And now, friends and countrymen, if the wise and learned philosophers of the
elder world, the first observers of nutation and aberration, the discoverers of
maddening ether and invisible planets, the inventors of Congreve rockets and
Shrapnel shells, should find their hearts disposed to enquire what has America
done for the benefit of mankind?
Let our answer be this: America, with the same voice which spoke herself into
existence as a nation, proclaimed to mankind the inextinguishable rights of
human nature, and the only lawful foundations of government. America, in the
assembly of nations, since her admission among them, has invariably, though
often fruitlessly, held forth to them the hand of honest friendship, of equal
freedom, of generous reciprocity.
She has uniformly spoken among them, though often to heedless and often to
disdainful ears, the language of equal liberty, of equal justice, and of equal
rights.
She has, in the lapse of nearly half a century, without a single exception,
respected the independence of other nations while asserting and maintaining her
own.
She has abstained from interference in the concerns of others, even when
conflict has been for principles to which she clings, as to the last vital drop
that visits the heart.
She has seen that probably for centuries to come, all the contests of that
Aceldama the European world, will be contests of inveterate power, and emerging
right.
Wherever the standard of freedom and Independence has been or shall be
unfurled, there will her heart, her benedictions and her prayers be.
But she goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy.
She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all.
She is the champion and vindicator only of her own.
She will commend the general cause by the countenance of her voice, and the
benignant sympathy of her example.
She well knows that by once enlisting under other banners than her own, were
they even the banners of foreign independence, she would involve herself beyond
the power of extrication, in all the wars of interest and intrigue, of individual avarice,
envy, and ambition, which assume the colors and usurp the standard of freedom.
The fundamental maxims of her policy would insensibly change from liberty to
force....
She might become the dictatress of the world. She would be no longer the
ruler of her own spirit....
[America's] glory is not dominion, but liberty.
Her march is the march of the mind.
She has a spear and a shield: but the motto upon her shield is, Freedom,
Independence, Peace.
This has been her Declaration: this has been, as far as her
necessary intercourse with the rest of mankind would permit, her practice.
John Quincy Adams gave this speech on Independence Day in 1821.
He authored the Monroe Doctrine.
If the republic were to return to such a foreign policy, how our fortunes would change...
Kerodin
III
She has abstained from interference in the concerns of others, even when conflict has been for principles to which she clings, as to the last vital drop that visits the heart.
ReplyDeleteShe has, but no more, sad to tell.
As the progressives came to be in acadamia America became more and more embroiled in foriegn comflicts. Spanish-American war, Phillipiens, Boxer Rebellion, WWI. Once involved the Progressive agenda was to keep at it untill it was just what the American peopel expected. At the same time they seeprd into the controling ranks of our Semenaries and Universities so that they could teach the Progressive way and have it slowly infuse our culture untill the old ways were forgotten as if they had never exsisted. Now we have a short time to turn this around in a world that has changed drastically from 1821 and full of hate towards anthing that smacks of Liberty, Freedom,Independance, Peace. And the only way to do that is be prepared for a massive war! Once we disengage we will be seen as weak and attacked from all sides. One of the things we have lost is the moral ability to identify an enemey and fight for thier distrction. This is the first lesson that the majority of Americans will have to learn. I don't know that they are actually capaple of that and without that they can not fight effectivly.
ReplyDeleteCruachan!
Highlander