Semi-weekly Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1851-1852, 1852-01-16
The Kossuth Mania.

The Kossuth Mania.
The cause of Hungarian liberty is, we fear at
tracing attention to the neglect of justice and IL
berty at home. It is good maxim to be just
before you are generous-let US discharge our OBJ
legations to those around us, before we lavish our
generosity upon strangers, whom we do not know
Kossuth is great man, and may be worthy
patriot, and deserve al! the sympathy and kind
ness which has been shown him. Admiring thou
sands OF all grades and characters have shouted
his weIcome-from the highest TO the lowest the
lettered and the unlearned, Senators and the no.
blest of the land-have all joined in one general
welcome to the great Hungarian chiet.. This is
the case with every distinguished foreigner who
visits our shores Every candid man must admit
that there is too much of this kind Of Man-wor-
ship, in the great American Republic. The same
fault exists, and always will exist, with repubi-
can governments
Our Government processes to be Republican
Democratic one but how easily have the prlnci-
pies of genuine liberty been perverted, and even
or bIessngA and advantages may in the end,
prove our ruin-the elements Of despotism are al
ready at work, and what is to be the result re-
mains to be seen Reckless mobocrasy, headed
by designing and ambitious demagogues, will
bring to pass the worst apprehensions Of the
friends of genuine liberty. The signs OF the times
teach us this, aud no prophets eye is necessary to
foretell its coming. The masses DO not think, and
are led on By the will of those whose ambition will
not hesitate to employ any means to carry out
their ends, without respect to justice or truth
The American masses are governed more by their
zeal, than by reason-always pursuing some igniS
tatuus, some visionary objec; and not satisfied to
pursue the honest avocatons of quiet life, by
which the moral and soala character of the na-
ton would be elevated. How very different now
are the people OF the United States from those
who peoplcd our land when American liberty was
first proclaimed to the world. The race Of men
in many respects have degenerated. 1t was ne
cessary in those days that man should give
proof of his worlhiness TO occupy high places in
the land, the fact that he was successful only ON
few battle fields, did not of necessity make him
ruler over all. Nowadays, chance has more to
do with President making than any other means
popular applause has a powerful influence. The
great principles OF political liberty, dated upon,
and enforced by he logic and eloqncnce Of Web
ster, as general proposition to the unthinking
masses affords the finest field for operations to the
ambitious demagogues Of the day. 10 harangue
popular assemblies, there is nothing more pleasing
~ IN tho l,,p. lie Oft SEi
ful can be used to greater advantage; the idea has
done much in all the ages of the world TO produce
changes of governments, and revolutions OF po-
Iitical principles. Under this Pretrxt, Louis Ma
poIeon has swaycd the people of France, and
fashioned them after his own notions. He will
continue to control the destinieS otha nation until
some other preendpr shall rise by popular cIamor
and eject him from his throne.
The masses of the Northern people have an i'm
perfect idea of this doctrine; their universal be-
nevoence and philanthropy, induces them in car
rying out, as they suppose, the great principles OF
political liberty, to interfere with the rights Of 9TH
ers, which at once destroys its virtue. Ncverthe-
less, the idea is there; they are bent on accom-
plshing the political liberty Of the world, and of
all men hence, discord and strife must be the re-
suit Of all this popular clamor, unless averted by
Providential hand. 1t is even so. Why shut
our eyes TO the truth? The doctrine of interven-
ton suits the Northern masscs-they have prac-
ticcd it too long for their good, and that Of the
South. Had they in good faith carried out the
principles upon which the Union was established,
we might now have Union, instead of a cOnnec-
ton, geographical only. There is no union among
the Northern and Southern States, and why seek
connection longer, with those whose very ma