The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1852-02-27
N. KOSSUTH AND MR.. CLAY.

| The interview between NJ hoSSuth and
Mr., Clay has excited Il general interest in the
country, and the reports of it hitherto given
to the public have been somewhat inaccurate,
and, nj the best, imperfect.
The company present. on the occasion,
consisted of Senators Cass, Jones, of Ten
nessec, Mr., Fendall, of Washington City, and
the Hon. Presley Ewing, of Kentucky. The
last named gentleman has been induced, ut
the Instance of several persons, and with the
consent of Mr.. Clay, to give Il more extended
and careful report of the interview, and cspe-
cially of Mr. Gays remarks, which we pub
! lish below, and which may be regarded us
authentic, having, besides the authority of
| Mr.. Ewing, the sanction of Senator Jones, by
whom the report has been examined and ap-
proved.
NJ. Kossuth was introduced by Mr.. Cass at
about three o'clock,
On being presented to Mr., Clay who rose
to receive him, 'Sir," said he, Il thank you for
the honor of this interview"
81 beg you to believe" said Mr. Clay, inter-
rupting him, "tlat it is who am honored.
viii you be pleased to be seated?'
After the mutual interchange of ciyilities,
| Il owe GU, SI, WI. Nluls al upOlORN
for not having acccded before to the desire
you were kind enough to intimate more than
once, TO see me. But really my health has
been 50 feeble that did not dare to hazard
the excitement of so interesting an interview.
Besides, sir" he added with some pleasantly,
''your wonderful and fascinating elOquence
has mesmerized SO large a portion of our
people, wherever you have gone, and even
some Of our members Of Congress-" waving
his hand towards the two or three gentlemen
! who were present, 'that feared to come under
its influence, lestyOu might shake my faith in
some principles in regard to the foreign policy
of this government which | have long and
constantly cherished, and in regard to this
matter, you will allow me, hope, to speak
with that sincerity and candor which becomes
the interest the subject has for you and for
myself, and which is due to us both us the
votaries of freedom. trust you will believe
me, too, when tell you that entertain ever
the liveliest sympathies in every struggle for
| liberty, in Hungary, and in every country.
And in this, | believe, express the universal
sentiment of my ccuntrymen, But, sir, for
the sake of my country, you must allow me
to protest against the policy you propose to
her. Waving the grave and momentous
question Of the right of one nation to assume
the executive power among nations for the
enforcement of international law, or of the
right of the United States to dictate to Russia
the character of her relations with the nations
around her. let US come at once to the practi-
cal consideration of the matter. You tell us
yourself, with great truth and propriety, that
mere sympathy, or the expression of sympa-
| tb.r nt oHy gou Nnn ra
qure material aid. And indeed, it is manifest
that the mere declarations of the sympathy of
! Congress, cr.of the President, or of the
public, would be of but little avail, unless we
were prepared to enforce those declarations
by resort to arms, and unless other nations
could see that preparation and determination
upon our part Well, sir, suppose that war
should be the issue of the course you pro-
pose to us, could we then effect anything for
YOU, ourselves or the cause of liberty! 10
transport men and arms across the ocean in
sufficient numbers and quantities to be eiiec-
tive against Russia and Austria would be i'm
possible. 1t is fact which perhaps may not
be generally known, that the most impera-
tive reason with Great Britain for the close of
her last war with us, was the immense cost of
the transportation and maintenance of forces
and the munitions Of war on such a distant
theatre; and yet she had not, perhaps, more
than thirty thousand men upon this CONT
nent ut any time. Upon land Russia is in
vulnerable to us, as we are to her. Upon the
ocean. n war between Russia and this coun-
try would result in mutual annoyance to COM
merce, but probably in little else, learn, re-
Gently, that her war marine is superior to that
of any nation in Europe, except, perhaps,
Great Britain. Her ports are few, her COM
merce limited; while we, on our part, would
offer as a prey to her cruisers rich and eX-
tensive commerce. Thus, sir, after effecting
nothing in such war, after abandoning our
ancient policy of amity and non-intervention
in the affairs of other nations, and thus lusti-
fying them in abandoning the terms Of for
bearance and nOn-interterence, which they
have hitherto preserved towards us; after the
downfall, perhaps, of The friends OF liberal
institutions in Europe, her despots, initiating
and provoked by our fatal example, may turn
upon us in the hour of our weakness and eX-
haustion and with ali almost equally irresisti-
bic force of reason and of arms, they may say
to us:
"You have set us the example, you have
quit your own to stand on foreign ground
you have abandoned the policy you professed
in the day of your weakness, to interfere in
the affairs of the people upon this continent in
behalf of those principles the supremacy Of
which you say is necessary to your prosperity
to your existence. We in our turn, believ-
ing that your anarchcal doctrines are des-
tructive of, and that monarchical principles
are essential to, the peace, security, and hap
pness of our subjects, will obliterate the bed
which has nourished such noxious weeds; we
will crush you, as the propagandists of doc
trines so destructive of the peace and good
order of the world" The indomitable spirit
of our people might, and would be equal to
the emergency, and we might remain unsub-
dued even by so tremendous a combination,
but the consequences to us would be terrible
enough. You must allow me, sir, to speak
thus freely, as feel deeply, though my opin-
ion may be of little import, as the express
sion of a dying man.
"Sir, the recent melancholy subversion of
the Republican Government of France, and
that enlightened nation voluntarily placing its
neck under the yoke of despotism, teach us
to despair of any present success for liberal