Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-01-15

| gress. The denizens at Washington felt at his
approach. as the jewellers at Brussels felt on the
eve of Waterloo. There was "hurryng to and
fro" of women and of men. There was
" mounting in hot haste" of presidential hob
bes. And all the beauty and chvalry of
the Republican Capitol, shook with fear at the
approach of republican exile. Two or three
respectable old men in the Senate, from the
Southern States resisted this rash and desperate
commitment of the country to republican princl-
pies. Gentlemen had not reflected sufficiently
upon what they were doing. They had not
counted the cost of bringing I,Ue herOa flesh and
blood victim Of tyranny, into the midst OF that
very exctable body The South. at any rate,
wovld not tolerate such dangerous agitation.-
They commenced the disorderly retreat. SduUe
ql6 peut was tho order of the day. The Senate
mnst receive him, but they would not commit
themselves in doing it. The reception should
cia guards should be provided, and all due pre-
cautions taken to keep Kossuth's mouth shut
The dreful woes which would beset the coun-
try, if he should make a speech in that sanctua-
nv of Republican sovereignty, must be warded
off At all hazards, and at every extremity, at
the expense of all courtesy, by distinct and de-
| lluGTdlb lUSull, IL HdCcsSdIHq IAOoSuth lbuob W
prevented from making speech. And yet, at
ter all this formidable baricadlng, it does not APP
pear that Kossuth ever wished TO make speech
in the Senate at all.
In the House a still more contemplate pur-
pose was carried out in still coarser manner
as was fitting and Characteristic. For over a
week the members Of that body wrangled about
the form of words they should use in receiving
n guest whom they had invited. The dreadful
apprehension that too much civity might be
shown him, and especially that the country might
be committed to repubicanism, oVerboTe all con-
sideratons Of proprety in that body, which, to
be sure, was never distinguished by any very
nice sensibility to what is becoming in civilized
life. Mr.. Stephens, of Georgia, exhibited rath.
ermore than his usual wasphishness, and veri-
ETY. of other members displayed uncommon igno-
rance and boorshness, in this high minded and
! maginanimous attempt to muzzle by force the
champion of Hungarian freedom and lndepen-
dence.
The executive department, it was hoped, had
escaped this universal and discreditable pusilla.
nimity. The President seemed TO have answer
ed Kossuth with courtesy at all events, and to
have adhered to the position taken in his mes
sage, in spite of the contagious cowardice
around him. BUTT seems that his civllity is
thought to need explanation and apology. The
Washington correspondent of the Austrian Or
gan in this city, complains by authority, that
"the President was taken by surprise by Kos
suhs speech; !" that it was perfectly unde1 stood
that there should be no speech making on either
side!" The simplicity Of oar institutions,
this writer thinks was violated, by Kossuths
saying anything to the President! The affair
ought to have been dumb show. Pantomlme
was the entertainment to which Kossuth had
been invited. And this venturing unmuzzled
into the presence of Republican royalty, and
daring even there TO speak Of freedom and of
republican hopes showed such shocking dsre-
gard of the simplicity Of our Institutions" that
{" the President was taken by surprise" In swell
informed circles" writes this CORRESPONDENT,
in the circles ruled by Russian and Austrian
diplomacy, in the circles which surround Rods
cos board, and live in the smiles of the Aus
trian minister, there is but little difference of
opinion, that the introduction Of SHeh a matter
waa wholly out of pIacem Very likely.
But this is not all. NJ. Kossujh cannot stir
in Washington without being subject to insult.
And if any chance civllity is shown kim, subse-
quent explanations and apologies assure the pub
lie Il at it was done by accident. He called up
on the Secretary of the Interior, and happened
in conversation to Oude to Hungary, was very
courteousy told by that tunctionary, that he had
nothing to do with the subject And renturing
to make an inquiry about the feasibility of bay
ing public lands for n Hungarian colony, this
interior Secretary lnsulHaglY assumed that be-
expected eff Of the lands Of the Government,
and answered him accordingly!
1t would be very difficult for any body of pub
lie men to display more i'll breeding,-a more
marked ignorance or contempt Of propriety, that
the Government of this country has shown to-.
Kossuh. 1t would be we'll for them to r9mem-
Der that this sympathy with despotism, and this
jealous dislike Of all who disturb its peace, is.
not shared by the people who put them in Office.
They will find It no easy matter to eradicate
from the public heart, deep sympathy with ma
tons struggling for freedom, and a profound re-
spect for their resolute and high. minded cham.
pions. 1t may seem to them very simple mat
ter TO put their extlnguisher upon Kossuth, and
snnff him out by their paltry insults. The cir
cles of Washington may think it very easy TO-
annihate him by not noticing hin. But they
are not the people of the Uulted States: nor is
their course or example regarded as taw in any
considerable section Of our country.