The Minnesotian. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1851-1852, 1852-02-28
From the New York Tribune,
OFFICIAL REPORTOF MIR. CLAY,S SPEECH
TO kOSSUTH.
WAsHINGroH, Feb. 3, 1852.

| NASHINGTON, eD. 5, 1892.
send you an official report Of Mr..
Clay's speech OH the occasion of his inter-
view with Kossuth.
/ After the mutual interchange of civili-
ties. Mr.. Clay said:
/ owe you, sir, an apology for not hav-
ing accecded before to the desire, YOU
were kind enough to intimate more than
once to see me but really my health has
been so feeble that did not dare to haz-
ard the excitement of so interesting an
interview. Besides, sir, he added, with
some pleasantly, your wonderful and fas-
cinating elo4uence has mesmerised so
large portion of our people wherever
you have gone, and even some Of our
members of Congress, (waving his hand
toward two or three gentlemen who were
presently that l feard to come under its
influence lest you might shake my faith
in some principles in regard to the foreign
policy of this government, which l have
long and constantly cherished.
And in regard to this matter you will
allow me, | hope, to speak with that sim
cerity and candor which becomes the in
terest the subject has for you and myself,
and which are due to us both as the vota-
ries of Freedom.
trust you will believe me, too, when
l tell you that entertain ever the liveli-
est sympathies in every struggle for liber-
ty in Hungary and in every country, and
in this l believe express the universal
sentiment of my countrymen. But, sir,
for the sake OF my country, you must al
low 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
practical consideration Of the matter.
You tell us yourself, with great truth
and propriety, that mere sympathy, or
the expression Of sympathy, cannot ad-
vance your purpose. You require ma
terial aid And indeed it is manifest
that the mere declarations Of the sympa-
thy of Congress, or of the President, or
of the public, would be of little avail un-
less we were prepared to enforce those
declarations by resort to arms, and un-
less other nations could see that prepara-
tion and determination upon our part.
Well, sir, suppose that war should be
the issue Of the course you propose to us.
Could we then effect anything for you,
ourselves or the cause of liberty? To
transport men and arms across the ocean in
sufficient numbers and quantities to be
effective against Russia and Austria
woald be impossible. 1t is fact, which
perhaps may not be generally known,
that the most imperative 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 munitions of war at such distant
theater, and yet she had not perhaps more
than 10000 men upon this continent at
any time. Upon land, Russia is invul-
! ncrable to us as we are to her. Upon
the ocean, war between Russia and this
country, would result in the mutual an
noyance to commerce, but probably in lit
tie else. l learn recently that her war
marine is superior to that of any nation in
Europe, except perhaps Great Britain
Her ports are few, her commerce limited,
while we, on our part, would offer as a
prey to her cruisers rich and extensive
commerce.
Thus, sir, after effecting nothing in
such war, after abandonding our ancient
policy of amity and non-intervention in
the affairs of other nations, and thus JUS
titying them in abandoning the terms of
forbearance and non-interference, which
they have hitherto preserved toward us.
after the downfall, perhaps, Of the friends
of liberal institutions in Europe, her des-
pots, initiating and provoked by our fatal
example, may turn upon us in the hour Of
our weakness and exhaustion, and with an
almost equally irresistible 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
inthe affairs of the people upon this conti-
nent, in behalf those principles, the SUI
premacy of which you say is necessary
to your prosperity, to your existence. We,
in our turn, believing that your anarchical
doctrines are destructive OF, and that mo-
narchical principles are essential to the
peace, security and happiness of our sub
iects, will obliterate the bed which has
nourished such noxious weeds 5; we will
crush you and 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 emer-
gency, and we might remain unsubdued
even by so tremendous combination
but the consequences to us would be ter
rible enough. You mus. allow me, sir, tc
speak this freely, as | feel deeply, though
my opinion may be of but little import. a.