American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-12-11
From the Philadelphia Evening BulIetin. |
A Naval Interyensiou,

cotemporary journal proposes that our
Government should make overtures to those of
England and France, in favor of an armed in
tervention against Russia, in the event of her
undertaking, a second time, to put down a
rising in Hungary. The plan suggested is, that
the Gar must first be warned against interfer-
ing between Austria and the Magyars, and then
ii he disregards the admonition, that the COM
bined fleets of England, France, and the United
States should be despatched to the Baltic and
the Black Sea respectively, there to blockade
his ports
We doubt, in the first place, the feasibility of
this scheme. Even if our own Government was
disposed to take the initiative, it is exceedingly
questionable whether England, much less
France, would assent to the proposition and
in case of refusal, the whole responsibility
of q movement so offensive to Russia would
fall upon ourselves We doubt, also, the eff
cacy of q merely naval Intervention. 1t is true
that, by such process, the commerce of that
country would be destroyed for the time but,
perhaps, no nation in the world would suffer
less by a cessation of her commerce than Rus
sla We believe, in consequence, that the Gar
would continue to prosecute his designs in Hun
| gary, regardless Of the blockade; and that we
should have at last, to interfere with armies,
or give up the point.
In the second place, the intervention which
this scheme contemplates would be opposed to
the best interests of the United States. Hereto
fore our policy has been to refrain, in the words
of Washington from "entangling foreign alli-
ances;" and, under that policy, we have grown
great, and have escaped the common curse of
modern nations-a heavy national debt. The in
tervention contemplated, whether successful or
not would cost us enormous sums, most of which
would have to be borrowed. 1t was when Eng
land began to interfere in the politics Of Europe,
on the accession of William the Third, that the
foundation other present enormous debt was laid;
yet, in the space of less than one hundred and
seventy years, that debt has risen to four thou
sand millions of dollars. 1t is that debt, too,
which is the cause Of all Great Britain's inter-
nal miseries. 1t keeps her people in political
subjection; it has made every ninth man a
beggar; it has sacrificed even the once power
ful landed interest, at the shrine of an insatate
Mammon. Let us take warning Our liberties
are not immortal, unless our vigilance is i'm
mortal also. What has happened to others may
yet happen to ourselves.
If we begin to interfere in the affairs of
Europe, we shall find that we can never stop. If
we assist Hungary to-day we must help Italy
tomorrow and if Italy tomorrow, then Ire
land the day after. Having thus involved our
selves successfully with Russia, Austria, and
England, we shall find ourselves, at last, met
by coalition of all three against us: and there
will not be, in the whole world, single power
with the means, even if the inclination, to as
sist US. Our aggressive policy, too, may be re-
torted on ourselyes-Russia may land armies
on our southern coasts may rouse the slum
bering animosities of Mexico against us; may
descend from the settlements in the northwest,
and seize Oregon and California.
1t is noble idea to consider ourselves the
worlds redresser, and one especially apt to
overcome enthusiastic minds. But we should
take care, before we set ourselves for the Office,
that we 10 not risk our own existence, and with
it the only refuge for liberty upon the globe.
" Look before you leap" is an old adage, and
o good one.