Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1852-02-16
KOssUTH'S SPEECH

ture being assembled IN JOINT convention,
the Speaker Of the Senate pronoancea
welcome, altes which kossuTH arose Ind
said:
-Ma. PaEsIMNT:-.Fhe Generni Assem..
bly, oi Ohio having mngnanimously be.
slowed upon me the high honor Vi this no.
tIonal welcome, it is with profound vene.
ration that beg leave 10 express my fer.
vent gratitude ior il.
Were, even with The honor which now
enjoy, no principle oflbe future connected,
still the past would be memorable in history,
and not fail 10 have beneficial influence.
consciously to develop the spifi, OF the age,
whch--howeyer ccnlradicIsd, however op-
posed still always proved 10 rule. and
will prove to rule, the csslinies OF humani.
ty. Applying the louchstone Of philosoph>
zeal scrutiny, to that instr Iction which hiss
| tory affords me, cannot fail to remark
that almost every country had one predom.
inanl idea, which all>absorbingly prevailed
and impaired common direction TO the
| activity Of nations. This predominant idea
is The Spirit Of the Age. invisibly yet om-
nipresent, impregnable, ye, all>pervading,
scorned, abused, opposed, and YET omnipo>
| tent.
The spirit Of our age is Democracy.
All for the people and all BY the people.
Nothing about The people sO,thoGt the peo.-
pie. That is Democracy, and that is the
ruling tendency Of the spirit of our age.
10 this spirit is opposed the principle OF
Despotis ism, claiming sovereignty over man-
kind, and degrading nations from the posi-
| ton OF self-conscious, self.consisleni men,
to the c'ndition Of tools subssryisnt 10 the
authority of ambition:
One OF these principles will and must
| prevail. So far as one civilization pre-.
walls, the destiny of mankind is linked to a
| common civilization, community Of desli-
MES exist. Hence the warm interest,
which the condition of distant nation
awakes now a-days, in manner not yet
recorded in our history, because humanity
never was yet aware Of that common tie
| as il now is. With this consciousness thus
developed, two opposite principles cannot
rule within the same boundaries-De oc.
racy or Despotism. There is no trans.
actions between heaven and hell. FAD.
plause
In the conflict Of these two hostile prin.
ciples, until now it was not The right, not
justice, bat only success which mot appro.
baton and applause. Unsuccessful pairi.
| otism wos sligmatised with the name OF
crime, Revolution not crowned with sue.
cess was styled anarchy and revolt, and
the vanquished patriot oeing dragged to the
| gallows by victorious despo.ism, it was no,
The consideration Why man died ON the
gallows, bu, the fact itself that there he
died, which impaired q stain to his name.
And though impartial history now and
then casts the halo Of q marsyr over an IN.
successful patriots grave, yet even lha.
was not always sure. Tyranis often per
vsrled history, sullied by adalation or by
fear, but whatever lha, late verdict might
have been, for him who dared 10 struggle
against despotism, when he struggled in
vain, there was no honor on earth-yicio-
rious tyranny marked the front Of vrtue
with the brand Of criminal! "
10 have opposed existing authority, nl>
though that authority was that Of violence,
worse than the authority Of pirate is, this
opposition whom unsuccessful, was sufficient
to exclude from every place where author.
ity is residing. The people never failed
to console the outcast just by its sympathy,
but authority showed not the peoples sy IN
pathy, regarded rather this very sympathy
as dangerous sign Of the peoples pro.
pensity 10 anarchy. l
The idea Of justice thus psrver.ed-vir'
tue thus deprived Of its fair renown; and
honor thus attacked, and success, through
eonnival, like that of Louis Ndpoleon's, al
this becomes an obstacle of immeasurabls
influence TO the freedom Of nations, never
yet achieved but by struggle, which sue.
cess raised to the homer of glorious rev.
olu,ion, but failure lowered 10 the reputa.
lion Of criminal subject.
Mr.. President feel proud that my hum'
BILE self became an opportunity for the res
,ora.ion of public honors 10 where they
only should be bestowed-io righteous.
ness and just cause-whereas, until now,
honors were layished but upon success.
consider this highly important fact, which
cannot fail TO encourage the resolution oi
devoted patriots, who, though not afraid oi
death, may be excused for rscoiling before
humiliation. -
Senators. Representatives Of Ohio. |
| thank you for it, in the name of all who
may yet suffer for having done the duly oi
patriot. You may yet see many man,
who, out Of the source Of your approba-
lion, will draw encouragement TO noble
deeds. Because there are many on earth,
ready to meet misfortune for noble aim,
but BOT SO many willing to meet even hu.
initiation and indignity, Besides, in hon-
oring me, you have approved what my ma
tion has done. You have honored my
nation by it, and pledge my word TO ysu
| that it will yet do what you have approved.
[Applause.] The appreciation Of our con-
Science, my nation and myself have,-ihe
sympathy of your generous people we
meet, and it is no idle Thing, that sympa.
thy of the people of Ohio-it weighs heav-
lily, like the sovereign will Of two millions
Of freemen-powerlul, like giant in its
| sfoutest vouth, You have added to il the