The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-12-29
EE5H OF GERRIT SMITH, IN CONGRESS-
ON the
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
DELIVERED DECEMBER, 20, 1853.

nQa
norsment our education, our pursuits, and our
f;rsumstances. we should take different views
=, MANY a subject, which comes before US. But
" gs are only kind in expressing these views,
j. ratient in listenting to them no harm, but,
:. tbe contrary, great good, will come from our
g,..ussions.
A. this is the first time have had the floor
g, nav be we'll for me now TO confess that, am
= the habit Of freely imputing errors to my
sllow men. Perhaps shall fall into this habit
!. the present occasion. Ii may be n bad habit
s,t /. il not atoned for by the fact, that DO
-, claim. that am myself exempt from errore
ia, acknowledge, that abound in them and
,h,t am ever willing. that those, whom as
VI hall make reprissls? trust, sir, that 80
~, 40 hall have the honor to hold seat
Tbs body. may be able to keep my spirit
=; ,sacbsble posture, and to throw away my
-, 80 "a fact rs honorable gentlemen around
mo shall convince me of them.
have risen, Mr.. Chairman, to make some
uoaarks on that portion of the Presidents Mes
\ ssrs which it was proposed, few moments
NJ, n refer. to the Committee on Foreign Al
The Message endorses fully and warmly, the
conduct of the Administration in the case of
Martin Koszta For my own part | cannot
bestow unqualified praise ON that conduct.
Scarcely upon Captain Ingraham can bestOw
sreh praise. 1t is true, that honor him for
hi. brave and Just determination to rescue
Koszta hut would have had him go step
farther than he did, and insist on Koszta's db-
,oJ,,te liberty | would have had him enter in
70 no treaty and bold no terms, with kidnap
ners would have had him leave nothing re-
rardng Kosz,a's liberty to the discretion of the
L. ~. Il. IL
cre,on of the French Government or any other
Government Koszta was an American sub
;ect-a kidnapped American subject - and
hence the American Government was bound to
set him. Immediately and Internationally, free.
But Captain Ingraham represented the Amer
lean Government For that occasion he was
the American Government.
For saving what have here said, | may ap-
near very inconsistent in the eyes of many, who
know nv oppos ton to all war; for they may
! regard Capt lngraham as having been ready
! to wage war upon Austra-as having indeed,
actually threatened her with war. But not
outstanding my opposition to all war, defend
Capt Ingraham's purpose to use force, should
iorce become necessary. | believe that such
purpose is in harmony with the true Office of
Civil Government. hold, that an armed ma
tonal police is proper, and that here was a fit
occasion for using it, had moral influences fail
ed But to believe in this is not to believe in
war 1t is due to truth to add, that Capt In
graham should not be charged with designing
war upon Austria. Why should he be thus
charged? He had properly nothing whatever
to do with Austria nor with the Austrian Con-
sui There was no occasion for his doing with
either of them, nor for his even thinking of
either of them For him to have supposed that
Austria or any of her authorities could be
gil.y Of kidnapping, would have been to insult
her and them. He had to do only with the
kidnappers, who were restraining Koszta of his
liberty; and all he had to do with these kid
nappers was to compel them to an uncondition-
al a1d immediate surrender of their prey.
will say by the way that do not condemn
the conduct of our Minister, MIR. Marsh, in re
laton to Koszta, for the good reason, that am
not sure what it was 1t it was, as it is report
ed to have been, | trust that both the Admins
tratiOn and the whole country will condemn it.
1t is denied in certain quarters that Rosetta
was an American subject But Secretary Mar.
cy has argued trumphanty that in the light
of International law, he was. regret that he
had not proceeded to argue it in other light
also | regret, that he had not proceeded to
show that even if admitted international law
is to the contrary, nevertheless, by the superior
law of reason and justice, Koszta WAS an Amer
lean subject regret that he had not proceed
ed n publish to the world, that, when foreign
er becomes an inhabitant Of this land, abiures
allegiance to the Government he has left and
places himself under the protection OF ours the
American Government will protect him. and
that TOO whether with or without information
al law, and whether with the world or against
the world In word regret, that the Sec
roary did not declare, that if international
law shall not authorize the American Govern.
mnnt to protect such one, then American
hg shall. lt is high time, that America should
justify herself in such case by something
more certain aud authoritative than European
codes. IL is high time, that she should base her
Justification, in such case, on the immutable
and everlasting principles of reason and justice
may be asked, whether | would allow, that
the subject Of fJreign Government, who is
alleged to be charged with an offence, and who
ha' He'd to our country, can find shelter in his
oath Of allegiance TO our Government an
sser. that ! would not allow him TO be kid
mapped and that, if his former Government
wants him, it must make respectful call on
our Government for his cxtrsdition add, that
would have our Government the solo Judge of
the fact whether he is charged with an offence );
AMI also the sole judge whether the offence
n with which he may he charged is a crme--a
real and essential crime-for which he should
he surrendered or merely conventional and
nominal crime, for which he should not be sur
rendered
few words in regard to the charge that
captain Ingraham invaded the rights of a neu-
tral >.te 1t is to be regretted that the Sec
IA I'D Ill
the truth Of this charge. admit, that no de-
NAL Of it was needful to his argument with Mr.
hn'semaun The denial would, however, have
been peiul No, sir Capt Ingraham did not
violate the rights Of Turkey But, although
America cannot be justly charged with vio
anng the rights of Turkey, Turkey neverthe-
s's can be justly charged with violating the
ghts of America. She violated the rights of
nerici inasmuch as she failed to afford to
oszta the protection which she owed him If
re IL not fairly chargesble with permitting
m to he kidnapped che nevertheless il fairly
argeable with permitting him to remain kid
pPed aud that is virtually the same thing
say that Capt Ingraham violated the rights
Turkey IL nonsense IL il nonsense, if for
other reason than that she had no rights in
case, tn be violated She had none, for the
'ple reason that she suffered her laws TO be
nt The only ground on which neutral
70 can claim respect at the hands Of belli-
euts ~ that, 10 far as she is concerned, their
IT. arc protected. fshe allows injustice to
n, then'they may do themselves justice If
refuses to use the law for them, then they
take 1t into their own hands For Turkey
uspend her laws, as abe did in the present
IL to leave to herself no ground Of won
or complaint if brave Capt. Ingraham
lies her lack Of laws
may be a-ked whether would really
had Capt lngraham FIRE into the Austrian
| answer, that would have had him
\o'zta free, cost what it might At the
time, ao".t that there would have been
| had .osf "a, IL