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

resign your proud position, and resign your still
proudcr future, and be a power on earth no
more
Thus, hope have sufficiently shown, thai
should even that doctrine Of non.interference
have been established by the founders Of your
| republic that which would have been very con.
venient to your infancy, would not be conye.
nient to your manhood.
| Ii is a beautiful word of Montesquieu, thai
| republics are 10 be founded on virtue And
| you know that virtue, sanctioned by our
Christian religion is but the effective exercise OF
Irncple--s Thou shalt do TO Others as thou
desrest others TO do to thee" So, | am conf
dent, that it were sufficient for me To rely sim
piy--for the decision of the question have the
honor now To treat--upon the vlrtuous feelings
OF your generous republican hearts, and the
consistency OF principles But still beg leave
to mention also, in material respects, some es-
sentia difference between your present condi-
ton and that OF yore
Then your infant republic, composed of lhir
teen States, was restricted TO the borders of the
Atlantc.--Now your giant republic spreads to
the Gulf Of Mexico, the Pacific, and your terri
tory is a world. Your right hand reaches
Europe over the waves, while your left hand
reaches over the Pacific, the East of Asia and
there you stand in proud immensely, world
yourself.
Then you were 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 soiI--that
honorable occupation, which in every age has
proved 10 be The most inexhaus.ible, the most
unfalterng source of public welfare and Of pri-
vate happlness--as also the most unwavering
ally of the love Of freedom, the most faithful
prcserver 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 consideration,
that this immense agricultural interest, which
deriving large markets. and affording at the
same time most solid basis also to your man
ufactural 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
tional principles because the principles of lib.
erty are everlasiingly the sane; but in respect
to the exigencies Of your policy, it is imposs-
bic not to eel that, if you are to be regulated in
other interests to-day than it had then; and if
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 perhaps
never again come time when the elevation Of
your policy to the high level of principles iien
tilted with liberty, could prove either more go-
rious to you, or more beneficial to humanity !;
because we in Europe are apparently on the
eve of that day, when either the hopes or 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 it is en-
tireIy an unfounded suppostion, that the doe
trine of non-interference in foreign matters had
been, to the people of the United States, by
your great Washington, bequeathed to be con-
stitnlional principle to you.
No. that is not the case
Firstly: Washington never even recommend
ed non-interlerence, or Indifference to the fate
of other nations to you He has only recon-
mended neutrality. And there is a mighty diff
ference between these two ideas
Neutrality is an idea which has reference to a
state of war between the two belligerent Pc ers,
plated when he, in his Farewell Address, advised
the people of the United States, not to en-
ter into eniangling alliances Let QUARREL
ing powers-let quarrelng nations war; you
consider your own concerns, and lie. foreign
powers quarrel about ambitious topics, or scanty,
particular interests. Neutrality is matter of
conyenience--not of principle.
But even as Neutrality has reference to n
state of war between beligerent powers, the
principle OF non-nterference has, on the contrary
reference to the sovereign right of nations to dis
pose of their own domestic concerns
Therefore these two ideas of neutrality and
non-interference are two entirely different ideas
having reference TO two entirely different mat
ters
The sovereign right of whatever nation to
dispose of itself, to alter its institutions 10
change the form of its own government, is >
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 it is common
law of mankind, in which, being common law
Of mankind, every nation is equally interested
You must recognize it, secondly, because the
very existence of your great republic, as also
lne. independence Ol every nauoH, rests upon tns
bass-upon this ground If that sovereign
right of nations were no common public law of
mankind, then your own independent existence
would be no matter of right, but only matter
of fact, which might be subject to whatever
time, to whatever chances of power and Of VIC.
lence.
And where is the citizen Of the United
States who would not feel revoted against the
idea that the existence of this great republic is
not a righteous, nor n lawful one, but only a
mere accident, mere matter Of fietl
If it were so, You were net entitled TO invoke
the projection of God for your great county
because the protection of God cannot, without
sacrege, be invoked bnt in behalf of justice
and right You had no right TO look to the
sympathy of mankind for Yourself because you
would profess an abroga,ion of the laws of ho-
manity, upon which is founded your own indie
pendence, your own existence
Now, gentlemen, if these be principles of
common law, of that law which God has given
TO all, and to every nation Of humanity,-if the
faculty to dispose Of itself is the common, law.
/ full right of every nation then the interference