Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-12-20

&tagating political principle He comes here
Hpose of asserting the right Of the people Of
4t0 regulate their affairs uncontrolled by
qk ef any foreign Powers. And he comes here
yHose Of asking from this Government pledge
MI aid him, not merely by moral, but by ply
1t be necessary, to enforce the right Of that
& The gravity Of the consideration which
"a to give to this resolution arises, therefore
1%q1 patent upon the face Of the proceedings
9xhibted to us at the moment tiat this reso-
p&esented to our considerations, that NJ Kossuth
lEln us--from the American Goyernmsnt if they
they will not, from the American people act
e American Governments plsdee that they
h, in ths eontsst about, e hs si8fss A to
err must rom all interposItioh ne people
Of Hungary have right to establish the priHciples Of
their own Government they are engaged in contest
with the power of Austria you must not ntcrpose
think this to be principle which position in the c
vized world requires to maintain; become the
champions of that principle and in union with Great
Britain say to the Emperor of Russia stand off for
you attempt to nterpose between Hungary and Austria
shall feel ourselves bound to render such nterpst0n
as shall prove to be necessary Is this fair intepre
taton of these facts before the public view ask this
without referring particularly to the declarations Of this
distinguished individual; ask with reference to the
speeches delivered at various points, ask with refer
ence to speech Of distinguished citizen. of
countrythe sentiments uttered by the American official
in England, and declaration made by this individual
since his arrival our shores And now, sir, what is
the position in which he places us? Is that the express
sion of your sympathy 1t is natural every freeman
be grateful to the Hungarian for the which he
has pursued And in return he is grateful to for the
expression Of sympathy But this can do no good
it is valueess and they require that the expression
should be followed by some act Of ours.
i am plain man. (says the illustrious Hungarian
Now am here am free to speak and tell you that
to ask the aid of your Government to to
counmen the enforcement of that principle that for
egn Power shall be permitted to interfere in the contest
shall wage with Austria for the establishment of
independence Sir if the gentlemen have read the speech
Of that distinguished American citizen in Europe whom
have referred they will have distinct view of these
propositions. There about to be commotions in Eu
ropehere is league of despots for the purpose of de-
stroyng every Republican Govenmentand the question
proposed is shall wait until isolated and alone,
are compelled to resist the aggressons of these despot
shall unite ourselves with the only free Government
in the idea of the speaker the other side of the At
antc, and maintain the principles for which NJ Kossuth
contends In express language it is sad in the speech
to which have referred that England and the United
Stateslooking at their mercantile naval and marine
command the ocean, that consequently 1t is within their
power to send vessels within the ports Of the despots and
blockade them if it be necessary or if necessary to
place their vessels the harbors of these despo Powers
and repeat usng the language of the person to whom
have referred the operation pracsed Government
upon Mexico during war with that Power-to levy
duty upon vessels entering. and thus destroy their
merce.
a.sails ra1r purpose Of comment
ing upon themnot for the purpose Of expressing any
opinion as to their efficiency and still less their
recness-but for the purpose of showing distinctly that
it is not your sympathy that NJ Kossuth asks it is not
that you shall confer any public honors upon himself
But he here for the purpose of engaging you in
pledge enforce the principle that foreign Power shall
be permitted to interfere between the Hungarian people
and the Austrian Government in the event of renewal
Of that conflict Now sir, prepared to give that
pledgef Whence do we derive authority? We have
in these two chambers the right to exercise the egsa
tive power which is conferred upon by the consttu
tion Among the powers which have is that Of de-
caring But have we the power, under crcumstan-
ces like the present to pledge this Government rrepeaa
bly, to of action which may lead to war, and
which must in all human probability have that effect
do not know what estimate is formed Of the character of
the Emperor of Russia it has not been subject Of my
study; but can imagine that if any thing can arouse
the feelings of individual resistance against such in
reference that which propose it would be the an
nouncement that we to them Transatlantic Power,
anda free people who have hitherto declared that while
we maintain the principles of freedom within our own
limits abstain absolutely and entirely from all nerfer
ence with any other Government asserting as it is be-
eved by the great body Of counymen the principle
that will allow interference Of any European Power
with affairs this continent say that if any cir
cumstance will the feelings of the individual who
is at the Head of the Russian empire to degree which
must inevitably result in war; it would be the course
which it proposed for under these circumstances to
pursue That this is contrary to that which has
been the settled policy of Government can be
disposed to deny.
Our Presidents our Congresses and our people have
not hestated to express in times past their devotion to
the principles of civil liberty They will not hesitate
to express it. But from the time of Gen. Washingons
Address the American people down to the present
riod the principle of avoiding entanging alliances with
other nations-such that which think must be the
inevitable result in the progress of these proceedings, If
this resolution shall be adoptedthe principle of avoid
ing observation-disclosures with other nations and all inter-
ference with disturbances and convulsons which
ist in Europe has been uniformly and emphatically
ayowcd desire to ascertain from the American Senate
in this early stage Of its discussion and especially in con-
sequence Of the in which his enthusiastic admirers
disposed to receive him, whether the American Senate
is disposed depart from that principle of policy, by
adopting which, in my judgment, necessarily
involves that departure.
We told the interpretation which the civilized world
has given to the act of invitation to this individual
and his associates in sending for them national vessel
IT. after the ayowals which he has made in England, and
after the declaration of that distinguished American c
to whom have referred and who, Mr. Kossuh says,
expressed all his feelings and all his desires if after the
declarations which he has made upon landing our
shores and the distinction which he has drawn between
the Government and the People, and the avowa of de-
termination to appeal to the people for the active sympa
thy which he invokes in behalf Of his country it, after all
this We the Congress Of the United States representing
the thryone sovereign States Of this Union and the wen
tyfve millions Of people which compose it if we welcome
him the shores Of the United States in this formal
ner do not thereby implicitly acquiesce in the object
which he here to accomplish Is that the fair
depreciation which the civilized world will give it He says
the American peopleand the declaration is before us
while agitating this question: do not come
here ask your sympathy that's gratifying butvalueless
here to invoke the aid of the great American
public to protect my peopepeaceably, if they may by
the moral influence of the United States but forcbly if
they must by the physical power Of their arms, and to
prevent any foreign interference in the struggle about