Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-12-20

of public welfare and of private happinessas also the
most unwavering ally of the love OF freedom, the most
faithful preseryer Of all those straight noble and gener
sentiments which the constant occupation with ever
young evergreat cverbenefcal nature imparts TO
Add to this consideration that this immense agricultural
interest which, deriving large markets and afordng at
the time solid basis also to your manufac
tura industry and to commerce, has developed in
such immense proportion makes such boundless diff
ference between the infant Republic OF the time OF Wash
ington and your giant Republic that though you
may very well be attached your original constitutional
principles because the principles of liberty eyeras
ngy the but in respect to the exgencies Of
policy it is impossible feel that If you to be
regulated in your policy by interest then your country
has other interests to-day than had then and If ever
you to be regulated in your policy by the higher
sderation of principles, then you 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, resouely declare that there may
perhaps never again time when the elevation OF
your policy the high level Of principles identified with
liberty could prove either more glorious to you or more
beneficial to humanity, because in Europe appa
rently the of that day when either the hopes
the fears of oppressed nations will be crushed for
| long time.
Having stated so far the difference of the situation,
beg leave to state that it is entirely unounded
superstition that the doctrine Of nonnerference in foreign
matters had BEEN the people of the United States by
your great Washington, bequeahed to be constitutional
| principle to you No; that is not the case.
Firstly. Washington recommended non-inter
ference Indifference to the fate of other nations to you
He has only recommended neutrality And there is a
mighty difference between these two ideas
Neutrality is idea which has reference to state of
war between two begerent Powers and it is this
which Washington contemplated when he in his Farewell
Address advised the people Of the United States not to
enter into entangng alliances Let quarreing Powers,
let quarrelng nations war; you consider your
Germs and let foreign Powers quarrel about ambitious to-
pics scanty particular interests Neutrality is mat
ter of convenience, not of principle.
But neutrality has reference to state OF war
between beligercnt Powers the principle of nonnterer
ence has, on the contrary to the gh
of nations dispose Of their domestic concerns.
Therefore these ideas of neutrality and nonnter
ference two entirely different IDEAS having reference
to two entirely different matters
The sovereign right of whatever nation to dispose of
ITSELF to alter its institutions change the form of its
own government is common public law of nations, COM
to all and therefore put under the common guaranty
Of all.
This sovereign right Of every nation to dispose of itself
you the people Of the United States recognise be-
cause it common law of mankind, in which, being
common law of mankind every nation is equally interest
ed You must recognise it, secondly, because the very
existence Of your great republic also the independence
Of every nation rests upon this bassrests upon this
ground If that sovereign right of nations COM
mon public law of mankind, then your own Independent
existence would be matter of right but only matter
of fact which might be subject to whatever time to what
ever chances Of power and Of violence
/ And where is the citizen of the United States who
would feel revoed against the idea that the existence
Of this great republic is not righteous lawful one
but only mere accident, mere matter of fact?
If it So you not entitled to invoke the pro-
lection of God for your great country because the pro-
lection of God cannot without sacriege, be invoked but
in behalf of justice and right You had right to look
to the sympathy of mankind for yourself, because you
would profess abrogaton of the laws of humanity,
upon which is founded your own independence your
existence.
Now, gentlemen if these be principles of law,
of that Jaw which God has given to ALL and to every
ton of humanity if the faculty dispose of itself is the
common lawful right of every nation then the nerfer
with this law of all humanity the violent
of hindering, by armed forces nation from exer
Ms n VIC
ton of that public law upon which your very
stence rests, and which, being common law of all
humanity is by God himself placed under the safeguard
Of all humanty because it God himself who commands
to love neghbor love ourselves, and to do
towards others desire others to do towards
selves.
Upon this point you cannot remain Indifferent. You
may well remain neutral to every between two be
gerent nations, but you cannot remain Indifferent to the
violation of the common law of humanity That ndifer
ence WASHINGTON has never taught you defy every
to show me- out of the eleven volumes of Washing
toms writings single word to that effect. He
mended neutrality in the of foreign but he
recommended Indifference to the violation Of the
common laws Of humanity by interference of foreign
Powers with the sovereign right of nations dispose of
themselves.
And he could not have recommended this indifference
without ceasing to be wise he because there Is
without justice, wisdom earth He could not have
recommended without becoming inconsistent because
this common law of mankind which your forefahers
invoked, before God and mankind when they proclaimed
your independence 1t he himself your great Wash
ington who only accepted but asked again again
foreign aidforegn help for the support of that
Law of mankind in respect of your independence.
knowledge and instruction universally spread
amongst the enlightened people of the United States the
history of your country such household science the
lonely hearhs Of your settlements that it
be sufficient for to refer in that respect to the
instructions and correspondence between Washington and
the Minister of Paris the equally immortal Franklin the
modest man, with the proud epitaph which tells the world
that he wrested the lightning from Heaven and the scep
| tire from the tyrants hands.
This have proved believe, that Washington never
bequeathed toyou the principle of interference against
the violation Of the sovereign right of nations dispose
of themselves and to regulate their institutions but
he taught you only neutrality in respect to the of
| foreign nations
will go further; and that even that doctrine Of
neutrality he taught and bequeahed to you
stitutonal principle, lasting regulation for all future
time, but only matter Of temporary policy. refer
in that respect to the very words Farewell Address
There he states explicitly that sit your policy to
clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the for
egn world" These are his very words Policy is the
word and you know policy is the science Of prnc
pes but of exgences and that principles are Of
by free and powerful nation, be sacrificed
exigencies. The exigencies passing away, like the
bubbles Of rain but the nation is immortal it must
consider the future ALSO and only the egotstica com
fort of the passing hour must be that to i'm
mortal nation nothing be Of higher Importance than
| immortal principles.
will go yet further, and state that this policy Of
neutrality Washington taught you, not permanent
rule, but temporary convenience.
prove it again by referring the very words Of his
Farewell Address when he his policy