The daily union., 1852-02-12

make change IN the government
My trend from North Carolina Mr. BADGER went on
aud supposed two three cases am not going into
Them az all am not going into the subject 10 any de-
gree But said the other day that when such case as
this should happen and the English government should
take the interest in IT, and from the same or similar
motives should be happy to hear them IN reference 70
H. Now, In reference TO the case Oh the Chflsuana
people, which the senator alluded the treason with
which they were charged was not that treason when
shakes governments and makes revolutions II was the
constructive treason OF Congress- BY which the efforts
they made TO put down particular law Tor particular
purpose construed INTO treason. But we do not go 70
Eng land for pardon for any such persons That Is mol
the class OF persons that say would be entitled TO the
respect OF the world. Again the honorable gentleman
pTesupposes tla because we apply 10 England TO procure
pardon for these men, shall be obliged TO yield TO
England any requests OF the kind she may make OF us
do not think We shall be just free after this re;
quest shall have been made now, and so wlll
she be. say that, under the circumstances that sur
round this question, large portion OF our people being
counlyhen OF these exied lrshmen and taking deep
interest in their wealre ask the British government
to extend cemency to them They are at iuil llbery 70
refuse or TO grant Suppose they ask US 10 do lhihg
which will be prejudice TO u.s. must we grant II NO,
sir. The granting of our request by that government
imposes no kind OF obligation upon us to grant 'heirs
And yet from the tenor OF the remarks OF my honorable
friend, it would that he bases his argument upon
the fact that if ask this OF England under the pres
circumstances must grant her requests under any
circumstances disclam 1t entirely She rs lus as Tree
act against application for it. and we are just as
free in any to act Tor against any application she
may make as though we had never made one That IS
| Mr.. BADGER | am extremely obliged TO my friend
from Michigan MIR. CAssl for mentioning what he does
regard TO the article IN the Republic; TOR gives me an
opportunity OF saying that am not subscriber 10 hat
| paper, and do not take II.
But have one or two remarks further to make IN re-
| ply TO the honorable senator He seems 10 suppose
that would be very grievous thing Tor men to assem-
Bile, the of these Chrsana rioters, Tor the pur-
pose OF resisting one OF the laws OF this government
but the parties concerned in il would at once lose the
character OF men influenced by immoral motives # their
object put end to all the laws of this govern
ment, and 10 destroy il entirely He says that the assem-
bling together and conceng by force 10 overturn one
law is not that kind OF political offence which public
opinion does not attach moral turpitude But i their
object is to put down the whole governmen--o destroy
all the laws and authority OF the governmenthen the
parties lose their morally criminal character and are only
offenders against municipal laws. Now, do not think
any such distinction as that can be made,
j The honorable senator refers to the OF wash
ington and his associates. Surely the vindcaion OF
Washington from moral urpitude does not rest upon the
fact that he was engaged in an enterprise 10 destroy The
British power here, but upon the TACT that he was en-
gagged with his conntrymen from unsuitable reasons, and
the ends which he sought 10 obtain lawful and JUS
hhable Therefore that argument OF the gentleman has
nothing TO do with any retutaon OF the reasons LAID
before the Senate agalnt this resolution My reasons
not founded al all upon any determination OF the
question whether or not Mr. Mitchell and his associates
had any jusfabe grounds for the proceedings which
they adopted to separate Ireland from its present
nexion with Great Brain--not at all. My argument
was this Great Britain did not think so-lhe English
government did not think So That government consid-
sdered them not only engaged in the prosecution OF
an unlawful enterprise, bat enterprise of wicked.
ness; because, in their view, il enterprise
in the success OF which the United Kingdom OF
Great Britain and Ireland would be destroyed,
or greatly injured My argument is this That inso
much the government OF Great Britain have caused
these gentlemen be prosecuted for offences and
fenced them 10 the punishment OF death-which SEN
tence afterwards commued TO banishment from the
countryside would regard nterposing in behalf
of men who do not merit such inerposon That
government cannot recognise these gentlemen being
noble patriots engaged in doing what their country
fnfh
10 endeavor 10 achieve. If why send them to Van
Diemans Land in the first place Ii the Queen OF Eng
land looked upon them as possessing The character which
much power TO pardon them entirely al the first she
had to commute the punishment. And therefore the
consequence is that interference here would justify
the inierpositon of Great Britain in behalf OF just
such offenders the Chrsana rioters, had they been
convicted OF high treason against this government And
think that il such application had been made, the
government would scarcely have recognised the reason
ing of the honorable senator from Michigan, MIR CAss
His reasoning would be; We ask 10 interfere 10 be-
half of Smith 0Brien and his associates because they
were influenced by high and netitorous motives, and
only sought to destroy the constitution OF the united EN-
pre-ony sought throw off the connexion, and de-
sroy the dependence which exists between all the
parts OF that mighty empire. But in the case OF the
Chrisana rioters those did not seek 10 destroy the
government and constitution OF their countrynot al all
They only sought TO prevent the execution OF but OF
It's laws and therefore is utterly noleabe that for
such great offenders these good Offices in their behalf
should receive the favorable consideration OF this gov
eminent.
| There is nothing in the distinction which the honora.
bic senator urges which can have any" application
to the objections which | advanced. do not
| deftake 10 decide the question whether Smith O'BHen
and his associates were right wrong; but | will
assume, for The purpose oil this dlscusson, that they
were right, that their country was laboring under in
toleIable oppression, and that II at their
duty and their right TO endeavor 10 free her from
H. Assume that position and pass this resolution
and how easily Great Britain turn upon and say
that these Christiana rioters noble and generous
spirits vindicators OF oppressed humanity rushing for
ward their personal hazard with individual inter
est the question: and sacrificing their all TO prevent those
who had escaped from their unjust and barbarous seTv
tude from being returned TO IL again II should set
the example, would have right, that can conceive
Of TO consider II improper interference, IT. under the
circumstances have supposed, Great Britain should in.
terpose m the affairs OF this country.
The honorable senator says that he who does not
derstand that political offences longer regarded
being accompanied with moral urpltude knows nothing
about the spirit OF the age for the last fifty years Now,
do not understand that any such proposition that has
gone forth the world We all know this, that political
offences are looked upon very yena by every nation
in the world except those against whom they are
med Does the Car OF Russia look upon offences against
his government as being accompanied with no moral
crmel Does England consider them so Look at these
exes in Van Dieman's Land Does France-hat model
republic in which is to be that glorious consolda-
ton OF liberty and the forms OF democracy over which
sung iubilaies here few years ago-does that
look upon political offences matters OF try
al concern and unaccompaned with moral turpude
II she does why then the vessels Of the French ma
rne put into requison Tor the purpose OF carrying
away hundreds and thousands oi the French nation
was saying the French republic, and would have
said IT, had not been afraid that my friend from Della
ware MIR BAYARDl would have reproved me for lt II