The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-08-12
INTERVENTION.
EXTRACT FROM SPEECH OF Hon john WELLS,
OF New YORK.

EXTRACT FROM SPEECH OF Hon john WELLS
OF New YORK.
Delirered IN the House Of Representatives., Jul,
,, 1852
Suppose, Mr.. Chairman, that you should
| think proper to adopt it as the policy of your
life, to have no exclusive preferences among
your friends and acquaintance, to form no CO.
partnerships and extend no partialitics to any
one over another, but to remain neutral, as it
were and hold them all alike on the same terms
Of equal favor and benevocnce: would it there
fore follow that you were to feel no interest in
the due maintenance of the laws of the land,
no care or anxiety that the rights of individuals
under those laws should be regarded and pro-
tected, and that if you should see one Of those
friends and neighbors assailcd by another,
plundcrcd, outraged, murdered that you must
calmly look on and raise no voice, no arm, in
rcmonstrance or opposition! Would that be
what you would cal preserving just neutral
ity observing justice and good faith, and cult
waiting peace and harmony with all men
Surely not; and yet that is the precise position
of those who draw an argument from the Fare
well Address of Washington, against our ia
king action in vindicaton and protection OF the
law of nations.
am SpcdklUE III liiNoT vi no iHi'ticc Witsi
Hungary or with any other people. would ex,
tend to them no favor but such rs ! would ex-
tend to every other country 1t is not for Hun
gary, but for universal humanity, that lspeak
for the common rights of all the nations, for
the great principles of justice and information
nj law which every people are bound to re-
spect and which they are equally bound to
protect to the extent of their influence and ca
4 bol ali 10
Russia Austria and Hungary, Rome and
France, England and Ircland--ull ON the same
level of IA common brotherhood and be guided
towards them by the same broad principles OF
equal and, in the language of Washington, ex-
allied justice and benevocnce.- But, rs among
my friends and neighbors, if should behold
one violating the laws and trampling upon the
rights OF the other, as should deem il my duty
to raise my voice, and if necessary my arm, in
yindication Of those laws and those rights, 10,
too, would have my country ever ready to lift
up its voice and to exert, Mt least, its influence
in behalf of the law of nations whenever the
rights of any member Of the great family OF
nations, under that law shall he violated and
outraged
This is no foreign cause or interest. IL is not
leaving our own to stand on foreign ground 1t
~ WI WIN Sipiiii, ~ II 'fi' 'teN' VIZ WI
versal humanity, our cause, our interest, our
right our duty
In 80 doing, we shall, in no respect, he de-
parting from the early principles and policy OF
the country. 1t will be but the natural and
necessary inference and result of that very pol
icy, and of those same principles carried out as
| they should be in the altered circumstances OF
our country and the world II will be but "A
step forward in the same direction in which
Washington himself first advanced and in
which he would still go forward were he now
| living in this our day. Calm, discreet and wise
| would Inc doubtless still be, but yet brave. mo-
| bic, and just rs he ever was. Every impulse
| of his great nature would impel him to this
course.
Let US, then, at once reject and disavow this
principle, or rather this want of principle, which
is sought to be fastened upon us ~ the policy
of this country-this doctrine Of mere selfish
ness, OF apathy, of indifference to everything
external to ourselves. Let us proclaim high
er, truer, more generous, and wiser policy Let
us ut once ayow our obligation to the law OF
nations both for obedience to il, and for it,
protection. Let our justice and benevolencs
be IA positive, active, earnest principle. Let ON
motto be not that narrow and illiberal one
Our country, and nothing but our country
but that other more generous and noble, anc
more patriotic because more generous and 10
BILE one OF "our country, our whole country