Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1852-02-28
Nj. KOssuth and MIR. CLAW,

imperfect.
! The company present on the occasion consisted
OF Senators Cass, Jones of Tennessee, Mr.. Fen
dali, of this city, and the Hon. Presley Ewing, Of
Kentucky. The last named gentleman has been
induced, at the instance of several persons, and
with the consent of Mr. Clay, to give more ex
tended and careful report of the interview and es
peclally of Mr.. Clay's remarks, which we pub
lish below, and which may be regarded as auhen-
tic, having, besides the authority of Mr. Ewing,
the sanction of Senator Jones, by whom the re
port has been examined and approved
M. Kossuth was introduced by Mr.. Cass at about
three O'Clock.
On being presented to Mr.. Clay, who rose to re-
ceive him, Sir said he, 81 thank you for the
honor of this interview
Il beg you to believe said Mr.. Clay, inter
ruphng him, THAT it is | who am honored. Will
you be pleased to be seated %
After the mutual interchange of civties, 81
owe you SIR said Mr.. Clay, IAN apology for not
having acceded before to the desire you were kind
enough to intimate more than once, to see me-
But really my health has been so feeble that did
not dare to hazard the excitement ofso interesting
an interview. Besides SIR he added with some
pleasantly, ''your wonderful and fascinating elo-
quence has mesmerized SO large portion of our
people, wherever you have gone, and even some of
our members of Congress" ;" waiving his hand tow
dTuS lHe TWO OT Iul6e StullGInGu WHO were present,
''that feared to under its influence, lest you
might shake my faith in some principles in regard
to the foreign policy of this government which l
have long and constantly cherished. And in re-
gard to this matter, you will allow me, l hope, to
speak with that sincerity and candor which be-
comes the interest the subject has for you and for
myself and which is due to us both as the votaries
offreedom trust you will believe me, too when
| tell you that entertain ever the liyeest sympa-
thes in every struggle for liberty, in Hungary,
and in every country. And in this, | believe,
express the universal sentiments of my country
men. But sir, for the sake of my country you
must allow me to protest against the policy you
propose TO her
"Waving the grave and momentous question of
/ the right OF one nation to assume the executive
power among nations, for the enforcement of in
ernaonal law, of the right of the United States
to dictate to Russia the character of relations with
the nations around her, let at once to the
practical consideration of the matter You tell US
yourself, with great truth and proprety, that mere
sympathy, or the expression of sympathy, cannot
advance your purposes. Y You require material
aid. And indeed It'll manifest that the mere dec
larations of the sympathy of Congress, of the
President or of the public, would be of little avail
unless we were prepared to enforce those declara-
tons by resort to arms, and unless other nations
could see that preparation and determination upon
our part Well, sir, suppose that should be
the issue of the course you propose to US uld we
then effect any thing for you, ourselves, or the
cause of liberty To transport men and arms
across the ocean in sufficient numbers and quanti-
ties to be effective against Russia and Austria
would be impossible Its fact which perhaps
may not be generally known, that the most imper-
atve reason with Great Britain for the close of her
last war with us, the immense cost of the
transportation and maintenance of forces and the
munitions of war on such distant theatre, and yet
she had not perhaps more than thirty thousand
men upon this continent at any time Upon land
Russia Is invulnerable to US, as we are to her
Upon the ocean between Russia and this
country would result in the mutual annoyance to
commerce, but probably in little else. learn re-
Gently that her war marine is superior to any ma
ton in Europe, except perhaps Great Britain
Her ports are few, her commerce limited, while
we on our part would offer a prey to her
cruisers rich and extensive commerce.
Thus, sir after effecting nothing in such war,
after abandoning our ancient policy of amty and
non intervention in the affairs of other nations
and thus iustfying them in abandoning the terms
of forbearance and interference, which they
have hitherto preserved towards us after the
downfall perhaps, of the friends of liberal nstitu
tions in Europe, her despots initiating and provok-
ed by our fatal example, may turn upon us IN the
hour of our weakness and exhaustion and, with an
almost equally irresistible force of reason and of
arms, they may say to US, ''Y You have set us the
example, you have quit your to stand on for
eign ground, you have abandoned the policy you
professed in the days of your weakness, to inter-
fere in the affairs of the people upon this continent,
in behalf of those principles, the supremacy OF
which you say is necessary to your prosperity to
your existence. We in our turn, believing that
your anarehial doctrines destructive of and that
monarchial principles are essential to the peace,
security, and happiness of our subjects, will obt-
crate the bed which has nourished such noxious
weeds; we will crush you, the propagandists
Eof the doctrines SO destructive to the peace and
good order of world" The ndomitable spirit OF
our people might and would be equal to the emer-
gency, and might remain unsubdued even by
so tremendous combination, but the consequen-
ces to us would be terrible enough. You must
allow me, sir, TO speak thus freely, as feel deep
ly, though my opinion may be of but little import,
as the expression of dying
"Sir, the recent melancholy subversion of the
republican government of France, and that enlght-
ened nation voluntarily placing its neck under the
yoke of despotsm, teach to despair of any pres
ent success for liberal institutions in Europe; ii
gives impressive warning not to rely upon
others for the vindicaton of principles, but to
look to ourselves and to cherish with more care
than ever the security Of our institutions and the
preservation of our policy and principles BY the
policy which we have adhered since the days OF
Washington, we have prospered beyond precedent
we have done more for the cause of liberty in the
world than arms could effect: have shown to 9th
er nations the way to greatness and happiness