Here's your hundred
guineas."
The news Of the disastrous conclusion OF the
expedition to New Orleans had reached the
British commissioners before it YVES known
to the Americans.
We may be excused the antiquity and the
tediousness OF the story, in view OF Its ap-
plication to the present proud and victori-
GUS attitude Of the American people In their
relations to those Of the Old World, whose
statesmen and capitalists have been predict
ing, for years past, the failure of our plan Of
building, upon this continent, more power,
full, wealthy. independent and stable nation
than any In the Old World.
Lord Gambler would have better grounds
for his sarcasm now, than after the splendid
military victory of Jackson, for saying that
this people appeared to be under the care OF q
special and overriding Providence.
The crowded communities, exhausted re.
sources and expensive and oppressive political
systems Of the old nations are just now send
ing forth one universal wall over their impov.
ershment, their threatened starvation, and
demanding the most desperate and prompt
measures OF political and social change and
reorganization, to save them from the humil.
iation Of dependence upon this country fol
actual subsistence, and prevent q general
exodus of her surplus and producing classes
to this land OF freedom and plenty.
There Is no exaggeration In the pictures
OF the aIl-pervading alarm and suffering
throughout all the great European States re-
sulting from these causes, from the reallza-
ton Of their exhausted natural resources
from their burdensome and oppressive polit-
ical systems and their incapacity to recuper-
ate. They have realized, too, the extent OF
the false prophecies, estimates and delusions
which their statesmen and their pretended
scientists and historians have imposed on
them, OF the early failure and the many
causes OF dissolution and decay which they
pretended to discover In the American polit-
ical and social systems.
A people thus deceived could not be held in
peace, quietude and submission to these an
tiaue exploded political systems, even by
their great armies, but for the easy remedy