The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-11-06
aKoSSUTH AND COTTON

"KOSSUTH AND C0TTONn
Under this title, says the New York Tribune,
Henry Ward Beecher, in the Independent,
caustcaly depicts the absurdity if not hypocrisy
of pretending to honor the champions of Liber-
ty in other lands while UNFOLDING Slavery and
such acts as the Fugitive Slave Law in our
own We extract Mr. BIS account of the
interview ia in my minds eye, Horatio y between
the great Magyar on his arrival in our Bay and
our clerical denouncers of opposition to the
Fugitive Slave Law:
Now, let us suppose that Committee OF
Clergymen should be deputed to wait upon the
illustrios exile Whose tratOrous efhgy has just
| been haHered and hung. at homeD Of course
we should select those who have most pointedly
inveighed against the doctrine of Higher Law
DR. Dewey, DR. Taylor, DR.. Spencer, DIR. Spring
| Dr. Lord-could better Committee be desired!
During the quarantine of two days which
| our Government has ordered at Staten Island
we may imagine that it is the purpose OF Our
excellent rulers to cleanse away all inward
| faint of treason, as we'll as outward contamna-
ton or plague, from the llustrious exile. we
| will imagine that the days are TO be-diyided
| between the Church and the State. Cur cIeri-
cal Cnmnnjttee wOuld without doubt cast a
&S&..e ., >,Nt ,Se, ia -. r. !, e, =, - =
marched into the cabin of the steam frgate
Mississippi-(the State of Reputation and Sena-
tor Foote each one bearing presentation
copy of his sermon or speech on the Fugitive
Slave Law The Oldest clergyman now ap-
proaches Kossuth, and welcomes him to this land
of liberty and equality Its blessings are de-
scribed The statistics Of our prosperity are
briefly stated "All these things" says TIN
excellent spokesman, 1--WE owe under God to
| our liberty No people can thrive while ground
by oppression" This happy laudation Of
liberty being done, the gentlemen proceed to
question his notions oflaw and government pa
triotism and treason.
"Does your Excellency believe that Slavery
is sin per see Do you not regard it as a
patriarchal institution, tolerated by Jehovah,
not abrogated by Christ and, if properly used,
a benefcent arrangement for the blacks!"
Mr. Kossuth (being perhaps more used late
ly to the sword than to theology may be sup.
posed to be little confused, and rather eyades
so unsavory catechism
But our good divnes are too expert in OK
aiming candidates in theology in all the nice
distinctions into which Truth has been split
up to be easily lodged And so DR.. S. says
plainly
=" Would you, sir, if by uttering the prayers
for it you could release every slave in America
tomorrow, dare to utter such prayer!"
"That | should, very quickly responds
the illustrious catechumen q little of his guard
by the drectness Of the question.
The divines nudged each other. There il
business on hand
ado you believe that a slave has the right t,
run away from his master 2"
ado you mean to inquire by this question
gentlemen, whether have done right in run
ming away from the service of the Emperor 0
Austrialn
"No, sir; oh, no. You are white man
Perhaps we ought to put the question littl
more explicitly. Do you believe that a blacl
man, held to slavery in South Carolina, has {
right to run away"
The English tongue being yet a little new
Mr. Kossuth does not exactly know wha
South Carolina is, ian ignorance, perhaps o
which her own citizens somewhat partake,
and supposng that it is the name of some
prison, or Government galley, answers, tina,
"if a man is imprisoned for crime, he thinks
that he ought to work his sentence out, wheth
| er he is white or black"
"Do you think that, when man is flying
for liberty that any one has q right to help him
\ OFF,
ooh, certainly, ! do. | quite agree with
your Government gentlemen, who have kindly
| provided me this noble steamer wherewith to
escape from the Emperor of Austria"
But do you think that if a fugitive is ar
rested, that it is right for men to conspire to-
| gether for his release against the express laws
| of his native land 90
"Ah, gentlemen, you are quite familiar with
my case. perceive that you allude to my
extradition from Kutahyia, against the edct of
the Emperor Of Austria. ] quite agree with
you. gentlemen, that the Turks did noble
thing
By this time the venerated doctors whispered
a moment in consultation, and concluded to
leave copy each Of their several sermons and
addresses IN favor of ODE ylhg the Fugitive Slave
Law, and TO turn down leaves upon the most
sanitary passages such as this in DIR. Lords
sermon f. Union Safety Committee " edition.
page 66.) To plead a higher law to justify
| disobedience to human law, the subjectmat-
| ter Of which is within the scognzance of the
| State, is to reject the authority Of God himself
who has committed to Governments the power
and authority which they exercise in civil az
fairs As slave is by our laws defined TO be
a chdttel, TO be completely in the power Of his
master-as our laws give the master the right
to treat his female slave as he will--to separate
families sell the children in one direction and
the parents in the other--as our civil laws pro-
tect the master in the right of sending his own
| blood 10 market mingled with his slayes-it il
not strange that Kossuth. on reading the pas
sage, quite failed TO see it, practical drift and
| thought IL was hint to him TO be an obedieDt
citizen when he should have settled down.
DIR. Spencer called his attention TO the doc
trine ION page III man hasno right to fling
| away his life for mere sentiment and leave
| his wife a widow. OF his gray haired parents
| without son TO solace themn This is q part
of the statement that citizens have no right TO
resist Government until there is good prospect
ofsuccess. Upon this passage Kossuth ponders
and AZ he walks up and, down his now deserted
cabin. he soliloduzes "As il the greatest
achievements of the world were not in their in
ccntion gloomy and cherries to all usual
methods OF estimation. Ii il the heart deter
mined 10 die-it is that courage which cries out
rive me liberty or give me death it is that
nobleness of nature that scorns TO accept life as
a burden of disgrace, and hastens TO lay 1t down
rs a sacrifce 10 liberty in short it is that sub
lime and heroic determination of great souls to
y;nd;cate mans manhood, living or dying, that
ever gives success Every Hungarian that has
fallen il a tongue Of liberty in the world. BE-
tween the Russian Bear and the Austrian Snake
there was but little hopeof victory for their na-
tive land. But though Hungary has lost her
hest sons the world has gained them. They
stand nm above all division lines Of States, and
INSPIRE men everywhere with a hatred 70 oP-
nrcytion and determination to be free NO u
y the mark Of q coward to be afraid to strike
until he i sure of victory-until he has calcu-
lated the profit and loss, and has . sale CONNER
cial prospect of gaining II is the rsry marx,
in al ages, Of Man, that he is wiling 70 d'e
| for SENTIMENT
On their way back to this city, our clerical
.xsr,;ns,s bsld a grave consultation. swell,