Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1851-12-15
SPEECH OF KOssUTH
At the Dinner OF the City Authorities
of New York.

II
was my prodigious lot TO experience since am
on your glorious shores, that unable to find words
TO express my feelings and knowing thar the hon
or met with has the higher meaning of princ-
Piles, | at once beg leave to fall back TO my du-
ties, which are the lasting topics OF my reflections,
sorrows, and hopes. take the present occasion
for a highly important opportunity take it for
such as will probably decide about the success or
failure of my visiting the United States. l must,
therefore, humby crave your indulgence for
pretty long, plain, aud in no case eloquent de-
yelopment of my humble views, for the benefit of
that cause which the citizens OF New York, and
you particularly, gentlemen, honor with your gen.
eroas sympathy.
When consider the sympathy of the people
Of the United States for the cause Of Hungary, so
generally ditInsed as to be almost universal, and
SO resolateiy pronounced, as men pronounce those
feelings winch are intended TO be followed by
noble and great deeds, would feel inclined 10
take your generous aid for the restoration of my
native land to lis sovereign independence already
granted In pr0ciple, and for me nothing left TO
do but TO enter into negotiation about the ar
rangement of the details, were my confident hopes
not checked by that idea of non-nerierence in
foreign, chiefly European, affairs, which, accord
ing TO the numerous testimonials of your most dis
tlngulshed politicians, we told TO be one of the
ruling and lasting principles of the policy of the
United States.
l highly respect the source of this conviction,
gentlemen. This source is your religious attach
ment TO the doctrines of those great men, who
highly proved to all posterity their wisdom, by
bequeathing TO you the immortal work of that
Constitution, which, aided by the unparalleled
benefits OF nature, has raised you in the short pc
rlod of seventy-6ve years, from the precarous po-
sltlon OF an infant people, to the prodigious
strength Of giant nation The beneficial results
of the wisdom Of the founders of your great Re-
public you see in happy reality. What would
be the consequences of the departure from that
wisdom, you are not sure Of 1t is, therefore,
natural that you feel an instructive fear to touch,
even with improving hands, the dear legacy of
those great men.
And as to your glorious Constitution, all hu-
mainly can only wish, in the common interest Of
mankind, that you and your posterity may yet
long conserve this religious attachment to its fun
damental principles, which by no means exclude
development and progress; and that every citizen
OF your great Union, thankfully acknowledging
the immense benefits of this Constitution, may,
even in the moments of the most passionate irri.
tation, never forget 10 love that Constitution more
than the momentary passion of his heart, or the
egotstical interest Of the passing hour. May ev-
cry citizen of your glorious country forever re-
member that partial discomfort of a corner in a
large, sure, and comfortable house, may be we'll
amended without breaking the Foundation of it;
and that amongst all possible means of getting rid
of that corners partial discomfort, the worst
would be to burn down The house with our own
hands.
Rnt while Tins aeknnuledsa the wisdom Of
yonr attachment to the fundamental doctrines of
the founders Of your United Republic, beg leave
with equal frankness, TO state, that, in my opin-
ION, there can be scarcely anything more danger
Gus to the progressive development of whatever
nation, than to take for basis that which is none;
to take for principle that which is but the con-
venlence Of the passing situation; to take for sub
stantial that which s but accidental, or take for
constitutional doctrine that which was but the
momentary exigency of administrative policy
Such course of action would be like 10 that
when healthy man would refuse to take SUBJ
stantlal food, because, when he was once laboring
under weakness of stomach, his physician order
ed him to keep severe diet. The consequence
would be consumption death.
Let me suppose, gentlemen, that yonder doc
trlne OF non-interference was really bequeathed
to you by your Washington-and that it was not,
will prove TO you afterwards; and let me even
suppose that your Washington impaired such
meaning to yonder supposed doctrine, which
were equivalent to the words of Can,-esAm
be of course sacrilege. But suppose all this.
and believe that, even under such suggestions,
may be entitled to asks the dress which suit
ed the child, still convenient to the full grown
man-nay to the giant which you are? Would it
not be ridiculous to lay the giant in the child's
cradle, and to sing him to sleep by lullaby?
In those times Of the foundation of the United
States, you were an infant people, and the large
dress OF your then comparatively not large terri
tory, hung loose on your puerlle limbs In those
times, you had, of course, no wiser thing to do
bat TO grow-to grow, and still to grow!
but now, you are SO far grown, that there is no
foreign power on earth from which YOU have any
thing to fear Tor your own existence, for your own
| security. This being your present condition YOU
Fave entered into the second stadium of political ex-
stence, the destination of which is not ONLY to ex
Isl Tor yourself exclusively, but exist as member
| Of the great human family Of nations having the
right to all claims, which due from that family
towards every one OF its full grown members but a
so engaged TO every duty which that great family
has the right TO claim from every one OF it's CuI
! grown members.
A nation may be IN the situation, either by COM
parataye weakness, by choice and policy as Japan
and China, or by both these motives, as Paraguay
under Dr. Francla, to live life secluded from the
VERDI laeiferent to the doctrines Of mankind in
which IT cannot, or will not, have any share: but
then it must be prepared to become also excluded
IRON the benefits Of progress, civilization, and ma
tonai Intercourse Such nation may well say, 81
don't care about the fate Of whatever other nations
| in The world.'
But am sure no citizen Of the United States had
has. or will have, the wish to see this country de-
graded to the ro.ting vegetation of Paraguay, or
the mummy existence Of Japan and China, The
ieeng oil seli-dgnity, and the expansive quality of
that enteprising spirit, which are congenaI to free
men, would revolt against the very idea Of such
degrading national captivity. But, if there were
even ,Nu 10 live such mummy life, there were no
| possibility to do SO!
The very existence Of your great country, the
position, It's present state Of civilization and ali its
moral and material interosLs ...a..l.I LII -