The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-02-24


leader Of the political party to which belong,
but more on account of the kind and cordial re-
lations existing between us. 1t was therefore,
with sincere pleas ure heard him announce that
he proposed no Intervention in the afflrs Of
other nations beyond an expression OF opinion
that the conduct of Russia had not been IN ac-
cordance with the law Of nations, and that we
could not look upon a similar violstion OF that
law with uncOncern.
shall not go out of my way to discuss with
the Senator from Michigan the propriety of the
expression Of such an opinion. shall address
myself rather to those who go far beyond that
honorable Senator, and demand material aid"
for Hungary. | am afraid that there is dspo-
siton in some quarters to undervalue the import
ance of this question Indeed have heard it,
on one or two occasions, characterized as an
abstraction. wish it was. In my opinion, it
is not only question Of immediate and pressing
Importance, but il is question, upon the correct
decision of which, must depend the liberty and
happiness of generations who are to come after
us.
A foreigner has landed upon our shores, preach
ing crusade against the nations OF the Old
World and boldly asking us to incorporate
new principle ia the foreign policy of the nation
OF that foreigner, it is necessary that ] should
say something. That he is M orator of con,id-
cradle ability, is conceded; but he is an orator
merely. To call hma hero, is, in my opinion, a
very near approach to the ridiculous. The man
who was the first to shrink at the approach of
the tempest he had raised, who abandoned his
country when he had still an army of one hun
dred and thirty FIVE thousand men al hi c,mmand
who surrendered the powers vested in him for the
good Of the State into the hands of man, whom
fer months, he had believed to be traitor, is
not made of such stutr as Washington, or Stump
ter, or Marion, or Greene. The excessive au
dations which have been heaped upon him since
his arrival among us, must, in the eyes of for
egn nations, who know his history far better than
We seem to know it, cover us with ridicue, if
not with contempt Not long since, saw Il let
ter, written by an individual in high place, in
which the writer seemed to be at loss for words
to express the amount of his reverence for the
" ilustrious Magyar" An American citizen,
fireman. talking about his reverence for any living
thing below the God that made him! Sir,
neither feel reverence, nor anything approaching
it, for one who has proved himself to be as weak
and vacillating in the hour of danger, AS he was
reckless and uncaculating before its approach.
But | have no wish to deal in unkind expressions
towards him. Asian individual, entertain for
him no feeling but that of Indifference. 1t is
almost impossible that he should ever become
either friend or an enemy of mine. Nor would
speak of him at ALL but for the doctrines he
advances and for the further fact, that he has
been invested by his advocates with almost num-
berless virtues for the purpose of enlisting SYM
pathy in his behalf and preparing the public
mind to yield reader assent to his teachings
None know better than the demagogues who
have surrounded him since his arrival here, that
the voice of wisdom may be drowned by the
wild shouts of frenzied mob, clamoring for
the establishment of freedom throughout the
world. And hence it is that we have him pre-
scented to us as pure republican, whose exile is
consequence OF his ministrations Mt the altar of
liberty, and whose whole life has been one long
labor in the cause Of human rights.
Now, sir, do not believe this but should
not trouble myself to contradict it, if it We're not
for the intention which dictates the eulogy
That he has labored, and is laboring zeaously,
to obtain aid for Hungary, is not to be denied;
and neither know nor care what amount of
stimulus may have been added to his exertions
by disappointed ambition and deep-rooted en-.
nifty to the power that vanquished him. He
would not be human, if some such feeling did
not find place in his bosom. | blame him not,
if it is there; and do not care to inquire how far
it may have governed his conduct But, sir, the
apostle of freedom should illustrate, by his own
example, its beauty and simplicity. On for
ner occasion, expressed doubts whether he
really understood the simple creed, which has
been the source of all our happiness and all our
greatness. Since that time he has been among
US, and those doubts have ripened into convc.
tons. And here again let me say, | do not
blame him. He had been accustomed to the
pageantry of courts, to the "pomp, pride, and
I'll al. f.
the Old World and he naturally supposed that
these were necessary adjuncts to favorable
impression upon the people To this cause
attribute the unnecessary display of uniforms
and sabres, which gave to quiet hotel in this
city mnch the appearance of the head. quarters
of commanding general in conquered coun.
try. To this cause, also, | attribute the bad
taste which brought an armed guard into this
Hall on the day OF his reception here when, for
the first time since their erection, these walls
echoed the jingle Of arms. Let us hope that il
is no omen of scenes which are to follow. But
when remembered the peaceful purposes for
which this building grew under the hands of the
architect; when remembered that, to this body,
above all Others, the people are accustomed to
look, to check rashness, to rebuke violence, and
to frown down all schemes of extravaganza and
excitement, | confess | felt something like a
shudder at the unwonted rattling of foreign sa.
bres in the inmost temple of American liberty.
There is another circumstance | must not
omit to mention. If Kossuth had been the
ardent republican which he s represented there
is one spot in this vicinity no difficulty would
have deferred him from visiting Neither storm
nor tempest-the summers heat nor winters
snow should have prevented him from making
pilgrimage to Mount Vernon and kneeing Mt
the tomb of the wiscst, the noblest, and the
purest Of all those who have done battle in the
cause of mankind But that great name seems
to have awakened in him no enthusiasm, and
the spot where the remains of Washington are
inferred, has been undisturbed by the tread of
Hungarian feet. | doubt if there is monarch
in Europe who would have been guilty of SINH
lar neglect; who would have manifested so little
reverence for the dead--so little regard for the
hottest feelings of the living.
Mr. President, have now done with the in
dividual. 1t is to his mission that | shall adj
dress myself His first proposition is, that eve
ry nation has tho right to regulate its own af-
fairs in ito own NAV md tn this | ahall intnr-