Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1852-01-06
For the Spy.
Precedent.


Kossuth comes TO our shores and asks us, as menu
bers of the family ofnations, to affirm this law of
nations and of Natures God, "that every udepen-
dent people has right TO regulate its own internal
AFFAIRS" and instantly the ban-dogs of hunkerism
and jesuitism, in Congress and in the press, open
upon him like pack Of wolves. Believing us to be
faithful to the principles upon which the republic
established, and faithful TO the traditions which
have been transmitted to US from our ancestors he
has come to ask our sympathy and operative aid in
the of liberty, and 10! he is met with insult,
abuse, GOODNESS, and brutality, by the reptiles who
their positions in this republic 10 the forbearan
spirit of true democracy.
One of the impudent and contemplate pleas ad.
vanced by these Austro Americans against the cor
dial reception Of the great Magyar at Washington,
was the plea Of 'sTuecedeat ;"-precedent, the old,
musty. hypocrtical cant of toryism throughout the
wold precedent, which construes hereditary satis-
faction to be law; and would maintain the eternal
darkness in which it has always brooded rather
than turn to future of light. 1t is an insult to true
democracy, to introduce the word; impous, impu-
dent, despicabe defamation Of progress, to admit
the expression of it, Search history, in all its as
poets, and do you find that the benefactors of human.
ity were men who were satisfied with their grand
fathers politics, philosophy, science, and artist
They we're all men who had no precedents for what
they said and did. The spirit Of progress, and the
spirit of truth guided them; and these are the egit
innate guides Of republicans, while the stereoyped
practices of mere politicians, however presumably
canonized by precedent are dsgraceful to every re
publican freeman.
The United States have sufficient authority in
their own existence in the Declaration of Indepen
dence, and in the generous sympathes of the people,
to protest, at once, and most emphatcaIly against
Russian intervention to crush European freedom.
They do not want precedent to instruct them in
this course, for the genius of America is essentially
and emphatically unprecedented. The war with the
Mother Country was without precedent; the DecIar-
alton OF Independence was without precedent. and
the Union had no precedent in history Precedent
would have kept us in bondage and ignorance for.
ever, but the undeveloped powers of progress and
liberty inspired our fathers TO found new system o.
government, and is every day encouraging US ia
establish new era of glory in politics, science and
art.
"A certain man went down to Jericho. and feI
among thieves, who robbed him and wounded hin
and then in that of Levite, passed him by, eayn,
him to perish in his thirst, and die with the agop,
OF his gaping wounds; but humanity and generosity
an the form of poor, despsed Samaritan. lifted hin
up and relieved him. Hungary lies bleeding at III,
feet Of the autocratic thieves of Russia and Austria
while Queen Victoria and Willard Fillmore, the paic
prIestess and Levte of constitutional liberty gathe
their garments around their feet and pass BY on tn,
other side.
But the people of the fatherland, who wonId clad
y accept the institutions of the Uuited States anf
the people Of the United States, who really love the
Republics institutions, will not consent thai Hungar,
and freedom shall perish They will assuredIy inter
fere, with voice that shall not only start queen.
and presidents from their decisions of courtly Ell,
quette but will teach the autocrats that there is an
unprecedented sovereignty in the will of free peo
pie, which must be respected.
1t may be asked, then, 'sdo you propose forc
bic interference, by our government, in behalf O
Hungary" We answer, No; but we would have
our government lay down the principle of non-nter.
vention by force by government, in the affairs oil
another nation, as true principle of International
iaw TO which it the duty of all nations to adhere
and having made that declaration, to leave any in
Engagements of it BY other powers, to be the subject
OF protest, negotiation, or such action as crcum-
stances may require. x.
Organization of the city Government.