The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-05-26
SPEECH OF HON. JOHN P. HALE.
Editor of The National Era :

To The Editor Of the National Era:
Taking up your paper of March 80, to read
Mr.. Hale's Speech in the Senate of February
18th, have read, for the first time the follow
ing extraordinary passage Sir, ! desire to
be always on the side of my country | desire
that she may be always right; but whether she
is right or croag, am dipdyS With her and for
her" Is it possiblea Did John p Hale really
utter such sentiment? 1t is, in substance,
the same sentiment uttered by the late Com
modore Decatur, in toast, think, that horri-
fed almost every truly virtuous mind, when it
was first promulgated. Has HALE, the leader
and champion Of the Free Democracy, copied,
at this day, the atrocious sentiment of that
brave but INSCRIPTIONS man? If so, shall
deeply regret it. viii You explain, and inform
your readers whether there has not been some
mistake or error in the NATTER
1t is true that the passage quoted is followed
by these words believe it is the first duty
Of patriotism, when we find the country wrong
to endesvor to set her right; and when we
find that she is going in a direction which is
likely to place her in a wrong position, she
is entitled to our best efforts to put her in a
different direction" Very true but this is OBJ
viously quite different from the sentiment OBJ
iected to. AN INQUIRER.
We all know Mr. Hale, and if his public
life provo anything beyond all doubt, it is this:
that he has not sustained, and will not sus-
tain, his party or his country, in wrong doing.
On the question of Texan annexation, he tram
pied party under foot On the question of the
Mexican war, he withstood by word and act,
uniformly and unfinchingly, the entire action
Of the Government. His enemies cannot point
to an act of his public life, since his connec-
ton with the Anti-Slavery party, in which he
sacrificed his known convictions of right to
the demands of an inconsiderate patriotism.
We submit that when such man gives ut.
terancc to an ambiguous declaration, justice
and common sense dictate a construction in
accordance with his whole life. When he
said that he desired to be always on the side
of his country, and that she should always be
right; but that, whether che were right OF
wrong he would always be with her and 70,
her. we understood him to mean just what
the Christian poet, Cowper, meant in relation
to his country, when he exclaimed England
with all thy faults, love thee still"
Should his country be in the wrong, he
would not desert her he would be with her
and for her." not to encourage or sustain her
wrong doing, but to bring her back to the
right and save her, if possible, from the con-
sequences of her evil works. That he meant
this, is shown by the context; for he says i'm
mcdiately, dit is the first duty of patriotism,
when we find tho country wrong, to endeavor
TO sci her right :" and this was the way he
would be with her and for hcr-strengthening
her when right, holding her back when wrong.
This is the true meaning of his declaration
But, as "An Inquirer" may not be satisfied
with our Interpretation, We respectfully ask
Mr.. Hale, for the qualification of his numer-
GUS friends, to be his own interpreter