The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-02-23
Senator Cass aud his Advocate.

Senator Cass and his Advocate.
The Union is fond of attrbuting to us ''ili-
beral perversion" i'll reference To the position
occupied by General CAss. 1t did So the other
day, when the Irish exiles were on the tapls,
and it is pursuing the same course on the ques-
ton of intervention In the former case ii was
particularly indignant at our presumption in
asserting that General CAss's conduct was con-
ceived in spirit hostile TO the interests OF the
eYies; and the public were assured that the
Generals policy enjoyed the unqualified
sanction of leading Democratic statesmen.
We proved, on the contrary, that Gene
raj SHIELDS and Mr. BUTLER condemned
General CAss's proceeding insulting to
England and injurious TO the men 1t protested
to befriend, and that our structures were there
fore sustained by gentlemen whose title tospeak
with authority could not be disputed The
Union swallowed the pill without murmur
General CAss, who had repeated the allegation
Of that journal in the Senate, allowed the evi-
dence to pass without more ado; and now an
effort is being made to recover lost glory, by
transferring the discussion to the intervention
ground as that on which General CAss's
claims to national admiration are striking and
immovable. An examination of the Union,
last article will show how both have mlscslcu-
lated their strength and with how little
propristy either can raise the charge of in.
territorial misre representation. The Repnb-
lie" says our contemporary
occupied by this distinguished Senator, and at
tempe to give pausiblity to its statements by
quoting the declaration Of Mr.. Clay, in which he
said, speaking TO kossuth; "A dying man, op
pos. your doctrine of intervention"
The fact is directly the reverse. The Union
attempted TO give pIausibility" TO General
CAss's position by invoking the name Of Mr..
CLAY, as one sharing the Generals sentiments.
To prove the fimsiness Of the pretext, and TO
remove Mr.. CLAY from the whole category Of
interventionists, we cited his memorable de-
claraion, which suffices to prove where the
accusation Of "iliberal pervsrsion" can with
most justice be laid.
The second Representation is as bad
1.-The impression which the Republic would con.
which committed him to this doctrine Of interven-
tion; or which left 1t doubtful whether hc agreed
disagreed with kossuth."
With what an admirable aflectatlon VI in
jured innocence does our contemporary seek To
divert attention from the real issue We
never heard until now that any difference Of
opinion existed in regard TO General Cas- hav
ing FUSED declarations which committed him b.
this doctrine Of intervention" With other
people, we have been inclined 10 think that
his adhesion to this doctrine constituted car
dlnal virtue ia the estimation Of his admirers.
and has been relied upon as the trump card for
the Baltimore Convention. The impression we
have put forward is, that Senator CAss, while
declaring in favor Of intervention, refuses to
recognise the responsibility and result which
that declaration involves; and that on these
points he dlsagrees with the great propagandist
IN whose behalf he has labored with so much
assiduity. This position, the reader will see,
materially differs from that which the Union
endeavors to fasten upon us.
The Union wakes vaorous as it proceeds:
1--WE challenge it [the ReputlioI TO produce the
evidence Of its assertion that Senator Cass has
changed he position from the commencement 10
the end Of the Ko.suth question"
General CAss's skill as an orator consists in
the ability to expand, and 50 to mete. out pro-
positions that no two men agree IN their exact
appreciation Of them. We could cull sentences
pointing 10 non-interycntiOn, and sentences
pointing TO war, but neither would convey &C
cutate IDEAS Of the purport Of the addresses in
which they originally appeared. On the Irish
question, no particular passage could be picked
out offensive 10 England; and yet the tone Of
the whole speech and accompanying reso.
lutions was offensive, aud was so considered
by distinguished Irish Democrat. The
same may be said on the Kos,UrH ques
ton. A page filled with parallel extracts would
exhibit tho Unions rashness ia sending forth
the "chnlleuge !" but, as we have 10 deal with
the matter more briefly, we meet It by refer
ence to the general tone and purport Of General
CAss's speeches during the last eleven weeks
At the commencement, in the Senate, he de-
clared, IN substance, that none but madman
would think of committing this country 10 an
armed Intervention. AZ q later period and
when freed from the restraints Of the Senate
chamber, he committed himself to intervention.
aud reserved to himself the right Of determin
ing whether II should be armed or not Still
later, speaking in the presence Of statesmen, he
delivered himself Of ponderous columns Of words
to prove the right Of this country to interfere by
protes, in European affairs and to prove. further
tI,a Il h.h aI cd Ia thp
onth heaven, was wrong when he said that the
United States would forfeit their dignity, and