The southern press., 1851-12-16
VOL. III

connected with. And II you cannot remain in
different, so You must feel resolved TO put you
own self consistent weight into that balance, il
which the fate and condition of the worlo i
weighed.
In a word, the glorious Repubic Of tn,
United States mus feel resolved to be "A T0ioe
on earth--a power among the nations; or els,
itself would be doomed 10 continual decay, anc
soon cease TO be great, glorious and free.
| You are a power on earth. You must be
power on earth. 81, OF course, you must ais,
unhesitaiingly accept all the natural consr
quences Of this situation. You cannot allow tina
any power whatever should dispose Of the fat,
Of ihnt great family of mankind Of which you ar.
such prominent menb or else you wouln
resign your proud position, and resign your still
prouder future, and be a power on earth ne
more
Thus, l hope have sufficiently shown, thai
should even that doctrine of non. interference
have been established by the fsa .derspf your
republic, that which would have BEEN very con-
venient IN your infancy, would not be conve
nj mt TO yonr manhood.
/, is beautiful word OF Montesqnieu, that
ret ublics are 10 be founded on virtue. And
! YOU know that virtue, rs sanctioned by our
Christian religion, Is but the effective exercise OF
i u
desirest others 10 do 10 thee" So, am conf
dent, that It were Sufficient for me to rely sim
py--for the decision ot the question have the
honor now to treat--upon the yirtuous feelings
of your generous republican hearts, and the
consistency Of principles. But still beg leave
to mention also. in material respects, some es.
sential difference between your present condi-
! ton and that of yore.
Then your infant republic, composed of thr
teen States, was restricted to the borders Of the
Atlantic Now your gi,nt republic spreads to
the Gulf Of Mexico, the Pacific, and your terri.
tory Is world. Yonr right hand reaches
Europe over the waves, while your left hand
reaches over the Pacific, the East Of Asia; and
then, in the midst Of two great continents.
there you stand, in proud immensely, n world
yourself!
Then you were a small people of three and
a half millions. Now you are mighty nation
of twenty-four millions And more than fifteen
millions out of these twenty -four are over yon
der immense territory, the richest in the world.
employed in the cultivation Of the soil--tha
honorable occupation, which in every age la,
proved to be the most inexhaustbe, the mos
unfaltering source of public welfare and Of pri
vate happiness-as also the most unwayerinR
ally Of the love of freedom, the most faithful
/ preserver of all those straight, noble and gener.
| Gus sentiments which the constant occupation
with ever-young, ever. great, ever. beneficial ma
ture imparts TO man. Add to this conside alton,
that this immense agricultural interest, which
deriving large markets, and affording at the
same tune a most solid basis also TO your man.
ufactura industry and To your commerce. has
developed in such an immense proportion, makes
such boundless difference between the infant
republic of the time of Washington and your
present giant republic; that though you may
very well be attached to your original constitu
tiopal principles, because the principles Of lib
erly are everlastDgly the same; but in respect
to the exigencies Of your policy, it is imposs
bic not TO ieel that, if you are to be regulated in
your policy by interest, then your country has
other interests to-day than il had then; and II
ever you are TO be regulated in your policy by
The higher consideration of principles, then you
are already strong enough TO feel that the time
has come TO do so. And |, standing here before
you to plead the cause of oppressed humanity
[ resolutely declare that there may perhap.
never again come tins when the elevation /, {
your policy u the high level of principles lien
tilted with liberty could prove either more glo
rious to you, or more beneficial to humanity /.
because we in Europe are apparently on the
eve Of that day, when either the hopes sr the
fears Of oppressed nations will be crashed for
long time.
Having stated so far the difference of the sit.
uation, beg leave now to state that il is en-
tirely an unfounded suppositon, that the doc
\ trine of non-interference in foreign matters hid
been, TO The people Of The United States, bs
your great Washington, beqneathed to be con
stituiional principle TO you.
| No that j. not the case.
Firstly: Washington never even recommend
ed Don-interierence, or ind ference To the fat,
Of other natl ms to you. He has only recon-
mended neutrality. And here is a mighty dit
ference between these two ideas.
Neutrality is an idea which has reference to n
state of war betwee the two belligerent powers.
and il IL this case which Washington contem
plated when he. in hi~ Fsrewell Address, advised
the people Of the United STATES. not TO en-
ter into entangling alliances. Let QUARREL
ing powers--let quauelling nations war. YOU
consider your own concerns, and le: f'reig'
powers quarrel about ambti us top c., or &C mt,
| p rticular interests. Neulrlity is a matter ~
convenience-nut Of principle.
| But even rs Neutrality has reference TO -
state Of war between brlligerent powers. the
principle of non interference has, On the contrary
reference 10 the sovereign right Of nations to dis
! pose Of their own domestic concerns
Therefore these two ideas Of neutrality and
non-inierference are two entirely different idea
having reference TO two entirely different mat
| tera
! The sovereign right Of whatever nation TO
| dispose Of itself, 10 alter its institutions, 10
change the form of its own government, is y
common public law OF nations. common to all.
and. therefore, put under the common guarantee
| of ALL
] This sovereign right Of every nation to dis
pose Of itself, you, the people Of the United
States, must recognize. because II isa com.nor
law of mankind, in which, being q common Law
Of mankind, every nation Is equally inter sted
You must recognize il, secondly, because the
very existence of your great republic, as also
the Independence Of every nation, rests upon Thu
basis-upon this ground. II that sovereign
right Of nations were no common public law Of
mankind then ybur own independent existence
would be no matter Of right, bat only matt z
i Of fact, which might be subject to whatever
time, to whatever chances Of power and of VIC
leuce.