Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-06-12
Patriotism VS.. Philanthropy.


Patriotism VS.. Philanthropy.
In reply to an invitation byFredrick Doug.
! ss,Gcrrit Smith has issued n circular giving
his views in regard to Kossuh and his mis-.
sion-its character aud i,s influence. Kos
suih is commended as patriot who in his
/ love of country is iorgetGul of himself For
this he is TO be hQnorcd though he cannot
concede to him the character orn philantlro.
! pist. With regard to lis mission, Mr.. Smith
dissenis from its propricty because he essen
TALLY differs from him ia regard to the lceit.
innate province of Government. Kossuth,
adopting the common theory that it should
make ample provision for the protection,
guidance, education aud general welfare of
tho subject, while Mr.. Smith would confne
its duties to the protection Of the individual
in his right to lie, liberty, aud property
Mr.. S. thinks that while the government
should not interfere in behalf of Hungary
the citizens should.
We give the latter half of Mr. Smiths nd
dress, in his own words. The letter bears
date,
PETERBoRo, May 2J, 1859.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS, My DEAR ERIEND
] mn Yet to speak of the greatest error in
kossutl's political platform. This error is,
that foreigners have 10 right TO interfere with
the internal policy and arrangements of a
nation. This error is another proof, that
hpssllth is but patriot, instead Of a piilan-
iLropist. How very natural, that patriot
should fall into this error! For how can IA
patriot diStrust the ability of his own idol
lied country TO regulate her own concerns
And how can II patriots pride of country
brook foreign interference with those cou-
Germs?
Should Hungary gain her Independence
and her Government orduin, that, ia all
coming time, her light-haircd men aud
women shall be excluded from all share in
the soil or he consigned to the gaows, Or
what is worse, 10 slavery, it follows, that
Kossuth, to be consistent with himself,
Would deny TO foreigners all right 10 inter-
icre with this wrong. Thus sacred, in the
eye of the patriot, IL the Government of his
country So sacred, that it must not be
| broken through by foreigners, even though
/ for The purpose of rescting tho victims OF u
wrong so wantOn, aud cruel, and diabolical
But, ii is not so with the philanlhropis:s. In
his eye, these victims are infinitely more sn-
cred than the Government. Indeed, in his
eye TO use the words four beloved Whittier:
"-thc ono sole sacred thing
Beneath the cope of Heaven is man."
Reason forhids the repression of our SYM
pntly out of respect TO geographical and mn
tional lines. II is only for convenience sake,
that such lines may bc drawn across the I'm.
man brotherhood. 1t is true, that they bound
the flow of patriotism. But philanthropy is
paramount to patriotism; aud they have no
authority and no power TO arrest It's tide, or
to release from the obligation, which every
man is under to he the keeper OF every other
lnau. In all this. religion agrees with reason.
When II says: "WliOso stOppgih liia ears nt
the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself
hut shall NOT be heard" il does not add, that
1t is lawful 10 stop the ears TO the cries, which
come from under foreign Goyernment.-
/ When itreqiires us TO sympathise with ''thcm
| that nrc drawn unto death and those, that are
ready 10 he slain," it does not exclude from
the range of our sympathy all others than
Our own CountryInen. On the contrary, it
requires tlIutt the Samaritan shall endeayor
! to deliver the Jew, aud the Jew the Samur-
tan, however much, in this work OF manhood
and mercy, they may have TO cross and re-
cross lines Of jurisdiction.
Every family has the government of ITSELF
Nevertheless, if my neighbor is heating his
wife, have the right TO break into the fami-
ly enclosure, and rescue her. So, too every
nation lns its own government: aud, so too,
il The Government, be il OF any other coun-
try, outrages and tramplcs upon any portion
Of its subjects, ] nm at liberty to heur, and to
be moved by the cries Of my common hu-
manity, aud TO express my sympathy in the
most effective form, albeit my doing so may
bring me into conflict with such Government.
checriully admit our obligation 10 respect
Civil Government. There is no institution,
which more profoundly respect But, we
are never to forget, that man is more than
Civil Government; that II was made for him,
aud not he for il: and that, hence, whenever
n case arises, in which one must he sacrilic-
ed TO the other, IL must be sacrificed to him,
aud not he 10 it. A true Civil Government,
however, never comes in collision with hu-
man rights.
II is not easy TO decide what on the whole,
will he the influence upon this country of
kOssull's visit. Ii will be bad, so far as il
increases the war.spirt among us:-!or the
less we have to do with swords and guns the
better. And it will be bad, so far MS it in
crenses our patriotism that patriotism be-
ing already disgustingly boated, and being
OF that most hateful type, which cries out: :
"Our country, right or wrong" Ii is more
over, so profoundly hypocriicnl, that whilst,
| with one hand, il binds the chains Of slavery,
with the other il swings It's hat for liberty
! ! can but hope, however, that the tone of our
patriotism will be n little Il fear but very