Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-01-03
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
M R0SSUTFs PRECEDENTS-THR PANAMA
MISSION.
PHILADELPHIA, DEoENBER p, 1851,

PHILADELPHIA, DEcEABER -, 1901,
Before noticing the other precedent which Nj,
Kossuth's purveyors have dug up to give color TO
his Intervention principles | may be allowed to OBJ
serve that the mystic language Of his first speeches
i new changed into holder tone, and that as the
time draws near for his message to Congress" he
is becoming less and less oracular NJ Kossuth's
speech of Friday to the New York lawyers is GER
tainly a pregnant manifesto. 1t is calculated, one
would think to inspire his fercest friends with doubt
and serious msgiving. On the 18th OF this month
Mr. CAss said, in the Senate, speaking of M. Kos
suths schemes of Intervention
take Ia for granted that there is not in as
country cho dcam epe oateroeniag force IN this affair
of sending Aeet the Adriac, and to blockade
the agoons Of old Venice and the port of Trieste or an
other to take its station the Sound and close the en-
trance of the Baltic to the ships of Russia"
Now, it SO happens that on the Gerry day this
speech appeared in your columns, M kossuth used
the following language to the New York bar, who
received It with cheers and laughter (not ironical,)
and loud applause:
.Well I am not the to decline the consequences
of my principles viii not steal into your sympathies
by slippery evasion Yes, gentlemen, confess, should
Russia not respect such declaration of your country
then you are obliged literally Obliged 10 90 par, else be
PREPARED 10 be degraded bore mankind from your dignity
Yes that .avousd be the case
And this foreign exposition of American duty,
this bold threat Of American degradation this nso
lent prophecy of American disgrace, this insane (ac-
cordine to Governor Cass) dream OF instant war; was
greeted with cheers and enthusiastic applause by the
New York Bar; and when, few minutes afterwards,
one of their NUMBER startled into sobrlety by the
fearful doctrines thus enumerated, ventured word OF
iudicious remonstrance-a word OF excuse Tor the
doctrines of Westinghouse was shouted down and
L IL. lnnn hnra l,ar hnrr1 ctarc
Now, if this bar meeting be fair representation OF
the legal profession in the city Of New York, and
this be their professional feowfeeng and sense of
decorum T. for one, as an humble member of pro-
fession. claim no communion with it. 1t is a sad
illustration of the influence of this oratorical Mis-
sonary of false doctrine operating on the postpran-
dial sensibiities of learned professional brother
hood. Nor should be much surprised, IN the pro-
gress of things hear of some of this sort OF law
yers volunteering to join the new levies OF freedom
abroad I do not however, observe the names OF
Daniel Lord, George Wood, Prescott Hall, Charles
.OConor, Hiram Ketchum, and others whom have
been taught to regard as the leaders of the New
York bar, figuring on this infammatory occasion.
One other word incidentally. M. Kossuth, after
citing as his American authorities for the new cru
SADIE Mr. Walker and Mr.. Consul Croskey, appeals
with great triumph to Mr.. Richard Rush, as having,
in little publication last summer, sanctioned the
same folly Now, happening to know something
of this very publication and its aim, am content
to appeal to Mr. Rush himself, and to assert most
confidently that word he ever wrote or uttered on
this subject of nonnterventlon was meant to coun-
tenance such heresies ~. Kossuth is now preach
ing. He knows-no one better-how absurdly over
strained this Monroe declaration has BEEN and,
oyerstrained and stretched as it has been, how far
short it falls of sanctionng involving ourselves
directly in the sharp and ragged network OF Euro
pean politics. / shall be very glad to have Mr.
Rush's testimony on this point.
But let me say word as to nj. Kossuths other
precedent the Congress of Panama; and am the more
glad to refer to it, its history is rich with Demo-
cratic authority on the subject On the 9th OF De
cember, 1925, the Democratic party was startled by
the following passage in Mr.. Adams's message to
Congress After speaking of a Congress OF Repre-
sentatives from American and Republican States,
mot as M. Kossuth suggests, determination with
European Monarchy he said:
This invitation has been accepted and Ministers on
the part of the United States viii be commissioned to at
tend at those deliberations and to take part in them so
far as may be compatible eh that neutrality from whic IS
,sher our intention nor he desire Of The other american States
that ,re should depart"
On the 26th of December he accompanied the
nomination of Mr.. Anderson and Mr.. Sergeant with
special message to the Senate:
1t will be SEEM" says this message that the United
States neither intend expected to take part any
deberaton of begerent character that the motive OF
their attendance is neither to contract alliances to
engage in any undertaking, project importing hostility
to any other nation"
To precisely the same effect wrote Mr.. CLAY, in
his report as Secretary of State to the President,
and his correspondence with the Mexican and Co
lombian Ministers at Washington
On this guarded, cautious suggestion, the flame OF
oppostion broke forth in both Houses of Congress,
and every leading member of the Democratic party,
some of whom are yet living, and some, covered
with bonors gone to their account, took open and
decided ground against the mission, on this very
ground of its contravention of the Washington and
Jefferson doctrine of rigid neutrality. | appeal
without having space to 60 into details to the his
terry of Congress for confirmation Of this. There
was no single exception. There perfect
thorough unanmity. At what point of time ex
actly M. Kossuth and his purveyors assert the
Washington doctrine to have entirely worn out, dc
not pretend to determine; but certain it is that as
late as 1S26--though applicable to a strictly Anne
rican question affecting only American interests
at moment, too, when European squadrons had
been securing our seas, and Cuba and Porto Ricc
were in danger of transfer then at least the doctrine
was orthodox On the 18th, Nathaniel Macon, (M
Kossuth may not yet have heard Of him. from the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, reported against the
mission, using these emphatic words
The first question which suggested itself to the COM