The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-05-26
Emerson's Address to Kossuth.

The speech of RALPH WALDO EMER-
son. on the reception of Kossuth at Con.
cord, is so curious and original. that it
deserves to be generally copied Below
we give it entire
SIR: The fatigucs of your many pub
lie visits. in such unbroken succession as
nay compare with the tolls of cam
paign, forbid us to detain you long The
people of this town share with their
countrymen the admiration Of valor and
perseverance they, like their compat-
riots, have been hungry to see the man
whose extraordinary eloquence is second
ed by the splendor and the solidity of
his actions But, as it is the privilege
of the people of this town to keep
hallowcd mound which has a place
in the history of the country as
Concord is one of the monuments of
freedom we knew beforehand that you
could not go by US; you could not take
all your steps in the pilgrimage of Amer
can liberty, until you had seen with your
eyes the ruins Of the little bridge, where
handful of brave farmers opened our
Anu nov. On. wc are n0Aitht Siau %
see YOU. at last. in these fields We set
no more value than you do, on cheers
and huzzas. But we think that tho
graves of our heroes around us throb to-
| day to footstep that sounded like their
own:
-" Thc'mighty tread
Brings from the dust the sound of liberty
Sir. we have watched with attention
your progress through the land, and tho
varying feelings with which you have
been received, and the unyaring tone and
countcnance which you have maintained.
We wish to discriminate in our regard
We wish to reserve our honor for
actions ofthe noblest strain. We please
ourselves that in you we meet one whose
temper was long since tried in the lire,
and made equal to all events man SO
truly in love with the great future,
that he cannot be diverted to any less.
1t is our republican doctrine, too, that
the wide variety of opinions is an advan-
tage. | believe may say of the people
of this country, at large, that their sym
pathy is more worth, because 1T stands
the test of party 1t is not blind
wave it is the living soul, contending
with living souls 1t is, in every expires
sion. antagonized. No opinion will pass
but must stand the tug of war. As you
see the love you win is worth something
for it has been argued through its found
alton searched it has proved sound anc
, whole it may be avowcd it will last
and it will draw all opinion to itself.
We have seen. with great pleasure
that there is nothing accidental in YOU
! attitude. We have seen that are organ
! ically in that cause you plead The mar
= of freedom, you are also the man oi late
You do not elect, but you are elected by
! God and your genius to your task. W.
/. do not. therefore, affect to thank you
> We only see you the angel of freedom
, crossing sea and land crossing parties
nationaiities, private interests and self
esteems dividing populations, where yo'
20, and drawing to our part only tn
good We are afraid you are .growini
f popular, Sir; you may be called to th
t dangers of prosperity. But hitherto
o YOU have had, in all countries, and in al
4 parties. only the men of heart | do no
!. know but you will have the million YET
:. Then. NAV your strength be equal t
!. YOUR day But remember, Sir. that eve
n ry thing great and excellent in the worl
l. is in minorities
I Far be from us, sir, any tone OF pat
!. ronage: we ought rather to ask yours
/, We know the austere condition of hbe1
r ty-that it must be reconquered owe
o and over again yea, day by day; thai
b it is always slipping from those VIII
d boast it, to those who fight for it an
q YOU. the foremost soldier of freedom /
il this agc-it is for us to crave your JUDI
5 ment-who arc we that VIC should die
2 tate to youl
, You have won your own, We onl
l. affirm it. This country Of working me
II greets in you worker This repubL
v greets in you a republican. We onl
K saw, Well done, good and faithful Yo
d have earned your own nobility at hom'
t. We admit you dd caO,dem(as they say a
It College) We admit you to tho sam
.e degree, without new trial We suspen
"a all rules before so paramount meri
is You may well sit doctor in the collee
10 of liberty You have achieved YOU
right to interpret our Washington. An
30 | speak the sense, not only of every ge
re erous American, but the law Of min