The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-12-16

FIR: Ia returning you my most humble thanks
for the honor you did me by your toast, and by
the benefit of coupling my humble name Will
that cause which is the sacred aim Of my life,
confess to be so overwhelmed with emotion b,
all it was my prodgous lot to experience since
am on your glorious shores, that unable 10
lind words to express my feelings, and knowing
that all the honor | meet with has the higher
meaning OF principles, at once beg leave to fall
back to my duties, which are the lasting topics
OF ny reflections, my sorrows, and my hopes.
take the present occasion for highly important
opportunity. take it for such will probably
decide about the success or failure of my visit
ing the United States. must therefore humbly
embrace your indulgence for a pretty loni, plain,
and in no case eloquent development Of my
humble views, to the benefit of that cause which
the citizens of New York, and you particularly,
gentlemen, honor with your &, nerous sympathy
When consider the sympathy Of the people
of the United States for the cause of Hungary,
so generally dihused as to be almost univers l.
and 80 res0lutely pronounced M men pronounce
those feelings, which are intended to be followed
by noble and great deeds, would feel inclined
to take your generous aid for the restoration of
my native land to its sovereign independence,
already as granted in principle, and for me no
about the arrangement of the details, were my
confident hopes not checked by that idea OF non
interference in foreign, chiefly European, af-
fairs, which, according to the numerous testimo-
malls of your most distinguished politicians, we
are told to be ore of theruling and lasting prn-
cpes of the policy of the United States.
highly respect the source of this conviction,
gentlemen. This source is your religious attach
mi tn ba ctriu nf aut yhn
highly proved to all posterty their wisdom, by
bequeaihng to you the immortal work of that
Constitution which, aided by the unparalleled
benefits of Nature, has raised you, in the short
perio Of seventy five years from the precarious
position of an infant people to the prodigious
strength of giant ration. The beneficial re-
suits of the wisdom OF the founders Of your great
republic you see in happy reality. What
would be the consequences of the departure
from that wisdom, You are not sure of 1t is,
therefore, natural that you feel an instructive fear
to touch, even with improving hands, the dear
legacy Of those great men.
And AZ to your glorious Constitution, all hu
manity can only WISH in the common interest of
mankind, that you ard your posterty may yet
long conserve this religious attachment to it's
fundamental principles, which by no means ex-
clude development, and progress and that every
citizen of your great Union, thankfully &C
knowledgng the immense benefits of this Con
stitution, may even in the moments of the most
passionate irritation, never forget to love that
G. Institution more than the momentary passion
of his heart, or the egotistical interest of the
passing hour. May every citizen of your go-
rious country forever remember that partial
discomfort of a corner in large, sure and com
Portable house, may be we'll amended without
breaking the foundation of il; and that among
all possible means of getting rid of that corners
partial discomfort, the worst would be to burn
down the house with our own hands
But while thus acknowledge the wisdom OF
your attachment to the fundamental doctrines
OF the founders Of your united republic, ! beg
leave with equal frankness, to state that, in my
opinion, there can be scarcely anything more
dangerous to the progressive development of
whatever nation, than TO take for basis that
which is none-to take for principle that which
is but the convenience of the passing situation,
Ito take for substantial that which is but acc.
dental, or take for constitutional doctrine that
which was but tire momentary exgency of adj
ministrative policy. Such II course of action
would be like to that, when Il healthy man
would refuse to take substantial food, because
when he was once aboring under weakness OF
stomach, his physici ordered him severe diet
to keep. The consequence would be consump-
tion-death
Lei me suppose, gentlemen. that yonder doc
trine Of non.interterence was really bequeathed
to you by your Washington-and that it was
not, will prove TO YOU afterward and let me
even suppose that your Washington impaired
such meaning TO yonder supposed doctrine
which were equivalent TO the words of Cain
"Am | my brothers keeper (which suppose.
ton would be of course sacrilege But sup.
pose all this. Aud believe that, even under
such suppositions may be entitled to asks
the dress which well suited the child still con
yenient to the full grown man-nay to giant,
which you are Would il not be ridiculous TO
lay the giant in the child's cradle, and to sing
him TO sleep by lullaby
In those times of the foundation Of the United
States. you were an infant people, and the large
dress of your then comparatively not large ter.
ritory, hung loose on your puerile limbs. In
those times, you had, of course, no wiser thing
TO do, but to grow-to grow and to grow
But now You are 30 far grown that there is no
foreign power on earth fro which you have
anything TO fear for your own existence-for
your own secuiiv. This being your present
condition, you have entered into the second STA.
dunn of political existence, the destination OF
which is not only to exist for yourself exclu-
sively but TO exist az a member of the great
human family OF nations, having the right TO all
claims, which are due from that family towards
every one of lis full grown members, but also
engaged to every duty which that great family
has the right TO claim from every one Of its full
grown members
A nation may be in the situation, either by a
comparative Weakness or by choice and policy,
as Japan and China, or by both these motives
AZ Paraguay under DR.. Franca, to live life Sc
cluded from the world, Indifferent to the doc
trines of mankind, in which it cannot, or will
not, have any share but then il must be pre-
pared to become also excluded from the benefits
of progress, civilization, and national Intercourse
sub a nation may veil say," don't care about
the fate of whatever other nation in the world "
But J am sure no citizen of the United States
had, has, or ever will have, the wish to see this
country degraded 10 The rottng vegetation of q
Paraguay, or the mummy existence of Japan and
China The feeling of selEdignity, and the ex
pansiye quality OF that enterprising spirit, which
are congenial TO freemen, would revolt against
the very idea If such degrading national cap
tvhy. But, IL there were even oiH to live
such mummy life, there were no possibility to