Year: 1860

awe have now as much territory as is
good for us-probably more. BY spraw-
ling our limits over an entire continent We
only diminish our strength. A solid block
Of steel is stronger aud more durable than
any amount of sheet iron, however ex.en-
size its surface. We do not belong to that
school which believes that the manifest
destiny of the American eagle is to place
one foot on the North pole, the other
on the South pole, dip its head into the
Atlantic ocean, and its tail into the Pa
ciic. Such an extensive spread would in
evitably split that distinguished bird.
Every additional square mile of territory
that we may hereafter acquire, will only
tend to weaken the Union, and incitc to
further dissension and difficulty. If there
is prayer which patriots should earnestly
send up, it is, "Save US from acquiring


more land p Our obvious policy is to


make the most Of what We already possess.
Let US develop our present resources and
improve the opportunities of wealth now
in our possession build up our manufac-
lures, encourage our industry, extend our
commerce, and improve our agriculture.
We have territory enough to keep US busy
for the next hundred years in its thorough
settlement, improvement, and develope-
ment. ga little farm we'll titled" There
is great wisdom in that !! Our readers
know that hundred acre tract we'll work.
ed, is more profitable, and less liable to be
seized by the Sheriff, than farm Of
thousand acres occupied by but one pro-
prietor, and titled in slovenly manner,
which, from its extent, it must necessarily
be. While the owner can concentrate all
his labor, attention and manure on his lit
lie farm, the big one would be too much
for him On the latter there are too many
division fences to be kept up; the neigh
bors' cattle are continually breaking in,
requiring too much time to drive them
out, and disputes unavoidably arise there
from; the acres are too many for the man.
ure the fields are too numerous and large
to be ploughed thoroughly; eventually
some of them are abandoned, and pines,
thistles, aud mullen stalks begin to spring
up; the owner, harassed by bis creditors,
grows poorer every year; and finally bis
estate is Knocked to pieces by zen. er.
Does not this reasoning apply with equal
force to Uncle Sans farm? A war with
Mexico, necessary as circumstances may
make it, should not be waged with the OBJ
ject of acquiring more territory-and par
ticularly, if the acquisition is intended to
be slave territory.


The President, in our humble opinion,
is too impOrtuDate in regard to the acqui-
sitiOu of Cuba by fair purchase. Spain
will not sell-she has told US that repeat
edly-and the last time we offered to buy,
she rejected the proposition as an insult
Why persist in offering this affront to q
friendly power? If this Cuba project is
In earnest, the only way we can hope to
obtain the island is by force; and when
we consider that only few months ago
this despised Spanish nation equipped and
sent to war fine Army of $4,000 men
larger than any army we ever raised-that
her Navy is more numerous than ours
and, further, that France and England,
by secret treaty, have guaranteed to her
the possession Of Cuba, the attempt to
take that island by force would get usinto
such scrape as would, perhaps, cure US
Of our fillibusterlng propensities for some
years to come Saabuy Gazette, Dem }
lSti inst.