The republic., 1851-12-16


every struggle against oppression, forbid that
should be indifferent TO a case tohich the strong arm
~ foreign polDeT invoked TO stfs public senfi-
asnt, and rePress The spirit Of freedom IN any
Hy' Now, gentlemen, here is the ground which
take for my earnest endeayors TO benefit the cause
OF hungary. | have only respectfully to ask, is a
principle which the public opinion of the people of
the United States resoutely PROCESSES, and the
| GOycrnment Of the United States with the full
! continent Of its responsibility, declares TO your
tonsress TO be ruling principle of your National
GoVernment-is that principle meant TO be seriousS
Indeed, confess that il would be the most i'm.
! pertinent outrage toward your great people, and
! your National Government, 10 entertain the of
icDding opinion that what the people of the United
! states and its National Government in such sol
cam diplomatic manner, profess 10 be ruling prin-
ciple OF your policy, should not be meant to be but
Joke about the mvst sacred interests of humanity.
Noh Iorbld That should feel the lmpertinent AFRO
| sRnco to think so therefore take the principle
| oi your policy as find it Established without any
interference; and come in the name of oppressed
humanity to claim the natural, logical, unavoid-
able, practical consequences of your own freely
! chosen Government policy, which you have avowed
to the whole world--the right to claim the reaiza-
ton OF those expressions which your sovereign peo
! pie OF the United States have chosen, out of your
| own accord, to raise in the bosom OF my country
nleu and OF oppressed humanity.
You Will excuse me, gentlemen, for having dwelt
spiongabou that principle OF non intervention with
European measures bat have found this rock
! thrown IN my way when spoke of what humbly
request of the United States. have been charged
. W nave tue arrogance 10 Cnangc Jour existing pol
icy; and as in one speech |, of course. cannot ex
! haust the whole mighty complex OF my mission
choose for the present opportunity to develop my
views about that fundamental principle of not
caring about European concerns and having
shown, not theoretically but practically, that il is
a mistake 70 think that you had, at whatever time,
| such apology, and having shown that, should you
ever have entertained such policy, you had aban.
| doned it, and were forced by circumstances to
abandon it. So much, at least. ! hope to have
achieved My humble requests to your operative
| sympathy may still be opposed by don't know
what other notivcs but that objection will never
| more meet-not 10 interfere with European con-
Germs; this objection is disposed of and forever,
! hope.
! il remains now to investigate, that having pro-
| lessed not to be Indifferent to the cause of Euro
| pean freedom, IS the cause Of Hungary such to
have just claims to your active and operative
| slstance and support? 1t is, gentlemen TO prove
| this do not now intend to enter into an explana.
ton OF the particulars of our struggle, hch had
the honor TO direct as the chosen Chief Magistrate
oImy native land tits highly gratifying to me to
see the cause OF hungary is, except some ridicu-
lous misrepresentation of i'll will, correctly under
stood here will only state one fact, and that is
| that our endeavorngs for independence
| crushed down by the armed interference of for
| eign despotie power-the principle of all evil on
| qNrth-Russia; and, stating this fact, will not
| again lntrude upon you with my own views but
recall to your memory the doctrines established by
| your own statesmen. Firstly, again l return to
| your great Washington. He says in one Of his
letters TO Lafayette, :" My politics are plain and
| sllDplc tnllK every natlOn mas right to e5taD-
sh that form OF government under which 1t con-
ceives 1t can live most happy and that no govern
nents ought to interfere with the internal concerns
| of another"
a principle Of Washington principle, and no
| doctrine of temporary policy, calculated for the
FIRST twenty years OF your infancy. Russia has in
| terfered with the internal concerns of Hungary
and By doing 80 has violated the policies of the
United States, established lasting principle by
Washington himself 1t as lasting principle. ]
would invoke in my support the opinion Of every
statesman of the United States, of every party OF
every time; but, to time, come from the first
President of the United States at once to the last
and recall to your memory this word of the present
annual message of his excellency President Fill
more: "Let every people choose for ITSELF and
make and alter its political Institutions to suit its
own condition and convenience"
Here again take my ground upon this principle
established by Washington, making the basis OF
your own existence, and professed and acknow-
iedged by your very present Government, only to
SHOW that am aware of the policy and political
OPP mon oil your present Government also. / beg
leave to quote your present Secretary OF State Mr.
Webster's statement, who, in his speech on the
Greek question, speaks so ''The law Of nations
maintains that, IN extreme cases. resistance il law
iui, and that one nation has right to interfere in
the affairs OF another" WE'LL that precisely is the
ground upon which Huugarans stand But !
may perhaps meet the bjection-I am sorry TO say
have met it already-"well, VIC own that il has
been violated by Russia in the case Of Hungary,
but, after all, what is, Hungary to US? Let every
people take care OF itself." SO some speak /; il
Ia the old doctrine of private egotisnl-s' every
one for himself and God for al'' / will answer |
the objection, not by my own humble views but !
again by the words Of Mr. Webster, who in his |
alluded 10 speech on the Greek question, having !
professed the sovereign right of every nation to
dispose of its own concerns to be law of nations
thus is going on: 'But it may be asked, what is |
all that 10 US" The question is easily answered |
We arc one of the nations, and we a nation have
precisely Inc same interest in international law
private individual has in the laws of his coun-
try"
You see, gentlemen, / had again good authori- |
ty to quote. The principle which your honorable
Secretary OF State professes is principle of eternal
truth. No man can disavow it, no political party |
disavow it, Thus am in tine happy condition
to address my humble prayers in that respect not
to party, but to the whole people OF the United
States, which will go TO do SO long as have |
no reason to contemplate any party opposite or in
different TO my country's cause, because else of
course | would have to address those who
friends, and not those who either Indifferent or
antagonistic. But it may be from quarters
avowed, 'Well we acknowledge the Justice of that |
principle, of every nations sovereign right to
acknowledge il to be law of nations that no for
eign power has right to interfere in the affars of
an, theT, and determined to respect this |
common law OF mankndj bat, ii others do not re-
spect that law, II is not our business to medde
with them" Let me answer by ANALYSIS "Every |
nation has some interest in the international career,
as private individual has in the laws of his coun-
try" That is an acknowledged principle of the
United States Consequently every nation is, in
respect to international law precisely in the
condition private individual is in respect 10 the +
laws OF his country.
Well, where is the condition of private individ-
ual in respect to the laws OF his country? Is it only
that he has himself not 10 violate the law, is it
that far as ia in his power, he should also pre-
vent others from violating the law9 Suppose you
see that wicked msn 10 about - rob, 20 murder I
your neighbor, or to burn his hokse, will you wrap
yourself in your own virtuous lawfulncss and say,
81 don't rob, don't murder, don't burn; but what
others do s not my business. / am not my bro.
thcr's keeper. sympathize with him; but am
not obliged to help him that he may not be robbed,
murdered. or bprnt." What honest man of the |
world would answer SO? None of you None of !
the people Of the United Stales am sure. That
would be the damned maxim of the Pharisees of
old, who thanked God that they were not as others
were. Our Saviour was not cantent to go himself |
Trading in the hall OF the temple, but he had driven
on, those who we're trading there. Now, what the \
duty of an individual is in respect to the laws of
his country, the same duty has a nation in respect
TO intcrnatonnllaw. The duty has other limit I
but only the power to fulfil it. OF course il cannot
be expected that the republic of St. Marno. or the