Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-03-06
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

ness in this city yesterday, (occasoned by the gen
eral visitation to the Baltic steamer,) to give in
sertion to the following Letter from friend and
subscriber at Cumberland in Maryland
4l& CUMBERLAND FEBRUARY %, 1852
Messrs. GALES & SEAToS have been a subscriber to
your paper from the time commenced business, more
than years ago. and although have ceased to
class myself with the Wing party for the last several years
have not lost my partality for the National Inteigen
GER 1t expected by me that should occasionally
encounter exceptonable views comments under
your editorial head but your courteous and
style and generally suffced to make welcome
for your opinions 1t is, therefore, with little regret
that have witnessed marked change in your editorial
course all that relates to KossUTH AT the close of
of your earliest editorials in regard to him you excam
90 beware of the deceyer;" and you really seem to
have Judged him the first be reckless politi
cal agator whose visit to country fraught with
nothing but mischief For my part, much more dis
posed to censure political agators for all that
has been thought exceponabe in what Kossuth has done
and said since his arrival in this country than the illus
trious exile himself He here but very few days
before he made known the expectations with which he had
visited u.s. He had the rankness and bodness to assert
In the Of people that he placed but little value
upon costly festivals and parades gotten up to do him
honor He acknowledged that such exhibitions were
for his said that his hopes not limited to
these unsubstantia demonstrations Of friendships that he
looked with confidence people for material aid in
his efforts to the freedom and independence Of
Hungary When Kossuth announced these expectations,
and disclosed his intention of returning his native land
on the first conuncture in the political affairs of Europe
favorable to the Of liberty surely thought that
you had sagacy enough that this Yankee nation Of
ours would pretty cool off in its enthusiasm for the
great Magyar You might well have let him alone from
that time forward and have suffered him to make all he
could in the shape of material aid out of the ympathes Of
our people, The moment he let us know that he was
party politician himself; that he understood the animal,
and that he did intend to let Wings Democrats make
political capital out of him. but that he intended whilst
here to make all capital he could for his country
there was no occasion for any further warnings of the
press against him much less for the publication of
serious communications concerning him, though they
were over the signature of feowpatrot from Hun
gary But had he been refugee from neghboring
island or some bandtleader recently arrived blooming
with the honors of some successful at in the
territory of feeble neighbors, you might well
have taken alarm at any manifestation of popular SYM
pathy in his favor You might well have been on the alert
as watchu guardians of the public safety and ppcd
admonitory notes into the public For aspiring
poiticans-sur own native Democrats-would have
in the embryo war of Government with neghborng
nation prospect for winning not only land but military
titles and fame the passports the return OF peace
the high honors and rich emoument of political otce
But who that not in his doage suspected peo-
pie of possessing sympathies for Hungary sufficiently
generous induce them to risk their fortunes and lives
in her cause? am sure that who is the least
quainted with people, with the history Of nations
generally suspected that were capable of such
sacrifices behalf of remote nation in her struggle for
v:I w baao r bnovv 6aa1 IF for
free institutions but this love is altogether for
our own peculiar institutions. We eminenty selfish
people and the spirit of progress that us is but
little else than spirit of encroachment We respass
other nations for emoument and, when not en-
gagged that sort Of encroachment love to be preyng
on our own forms of and constantly max
ing changes to crafty the ruling instinct sshness Few,
therefore very few of ambitious men can be found
who are willing stand by the side Of Kossuth In Hun
gary whether the theatre for action be war or politics,
the prospect rising distinction is not fatering
it in Mexico and California Austrians and Russians
are little formidable than degenerate Spanards
and dwarf Indians And victory crowned the struggle
for Hungary its fruits would the home popua
ton to foreign adventures 1t is true may be
thought that during the campaign some American volun
teer who had been present at battle, might from that
circumstance be talked Of his return home avail
able candidate the Presidency but then the chances
against his returning safe numerous; and this
thought puts an exngusher the impulse that srs at
the thought of the Presidency and asprant abandons
the of Hungary.
have been hoping that your old friend Jack Downing
would have taken you task for your treatment Of Kos
suth He lives up that region where the tree of liberty
shelters alike all the members Of the human family and
is not suspected Of entertaining any of those anpathes
which well up in the bosoms of Southern Senators against
all professors Of the solidarity principle and suffice all
occasions to choke them with indignation.
word more, and am done. Don't you know that the
last service naval officer likes to perform is that of
waiting passengers who assigned to his ship to
be conveyed abroad Our officers esteem this sort Of en-
ployment Of our national vessels humiating. And
who therefore thinks the less Of Kossuth for the rfng
disagreements that took place board the Mississippi?
But ought not every to be ashamed Of his country
of the conduct Of Congress in having the
spondcnce on the subject published? s.
Our friend, the author of the preceding Letter,
counted with reason on our respect, not for him
merely, but for the freedom of opinion also, when
he relied upon our willingness to admit into our
columns his views of our course in the matter of
which slettcr treats. We should be unworthy the
frost in our hands we're we to vince at any friendly
criticism upon our expressed opinions upon any
question Of politics morals
We shall not enter into any general review of the