Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-03-06

people country
and upon their decision depend the future prosperity and
glory OF our country. shall, upon this occasion,
deayor to sustain the nonnteryention policy of Washing
ton, in its letter and in its spirit.
In discussing the doctrine Of Intervention intend,
this occasion to abstain from expressing any opinion
about the affairs OF Hungary of the domestic
OF any other foreign nation. Neither will enter into
any criticism upon the character the motives, the
duct OF hossuth propose to examine this subject solely
with reference TO its bearings upon the interests and the
honor OF my own country; believing that in inter
course with other nations but discharge the duty
owe TO country and TO the world by combining
foreign policy the defence and of the
peace the liberty and the prosperity of people.
With these views, shall proceed to consider the sub
ject-matter Of the resolutions under discussion.
La treating this subject win show that intervention
by one nation to regulate the domestic affairs of another
has long been the practice and the law Of the nations of
the world that as such it has been the instrument by
which the strong Governments regulated and oppressed
the weak nations that in 1898 Washington discarded the
old law OF intervention and promulgated the law Of
non-intervenon for the regulation of intercourse
with foreign nations and theirs with will then
tras the European law OF Intervention with the American
law OF nonnterventon, and show the effects of each
system upon the of human liberty, and upon the
happiness and prosperity Of nations. Intervention has
ever been the instrument Of ambition and tyrannythe
weapon by which the strong Powers of the earth have de-
sroyed the independence Of the weak The ancient
tons are known to more aggressons upon or
countries than by what they accomplished for themselves
and their in history is derived from their
wars OF Intervention and conquest than from the wisdom
and virtue of their domestic policy The States of Greece
when separate, interviewed with each other and when
united the King of Macedonia interviewed to divide them
Carthage interviewed with Rome and Rome with Carthage
until Rome became the Power upon earth and then she
commenced system Of intervention upon all surrounding
nations and after destroying their independence inter-
vened with herself by dividing her empire into parts
thus herself falling victim to that system of aggression
which she had Pactised upon others. The modern
tons of Europe formed out of the wrecks of the Roman
Empire partook OF the spirit of intervention The
treaty of Westphala in 1648 is the epoch from which
the history of the modern science of international
law This treaty terminated the long series of grow
ing out of the Reformation and although it did much for
the independence of modern nations and for the cvlza
ton of Europe yet unfortunately for the peace of the
world it contained the obnoxious principle of nterven
hon secured to certain leading Powers the right to
interfere with the internal affairs of nations order to
maintain the balance of power.
The treaty Of Utrecht in l713 contained the ag
gressiye principle 1t again reenacted by the treaty
of Paris in 1874 and finally sanctfed by the Holy
Alliance at Vienna
For two hundred years this ntermedding spirit dis
urbed the peace Of Europe Assuming every variety of
FORM it was embraced alike by the friends of liberty and
OF despotism. Republics and Monarches Catholics and
Protestant have each in their turn marched under its
bloody banner Intervention has been the evil genius of
European peace 1t is the sired horse which sent
forth upon the opening of the second seal to whose
rider given power take peace from the earth that
they should kill another; and there also given
unto him great sword We can trace the horse and
its rider in his bloody tramp through thousand battle
Euxine to the Atlantic the smoking ruins of towns
and cities, trampng beneath his iron hoofs kings sub
jects law, liberty, and religion.
Up to the of the French revolution intervention
had been the peculiar instrument Of the absolute Powers
Now it that republcanism tried it's hand inter
venton France in the excitement of her fresh liberty
mounted the 81 red steed, and, wrenchng the great
sword from the hand of dismounted royalty commenced
her ride of Intervention through the nations the
Alps through Italy up the Danube, down the Rhine
the burning sands of Egypt and the cold of Russia
stopping in her mad until both the horse
and its rider persisted upon the field of Waterloo.
Then the absolute Powers again took up the " great
sword again the weaker nations of Europe felt its keen
edge in dsna@mbcrment OF their territories. 1t
just the time when republican France was using the
weapon of against the absolute Powers and
in support of free Governments procaimng to the world
that her object give liberty oppressed subjects
independence to trodden-down nations washing
ton appealed to to unite the influence moral and phys
CAL of republic with that of France in the great bat
tie she wagng for republican institutions on the
tnent of Europe Washington answered this appeal on
the Odd of April 1885, by his celebrated proclamation of
neutrality This declaration of neutrality made under
the most trying and peculiar circumstances:
Early in April" says Marshall the declaration Of war
made by France against Great Britain and Holland reached
the United States This seemed vyacity
fame which peace Of years had unable to
tinguish The preudices against Great Britain which had
taken deep during the of the revolution appeared
derive fresh ygor from recent events and by great
ton Of the American people deemed almost criminal
remain spectators of conflict between their
cent enemy and republican France The feeling upon this
it." The few who did not embrace these opinions
aud they were certainly very heup objects of
public detesaton and illuminated tools Of Britain
and the satellites Of despotsm.
When this Of public excitement first burst upon
the country Washington at Mount Vernon. There,
in the privacy Of that consecraed spot without the
COUNSEL of his Cabinet in the calm reflection of his own
great mind guided by that unerrng judgment and that
high and noble patriotism which had enabled him
check and resist the popular excitement
of the present order in the future permanent
happiness and lasting glory TO his country-then and
there that Washington conceived and matured that
principle Of international law, since known Anne
rcan neutrality American nonnterventon in the affairs
Of Europe On the 18th of April 1793 he writes from
Mount Vernon TO the Secretary Of State:
"War having actually commenced between Franco and
Great Britain behoove the Government of this country to
use all the in its power prevent the citizens thereof
from embrong with either Of those Powers by endea
that You will give the subject consideration that such
measures a. shall be deemed likely effect this desira
bic purpose may be adopted without delay for have under
stood that vessels already designated pvaee and
sary for us to pursue against which may be
to avoid control you will also think Of and lay them
before me my arrival in Philadelphia, for which place
shall set out tomorrow
On the 18th Of April the President returned to Pha-
dephia then the seat Of government and the 18th he
closing for their consideration wel-dgested series of
questions the answers u which would form n complete
system by which regulate the conduct Of the United
States in her intercoursewih foreign nations The result
was the celebrated proclamation Of neutrality Of the 22d
April 1893.
II under circums like these, in opposition to
the popular sentiment home and in the face Of Eu
rope in arms, that Washington proclaimed neutrality
Then il that he wh had been first war became
in peace. Then il that he who by Just had |