The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-12-11


gentleman from Mississippi pour forth his elo-
quence, and speak "as never man spakeD in
behalf of the illustrious stranger to whom he
proposes to do honor and putt upon the ground
that it is because he has been true-true in
Hungary, true in England and hope in God
that he will be true hereto the maintenance
of the principles for the maintenance of which
he is an exile and he cannot 20 beyond nv
sympathy. feel it all | sympathize with It
all and want to turn it into no narrow sec
tional current want it to do what the hon
orable Senator said that some ow-minded
men feared that it would do want it to liber
alize the minds of the multitude, and to infuse
democratic sentiments into the hearts of the
great masses OF the people. That is the very
object propose. That is what want Iwant
him to come here, in his very person q living
reproach to despotism. of whatever name and
wherever it may be. | want him to come here
and in his very person to go through all this
land living advocate of the rights of man. so
that everybody, wherever he may he. who feels
in his breast that he is guilty Of any invasion
or infraction of those rights when he looks into
the face OF kossuth, may see there lineaments
that speak out reproach. That is the reason
why honor him. and that is the reason why I
want him to come here. ! want the resolution
to be as broad as the parties to be covered
Wherever there are victims of oppression.
want to speak to them. The gentleman has
offered q resolution to tender the sympathy of
the Government to o. rien, Meagher, and other
victims of wrong. | want this resolution 10
reach them. want it to 90 just as far as the
history of the United States goes. Iwant il to
go--as was eloquently said by distinguished
orator of this country " Lafayette when he
wasin this country, speaking of the voice Of
Washington raised in his behalf-so that the
voice Of sympathy may reach the oppressed
everywhere-so that it may reach the victims
of oppression in the dungeons of Austria if such
there be, and in any other dungeons upon earth
want the expression of sympathy to be broad
enough to reach Kossuth, Mitchell, O'Brien
and everybody else suffering in the cause of
human rights, without division and without
partalty, and such as to speak out and mani
fest Itself Ii is the Senator from Mississippi
who has undertaken to signalize and legalize
and give narrow meaning to words which in
their fair import admit of no such meaning
1t is he, if anybody, who has mind so diseased
upon this subject 80 gangrened with the mere
local application of a great principle that he
cannot view it in the light of statesman a
phaaas,l703S..> ;--.,t.- 60 -. u he has ..s,'
sncn irsilSss,,As,, p'~>, soy,s ~ .S,o- pc.
hin be ASSURED t1at isia IBIS regard u isa,t,
the representation of the sympathy and CO.
operation of all these that love liberty, and re-
spect and venerate its advocates irrespective
of all extraneous considerations and all extra
neous motives
Mr. Foote stated that his object in present
ing the resolution relative to the Compromise
measures. was to give full and permanent quiet
to the public mind
Mr. Cas- was in favor of the resolution of
the Senator from Mississippi, MIR Foote and
against the amendment of the Senator from
New Hampshire, Mr. Hale, for the reason
that 1T would go out distinctly to the whole
country as a declaration that the American
Government is against the institution of slavery
which exists in the Southern States of this
UnOnn
Mr.. Underwood opposed the resolution and
deprecated the precedent it would set He re-
garded Intervention in the affairs of other ma
tons as hostile to the genius of our Govern
ment and as "idle on the part of the Ameri-
can Congress to talk, to sympathize, to express
abstract sentiments unless in the progress of
things, you intend to execute those declarations
OF sentiment which you promugate to the
world"
He did not conceive it to be our duty. as
Legislators, to be dealing in compliments not
rendered to us or our country" He said:
/" Let this example be set-let us go into the
affairs of Europe, and express our opinion
about the European systems, European men
and measures, and what reason is there upon
the face of the earth why the American Con-
gress cannot get up and say we will express
our opinions about State systems, State meas
ures, State policy? And if you can look at
tyranny as you denominatc it, in any part Of
the world, do you not tolerate this gentleman,
Mr. Hale with whom have never had any
sympathy, in regard to his course of political
acton-although regard him, in point of so
cial intercourse, with good deal of affection
and esteem! Sir, do you not tolerate him in
getting up here and saying; Il want you to
intervene a little. | think Kentucky has acted
rather tyrannically. think Georgia the
State of my neighbor behind me, Mr. Daw-
son. has rather despotic system there; and |
want to express my sympathy for the oppress-
edp Sir, am against this resolution " out
and OUT