The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-02-12

they may present themselves, and without sparing
our own person, We viii know how, indissolubly
united to holy country, to defend the honor Of
tho Russian name, and the inviolability Of our
territory" Marching into the heart Of another
country, and taking part in an internal conflict
there, is new stratagetic operation in the defence
of territorial Immunity. But pass frem these re-
cords of professions and pretensions to the simple
fact. that Russia interviewed by an armed force to
put down independence and free institutions in
Hungary, and for no other reason but because the
Emperor was determined that his people should not
have the example before them of powerful nation,
acquiring freedom and independence by their own
exertions. am not going into the history of tho
Hungarian effort to break the yoke of Austrian
desp0,ism. Suffice it to say, that the people of
Hungary had enjoyed their nationality for thou
sand years, and more recently, while ackuo wledg-
ing allegiance with Austria to the same com.
mon sovereign, have been connected with that
country only by this mutual bond, and have
been wholly separate in political rights, and
as just as ever drove people to arms, the people of
Hungary threw of their allegiance to the Austrian
Emperor, and resuming their independence, esta-
blished q government OF their own, and for Q time
maintained it successfully, and would have SO main
tanned it to the end had not the Russian sovereign,
making common cause with his Austrian brother,
marched his armies across the frontier, and thus
extnguished the liberties and the hopes Of Hun
gary. And we are told by q British Secretary Of
State for Foreign Affairs in his place in the House
of Commons, and uncontradicted, too-far different
from some OF the representations or rather misre-
presentations made in this country-that he firmly
believed from information no had received, "that
in this war between Austria and Hungary, there is
enlisted on the side Of Hungary the hearts AMI
souls Of the whole people of that country" And
well might there be this unanimity, when they had
to deal with the Austrian government, which, as
an eminent English review remarks, s'never
swerved from its treacherous and tyrannica poli,y"
That it adheres to the latter with mistaken tena-
city, the deeds of cruelty yet going aga inst the
unfortunate Hungarians sufficiently demonstrate.
And that treaohery is as active an element ever
in the administration Of the Austrian monarchy is
shown by ttate paper which recent arrival has
brought and which is of the coolest examples
of breach of public faith that the world has wit
nessedfor many an age-aye, and of contempt, too,
for its feelings and opinions During the progress
of the Hungarian struggle, and while its aspect wal
most threatening, the Austrian Emperor granted
constitution to his states to satisfy and concate
them, by which their condition was sensibly me-
liorated. But the danger has passed away, and
with 1t the sense fustice while power has resumed
its natural instincts, and the folio wing document,
Issued January LIST, 1852 tells the tale Of treachery
to the everlasting disgrace Of the Austrian govern
mont:-
We Francis Jo,eph by the grace Of God Emperor Of
Austria
Ia of ordinance Of the goth Of August
lest, our Council OF Ministers and Council Of
Empire have applied themselves to thorough examine
ton OF the constitution OF March lsi9 and seeing
that 1t results from the deliberations which have taken
place, that this constitution is not adapted to the posi-
ton OF the Austrian empire, and cannot be executed in
sovereign after having considered all these reasons
tc abrogate the said constitution Of March A. 1S49.
Punic faith was the sy-word Of antiquity for any
political treachery standing prominently forward ia
will hereafter be entitled to the same unenviabe
distinction. "Put not your trust in princes" says
the book Of inspiration, and woe betde the people,
Gays the book Of history, whose rights depend
instead Of being dependent on their own energy
and intelligence. Although in the retrospect
of the hungarian revolution, our indignation is
heightened height y the oppression Of tho struggling
we're these doubtful instead Of being pllpable to
all the world, the conduct Of the foreign aggressor
would scarcely be the less culpable, the less in
violation Of the law Of nations which SAYS to the
powers of the earth, when an internal attempt is
! made to change to throw off government,
| let the parties alone, the question belongs to
them. Undoubtedly in the progress Of these IN err
Bal contests every nation must judge for itself,
when 1t will recognise the independence of the party
claiming it, and this judgment will depend on the
| circumstances Of the case Formerly, such a re-
cogninon, before an acknowledgment by the pre-
existing government was considered act of var,
and even In our own revolutionary contest, such
| was the view of England in relation to the Goa.
| duct Of France: but in this. in many otnsr
| cases, a decided Moderation has taken place, AMI
such In act now gives Just cause Of offence
| Well, Russa interviewed, with an iron hand; and
| why! All the world knows, and already history
/ has written IL upon pages that neither princes nor
their adAerents can DOL, crate. If ever words sero
used TO conceal thoughts, they are SO used in Rus.
| sian diplomacy. Her armies marched 70 crush the
efforts Of an oppressed people; to pa. down the
| struggles Of almost despsiriog men, who sought,
| in the language OF Mr. Jefferson, their long lost
freedom; they marched, not even to propa gaze the
principles Of despotism. but to establish its po yer,
lest rumor might cross the Carpathian mountains,
and tell the bearded Muscovite that there was such
thing as liberty in the world, ana men, VINO peril
led life and fortune to obtain it. Civilized man
1 everywhere feels and knows that such we're the OBJ
! Jects; and public opinion in France. in England,
and in this country, and wherever else the tongue
or the press was free enough to proclaim it, has
announced and condemned this grant u.urp alton,
boldly conceived and executed, but hypocritically
/ defended by false representations. Mover could
there be more palpable illustration OF the remark
\ of Grotius, that "Some wars are founded upon
real motives, and others only upon colorado pre-.
texts" And especially if he had added some pre-
texts without color AS do not intend to argue
with any man who believes, after the facts have
referred to, tina, Russis had any other motive in
this crusade than to prevent the establishment. Of o
I free government in her neighborhood, | shall as.
sumo, with every observer of her policy tina. such
was her reason for passing the frontier, and for
restoring the Austrian sway. Here was a gross
nracton OF the law of nations, striking, not only
on personal liberty, but at public Independence,
and especially offensive to the free States of tho
world, both by the violat on of . great principle
dear to them, and by the exam pie OF an armed in
tervention to put down AL personal freedom in
Hungary AID TO threaten it herever else its ami
festations might be rear enough to be uuwelcome
to the Russian Gar. Ur der these circumstances,
what might the other powers of the earth say or
do by whi,h their opinions or intentions might be
made known in this grave conjecturel Was it
their duty TO look on, not only the witnesses
Of injustice, without the means of redressing it. bu.
acquesciDg by their silence in this N onstrous out
rage, and IN the pretensions which led to it, till the
despotc sovereigns might interpolate this right of
interference into the code Of public law and thus
assume to exercise Surveillance the other 60.
vernments Of the world. The system Of interna-
tionai law would not be worth the paper on which
it is written, if such examples Of contempt for tho
feelings and rights humankind admitted neither re-
slstaLce Dor remonstrauce. g Concession says
Bentham, in bis iorcble language, "Conce ssion to
notorious injustice invites fresh inustice" and this
Il nowhere more true THAI in the career ard con
q nations And We find that the right CT indepen-
dent powers to express their opinions upon or ave
questions OF public law, when that law as been vo-
lated, has been 50 often and so openly exercised that
no doubt can exist OF the right, and indeed of the
duty thus acting, when the nature and the gravity
Of Inc circumstances require such measure. Those