Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1852-03-29
/ asserting The empire u, reason over .nai

much right and IS inuch power 10 speak
authoriiaiivety on this subject as any other
nation on the face oil the globe. All We
want, while protesting lhe DUTY Of obedi>
ence, is that other nations should equally
obey il. There is none so high as 10 be
above its obligations; none So low as 10 be
beneath ias prolection.
1 We believe in the right and in the CO.
pacily oI man for seli.goyernment. Nor
that he IS every where prepared for ins,iy
Itutions like ours. w q know, while we re.
gret, that he is not. But we believe that
be is everywhere fitted, even now, for tax.
ing some part in The administration Of po>
liucal affairs, greater or less, in. proportion
TO his experience and condition; ard that
everywhere, with rine AMI practice. he
may Improve himself and his government
Till both become as free as The state of so.
cis.y will permit. And certainly the ex :.
preston of the warm hope, that this time
| will come, and come speedily, is consis,en,
with every respect for other powers.
We claim no right toinierfere in their
Internal concerns. While rive are firm be.
Ilevers in our own political failh, we. enter
into no crusade TO establish il elsewhere.
Propagandism is no part Of our creed, un.
less it be that proPagandism which works
its own way by the force Of example, thus
inviting the oppressed nations of the earth
to do as we have done, andto be as free
and happy as we are. But we cannot be
indifferent 10 the condition Of the human
race, however widely scattered /. A desire
for lis Improvement, Qorally and material.
ly, is O sentiment natural 10 man. And
al American can hardly shut himself up
in his OWE selfish egotism, thanking God,
in the spirit Of the Pharisee, that his scoun-
try is better off than any other, and indif-
ierent 10 The oppression, and degradation
and misery which centuries of bad govern.
m,nts have entailed upon SO large por.
lion Of the earth. Unless the many were
made for the few, the governed for the
governors, our sympathies should be excit.
cd, as were those OF w oshington, for ersry
people aafurling the banner Of freedom,
ano God.speeo them be uttered, not only
in the effort 10 improve their polit,caa sys.
tenn, but in the effort to maintain il, by i'm.
proving the condition Of The grent body Of
those Tor whom Governments are Instituted
Ano may we not say, snn English parlia-
menlary orator said very recently for his
country,s.ahat the spiri, Of our people is
for freedom every where2" ID And may we
not echo his sentiment, and declare "thai
they would not rest satisfied with seeing
the ultimaa ratio Of European policy lodged
in the bayonet Of the barbarian s''
: Even 10 the most superficial observer,
the signs OF the times are as por.eniious as
they are. Interesting. The ACCUMULATED
expressions ofages, and the capacity OF en-
durance, stretched 10 its utmost tensi, On,
row meet face 10 face withexis,ing power,
in q struggle for life and death, and the
contest wiz go on; though there may be
6tful intervals OF apparent repose, still il
will go on, ill one or the other. is finally |
yanquished. Why, sir, is it in human na.
ture, is il in the ordination Of a just God,
that such tyranny as that which recently
made prisoner the aged mother ofthe Illus
lrious Hungarian exile now exciting The
sympathy oflhe American people, and was
reported. and by lha. oct to have sent her
TO The grave. though the report, believe,
was unlounded, and such a consumnation
of deed Of sbarbarity is, therefore, one
charge The less in the catalogue Of Aus.ri-
an cruelles; and such tyranny as that.
which sent his sister to dungeon, an Aus.
trian dungeon, perhaps 10 issue from it
only to find refuge in that final asylum of
the oppressed, whore the wrath of man
reaches not? Can il be that such nn M
miligaled despotism will be long permitted
to revel in The wantonnsss Of its own power
and passions? fgc ~ .asuttrr aslIs vsc
No, il cannot be-; the day of deieat may
come and come again, bal The day Of viclo-
ry will also come, and with it the bright |
day Of freedom and happiness for The op.
pressed and down.trodden people Of the old |
hemisphere. 1T has been well said that
the great battle of human freedom and pro-
gress "though bafledeoft, is always won"
The combalants, the time, the place, the
rulers, and the ruled may change, but the
conflict, However il tmay be checked, will
stop not till The victory is obtained. Tins
great truth is already written, as with the
finger Of destiny, upon the history Of our
age, apdsihe struggling efforts which are
upheaving the social and political systems
o fthe eastern continent will 90 on 10 their
i-,StE@ -
Trials and sufIsrings are the school of
nations. Every effor. is a lesson, and
every defeat but prepares them for new
contest, and stimulates them TO greater ex>
ertion; andthe very process of preparation
and resistance teaches them what are their
rights and how they aretoi be acquired and
maintained. t5'9 = 80
Now, sir, what we want is that freedom
should have fair battlefield; tbal when.
ever struggle is commenced to overthrow
an arbitrary Government, other -despoiic
Powers should not-be permitted to take part
in the CONTEST and with foreign bayonets
decide the issue. Is ~ H gzss I
Such is our desire; and this principle Of
is well established in the {
code Of public law. II lies at The very
foundation Of national independence. T.
need no. multiply proofs or illustrations Of
he truth of this doctrine. It, was well
aid down by Mr.. Roebuck, in the English,
Honsa of Commons when he said: stIhe i