Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1851-12-16
SPEECH OF KOSSUTH
At the Dinner of the City Authorities
of New York.
CONTINUED.

Then, you we've small people of three and
half millions. Now you are mighty nation of
tweni y-fonr millions. And more than nineteen
millions out of these twenty -four, are over Wonder
immense territory, the richest in the world en-
poyed IN the cultivation of the soil--that honora
bic occupation, which, In every age, has proved
to be the most inexhaustbe, the most unfaltering
source Of public welfare, and of private happi-
ness-as also the most unwavering ally of The
love of ireedom the most faithful preserver of all
those straight. noble, and generous sentiments
which the constant occupation with ever young,
eyer-gTeat, ever-benehcent Nature mparts TO man.
Add 10 this consideration, that this immense agr-
cultural interest, which, deriving large markets,
and atiording at the same time most solid basis
to your manufacturing industry, and to your COM
merce, has developed IN such an immense pro-
portion, makes such boundIess difference be-
tween the infant Republic of the time of Wash
lngton, and your present giant Republic, that
though you may very well be attached to your
original constitutional principles, because the prin-
clpes OF liberty are everlasungly the same; but
in respect to the exigencies Of your policy, it is
impossible snot TO feel that, if you are to be
regulated in your policy by interest, then your
country has other interests to-day than it had
then; and If ever you 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 distressed hu
manitv,-I resolutely declare that there NAV,
perhaps, never again come a time when the ele
walton of your policy 10 the high level of principles
identified with liberty, could prove either more
glorious 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 crushed for long time.
Having stated so far the difference of the situa-
ton, beg leave now to state, that it is entirely
an uDfounded supposition, that the doctrine of
non-lntererence III foreign matters had been, 10
the people of the United States, by your great
Washington, bequeathed to be a constitutional
principle to you.
No! that is not the case. Washington never
even recommended non-interference, or indffer-
ence, to the fate of other nations to you. He
has only recommended neutrality. And there is
mighty difference between these two ideas.
Neutrality is idea which has reference to
state of war between two bellgerent powers, and
it is this case which Washington contemplated,
when he, in his Farewell Address, advised the
people of the United States, not to enter into
entangling alliances. Let quarreing powers
let quarrelllng nations war; you consider your
own concerns, and let foreign powers quarrel
about ambitious topics, or scanty, particular inter-
not of principle.
of war between belllgerent powers, the principle
of non-interlerence has, on the contrary, refer
ence TO the sovereign right Of nations to dispose
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 matters.
The sovereign right of whatever nation, 10 dis
pose of itself, to alter its Institutions, to change
the form Of its own government, is common
public law of nations, common to all, and, there
fore, put under the common guarantee of
This sovereign right of every nation to dispose
of itself, you, the people Of the United States,
must recognize, because ii is common law Of
nakd n evs which being sg Of
You must recognize ii secondly, because the very
! existence of your great Republic, as also the
| independence of every nation, rests upon this
basls,-- 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, at any time TO
whatever chances Of power or violence.
And where is the citizen of the UnltedStates
who would not revolt against the idea, tlat the
existence Of this great republic is MOI righteous,
nor lawful one, but only mere ACCIDENT, a
mere matter of fact?
lit were SO, you were not entitled toinFoke
the protection of God for your great country;
because the protection of God cannot, wEhout
sacrilege be invoked but in behalf of justlcI and
right You had no right TO look TO the syppathy
Of mankind for yourself, because You woud pro-
fess an abrogation of the laws ofhumanlty upon
which is founded your own independence, your
own existence.
Mo-, ranttanoap &c thasa he nrincinlas r. com.
mon law, of that law which God has giveI to all
and to every nation of humanlty,-f the faculty
to dispose of itself is the common, lawful light o
every nation, then the interference with TIM com
mon law of all humanity, the violent act 4 hin
9erng by armed force, a nation from exereisln
that sovereign right, must be considered as VIC
laton Of that common public law upon who
your very existence rests, and which, being
common law of all humanity, is by God hmse
placed under the safeguard Of all humanity, be
, cause it is God himself who commands US TO Low
| our neighbors as we love ourselves, and to
toward others as we desire Others to do towar
| ourselves.
: Upon this point you cannot remain ind1eren
You may well remain neutral to every wal bt
E tween two belligerent nations, but you cannot re
main Indifferent to the violation of the commo
Jaw Of humanity. That indifference WAsHIN c
TON has never taught you. ! defy every man
show me out of the eleven volumes of Washn:
j toms writings, single word to that effect. II
E recommended neutrality in the case Of loreis
e wars; but he never recommended indifference
d the violation of the common laws of humant
I; by interference of foreign powers with the SOY
d reign right of nations to dispose of themselves.
is And he could not have recommended this i
difference without ceasing to be wise as he wa
le because there is, without justice, wisdom
!. earth He could not have recommended it wit
y out becoming Inconsistent, because it was Il
- common law of mankind which your forefathe
m invoked, before God and mankind, when tn
proclaimed your independence 1t was he hi
to self, your great Washington, who not only a
~ cepted, but asked, again and again, foreign al
foreign help, for the support of that comm
es law OF mankind, in respect TO your own indepen