The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1852-02-04
Three Cheer. for Douglas.

land and The brave - Brien; Meahcr ana
| Mitchell areworthy Of the ind the cause
wheel, he has espoused
| IN the Congressional Banquet to Kossuth,
! January :, 1851.
| The President announced the next toast:
.sThe rgh's Of the States only valuable
when subject 10 the free control of those to
whom they apprrt,in, and utterly worthless it
:" be determined by the sword Of foreign inter
| ference"
! Mr.. DOUGLAS said: Mr. President, am
not insensible to the h, nor conferred up II IN"
bv your call to respond To the sentiment which
| has been inst given; yet l am not uumindiul
of the adva' ccd period of The evening. and
therefore cannot occupy vour time t. the extent
| that IN. tnas. which has been drum would seem
| to require | w.ll remark, however, that there
are some D.. stir ms which NAV be assumed bear
| ing upon the sentiment which you have propn-
sr.i, upon which, presume, we may all agree.
| That nation has right to s'ahli~h her own
form of goyernm. mt, and to regulate her inter
nal affairs according t. her own pleasure, is too
clear to admit Of dispute, or To require argument
in its support. fAppause j! you d. ny a
nation that right-it yon subject hrr t" any
other restraint than tina OF the law If nations
in tn. regulation Of her foreign affairs, or Ia r
own will, expressed according to the forms o.
her own constitution. in her domestic concerns,
she from thu, Instant ceases to be an ildeprnd-
eni Sale. If the nations OF he world could be
| brought not Only to recognise, thus principle,
but t. act in sacred nbed Hence To it, each nation
would adept such institutions as she thought
best adapted 10 her condition, interests, and ne
crssi'ies Probably the re would be great d-
vcrsitv in the principles and nature of the gov
ernm, MS that might prevail in different conn
tries hu, you would find in the process Il time,
lam hat fbeu tn m
prrxmate to one common standard, and at
l. myth would arrive at a model form Of govern
ment, resulting from the fact that some one
would demonstrate that it was better adapted to
The development of the true interests Of the
people than all others Applause.] Cries Of
s.Good !" "Gnod IT Each form Of govern
ment would then he subjected to the arbilra-
III, mt OF an enlightened public sentiment, and
be Judged by its practical results. The institu
tons of that country which were most success
tul in advancing the great interests Of human
Il ity-- in prrma.ing civilization and Intelligence
in developing and elcyatng the intellectual,
moral, and physical condition of the people
would acquire an Influence beyond the limits of
their country, which would cause that
system to be adopted as the mod.l government
of the world Sir, my sclflove-i should say
my pride of coun'rv-inspi,es me with the con
viction that the United States will always be
willing to have our institutions Judged by that
standard. fApp!ause. If another form OF
government can be shown to exist, or to ever
have existed, upon the face of the globe that
has done more 10 elevate the condition Of the
people-to render them intelligent, peaceaple,
aud happy-that has done more fer the cause
of cvilizatnn, religion, and IN rility i'll the
same space If time, than this, let that country
be pointed out, and, my word for it, we will be
willing TO receive its government as the model
rAprlause Mr.. President, | believe these
results would fol!uw directly and legi'iinatelv
from the acknow Judgements of that great law
Of nations that every naiion upon the face al
the globe has right to choose its own form of
government and tn establish lis domestic insti-
tutlons, without the intervention Of any foreign
power. lApplause ] Then, let me submit to
YOU, if these results would follow from that
declaration, and If that declaration is predca,ed
upon the law of nations, of justice, and of hu
mainly, why should not every friend of freedom
he willing to proclaim the principle to the civil
| lied world as the honest, gushing sentiment OF
bis heart? [Applausr. For one, | hold it is
the duty of all rcpubl cans to demons trate to
the world upon which side We are whenever a
contest arises between republicanism and abso-
lutism-Tcries Of "Bravo!' and applause i
and that demonstration should be made SO clear
", SO distinctly, that no despot can msunder-
/
which America not ouly can do, but ought to
do not merely by way Of encourag cement of all
liberal movements in every part Of the globe,
| but with reference to our own rights, our own
interests, our own dignity and duty. We should
| make it our fixed principle Of action To recng
Mise the independence of every republic the
moment it is established. Applause We
should establish commercial intercourse, and
also diplomatic relations with such governments
! 1t NAV be that the exercise of this right will
give offence to the crowned heads of Europe
Suppose it does.
The question with me is, not whether The
despots Of Europe would choose TO take offence
at our action, but whether snch action woulc
b. Just cause of offence violation oft the law.
IF nations, and nf the principles of right ant
justice! [Anplausc BY what authority dc
these conspiratnrs against the rights Of the poo
Pile and the independence of nations say to re-
| publican America that we have no right TO sym.
| pathize with popular movements for the csah.
lisment of democratic institutions everywhere
the history Of Europe for the last two hundred
years consists of succession of intervention by
the larger powers with the internal affairs of he
smaller powers, in utter disregard of their rights
as sovereign States and of the principles of in
ternational law. These interventons have
been prompted sometimes by the ambitious
j
silly purpose Of maintaining the absurd scheme
Of European equilibrium, and always to crush
any effort for the establishment of free insti-
tut:ons. II is Que thing to intervene in viola
ton Of intcrnatic mi law for the purpose of de-
privino a nation of its liberty and independence;
and il is entirely different thing 10 nterpose
in vindic,ation of that law for the purpose OF
maintaining the great principle that every ma
ton has right to choose and establish its own
institutions Applause
| A VoIcE. He sp AXIS ter the West. Zap
pianse.
| Another Vo,cE. Yes: and for the whole
country. Applause.
| Mr.. DOUGLAS. (cnntinuing) 1t is no
violation of the laws OF nations to interpose in
vindica:ion Of the sovereignty of State. u ]
| am right in the first proposition, that every
State has the right to prescribe its form Of
government, any innovation of that ri ght is such
an offence against all nations as authorizes
every nation of the globe to nterpose for its
vindicaton which shall see proper 10 do So
TApplause.] Whether | would deem 1t wise
thus to interfere not would depend upon the
peculiar circumstances of the case. If il was
a contest merely whether this or that dynasty
should rule the country. | would say to them
fight it out yourselves you can have no sym.
?athys TO aid from America. IF it was a con.
flict as to whether this or that man shall sit upon
the thrown with his feet upon n:ck of the peo-
pie, | would say, fight your own battles against
Russia or the other enemy, and do not call upon
| US for assistance. | would afford no aid to
monarchies, whether limited absolute, even
| II it were necessary to save them from the
dominion of the Autocrat | want no alliance
with England so long as she maintains her
present policy and system of government. She
must do justice to Ireland, Applause, and to
The Irish exiles, [great applausr,) and to her
/ own people, before she command even nv
sympathy, much less my assistance. SO long
as she mprisons and banshes for life Irish
patriots for no other crime than that which has
made the iilustrious Hungarian our national
| gust, she must look clsewI for allies and
assistance. [Applause. Let her restore O..
Bren, Mitchell, Meagher, and their ass ocates,
TO liberty in .hes nation-lst her do Justice to the
Irish nation and to the English people, and
assitnIlaie her institutions to ours, before she
calls upon America to protect her against the
Autccrat! Greats pplause.] Proud, naughty
| England for The first time trembles for her own
| safety. She the beginning Of the great
| struggle which is 10 decide the issue between
democracy and despo,ism on the continent IF
| Europe She fears the fulflment of the