The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-11-27
THE UNITED STATES AND EUROPE FOREIGN
POLICY

lne example OF Tree lnsIituIlohs SCI Wy ulio
country, has on the whole been on the side of
liberty. This is more than can be said of the
action of our People and Government.
We have been too much engaged with our
own interests-been too Indifferent to the
cause of Free Principles abroad. Foreign
tourists among us have received their most
unfayorable impressions of the workings OF
republican institutions from Americans fond of
exaggerating the defects Of their own political
system, and of expressing distrust of the People
American travellers or sojourners in Europe,
fearful of being thought provincial, or ashamed
of the simplicity Of Republicansm, or capt.
waited by the splendors of Royalty, have proved
the worst enemies of freedom, by tacitly or
openly sanctioning denunciation of their insti-
tutions, or joining with absolutists in their
denial of the capacity of the People to govern
themselves. The New York Tribune lately
contained an article on the subject confirming
by personal testimony what letters from our
countrymen abroad had already revealed tous-
the want of fidelity among them to their own
country and the cause of sclf-goyernment with
which it was identified.
And what encouragement can the masses in
Europe draw from the temper OF large por-
ton of the American press! An outburst
of Indignation among them against oppression
is the signal 10 some Of our contemporaries for
long homilics upon Che horrors Of anarchy
and the necessity of order, Louis Philippe
sOane euppCf~e.., r. ~ 81 7Iss''a'
nm s,abta qslupeuts, p-, large class of Amer
lean editors and the Gauss ssx rangSry nt"dvts
a. lust as that of the United Colonies when
they declared Independence of Great Britain,
has been traduced by no foes more grossly
than by the North american Reriep and the
New York Courier aud Enquirer America
has its Conservatives as well as Europe. Men
who 90 for things as they are, and support
abuses for fear of change are confined to no
country Under Despotism they are the
advocates of its EXTREMIST pretensions; under
Constitutional Monarchy, INSCRIPTIONS sup
porters Of the Prerogative; in Republic, bitter
opponents of all reform designed to retrench
the powers of Government or guard the rights
of the People. An American Conservative
would be in Europe the eulogist of Nicholas Or
disciple Of Metternich He is for Republican
Institutions in this country, simply because they
are. and not because he thinks them best.
Could Monarchy and an Aristocracy be
established here without the risk Of civil strife
or disorder, he would tramplc republicanism
under foot.
From this class of Americans European revo-
lutionists have nothing to hope With it origi-
mates the dogma that the People of Europe are
not qualified for freedom and that the success
of republicanism in our country depends upon
our peculiar circumstances not upon our char
acter and capacities. To this class belong
those letter-writers and editors, who greedily |
credit and circulate injurious reports of the |
purposes and movements of revolutionists
abroad. and invent cunning apologies for the
arbitrary acts of Tyrants; who are forever APP |
pealing to disastrous experiments In seli-goy- |
ernment, assignments against the Principle, and
exaggerating the excuses of popular indigna-
ton, provoked by Oppression, with view to
excite prejudice against the People, and shield
Oppression from rcprobation. To this class are
to be credited the late attempts to depreciate
the character of kossuth and turn Popular
Opinion against him, and the efforts now in
progress to prevent the American People from
granting sympathy and aid to the Popular
Cause in Europe, and to indoctrinatc them into
the notion, that their sole duty is to attend to
their own concerns and let their fellow men,
not 30 highly favored as themselves, go to the
devil
A certain man went down from Jerusalem
to Jericho, and fell among thieves They
robbed him. wounded him, and left him for
dead Soon priest came along saw him,
and passed by on the other side A Levite
followed-looked at him, and passed by on
the other side They were genuine conserva-
tives-were in favor of minding their own bust
ness - believed in strict neutrality had no
idea of involving themselves in other peoples
ouarrels-the poor fellow, it is true had been
robbed and nearly killed, but what of that
they might fare Just as badly, should they at
tempt to interfere--and what, then, would be-
come of the service of the Lord and the sane
tuary, of the sacred mission to which they were
dedicated, "The great rule of conduct Tor
u.s. said they, ais to avoid entanglng our
peace and prosperity with other peoples
concerns So they passed by on the other
side, maintaining high and holy neutrality
BY and by, certain Samaritan, one OF your
busybodies and universal sympathlzers, tine
tured with extreme notions of liberty, equality,
fraternity, came where the poor fellow lay,
aud when he saw him, he had compassion ON
him. and went to him and bound up his
wounds pouring in oil and wine, and set HIM
ON his own beast, and brought him to an inn,
and took care of him; and we doubt not 80
far forgot the dictates of a wise neutrality a.
10 indulge in few excavations of the villains
who had committed the outrage.
1t would be easy to point out who are the
Priests and Lcyites in this country.
Our Government has been no less delinquent
Its uniform action ought tn have been on the
side of the oppressed masses in Europe; but
it is the remark of a contemporary that the
American Republic, "by some means or other
is almost uniformly represented abroad in the
character of despot" Perhaps this may be
an exaggeration, but it cannot be denied that
the Republicanism of the Union has not been
fairly represented in Europe Diplomatic ap
pointments have been bestowed as rewards for
partisan services, without paramount regard
to fitness or to fidelity 1.-THE great principlesor
which our institutions rest In one case, pro
tracted inebriation prevented the presentation
of one of our Ministers to an important Eu