New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1855-07-31
opinion Of M. Clemens.

of Alabama, presents two striking public facts,
forcibly illustrating the Importance and neces-
sity Of the American movement: e,
In the autumn of 1s49, Father Mathew, an
Irish Priest, who had acquired great celebrity
as Temperance lecturer, paid a visit to the
United States He came to Washington, and q
resolution was at once introduced to allow him
the privilege of the foor Of the Senate This
was opposedby Mr.. Calhoun on the ground that
it was lowering the dignity of the Senate, ard
choapening its honors By myself and Others
upon the further ground that he had, while in
Ireland, INDUCED in denunciation of slavery
and taken part with the abolitionists against
the South, which / considered an unwarrant-
able intermeddling with matters that in no way
concerned him Notwithstanding these objec-
tions, the resolution passed by 3 decided MAORI
ty, and Father Mathew took his seat upon the
floor of the Senate Not long afterwards Gen.
Pillow, who bore upon his person the marks Of
honorable wounds recently received in the SER
vice of the Republic, visited Washington, and
found ito his modification doubt that the place
which had been occupied by Catholic Priest
was inaccessible to him, a native born American,
and late a Major General in the wars of his
country Nor was he alone sufferer Every
officer who served in the Mexican war, not a
member Of Congress, or an existing State LIE,
haps the single exception of General Scott, who
had received special vote Of thanks during
the war of 1872, which of itself entitled him to
admission. 1t will not do 30 tell me that respect
for THE cause of temperance produced this
astonishing result. The Congress Of the United
States are not remarkable as disciples Of tenn
perance, and that very day there were perhaps
not Six members Of the Senate who did not
drink wine at dinner or brandy before.
The Irish vote was the controlling cause
the desire to conciliate that, large body of nat
uralzed citizens who looked up to Father Mat
thew as o superior being. 1t was this which
gave to the Foreigner and Catholic an impor-
tance above and beyond that Of the soldiery
whose blood had been poured out like water on
the plains Of Mexico. II was this which in
dueed the Senate TO forget what it had BEEN
to throw aside the severe dignity which had SO
elevated them to the minds of men, and to ex-
change the character Of Roman sages for that of
servile sycophants. There was time when that
high body was composed Of sterner stuff There
was time when such proposition would have
been treated with the scorn it deserved. But
that was before the Irish Exodus Now if we
venture to question foreign merit, it must be
done with bated &C BREATH If we venture to
deny any foreign demand, however imperious,
we are threatened with political humiliation, land
yet am told we are in no danger from foreign
influence. When the Senate of the United
States has bent before the storm; where are we
to look for that public virtue which is sturdy
enough to- resist it I
+ The other case to which / allude was still
more outrageous, i. Kossuth had been ao-
lively engaged in exciting revolution in Hun.
gary, but when the hour of trial came he
shrunk from the danger he had evoked, and,
flying across the frontier, took refuge beneath
the Crescent Of the Turk. An immense amount
of sympathy was at once manufactured for him,
and our Government, not 20 be behind the pub
lie expectation, dispatched vessel of war to
bring him to our shores OF course this was
done under the specious name Of sympathy for
freedom. But If there had been no
German votes in the United States, am very
much inclined to the opinion that sympathy
Uoald have expended Itself in some less costly
manner M
But not satisfedwith bringing him here, both
branches of Congress passed a resolution inyit-
ing him to Washington He came in all the
pomp which surrounds the monarchs Of the old
world--armed guards paraded before his door,
to keep off the vulgar populace, And we who
would not have tolerated such conduct for one
hour in the President Of the Republic, not only
submitted to it on the part Of this foreign men
dicant, but actually invited him within the bar
Of the Senate, He entered with all his guard
about him. The olank of foreign sabres awaked
the echoes Of the vestibule Of the Senate, and an
eager crowd of Republicans looked on with won
dering admiration at the pageant. If the dead
are permitted to witness events upon earth,
what must have been the feelings Of the stern
Fathers Of the Republic when they saw the
velvet uniforms of foreign body guard within
the sacred precincts of the Senate! Let us
suppose them gathered about the immortal
Washington, as they were wont to gather in the
days that tried mems souls, gazing in sorrow
and silence upon the disgraceful spectacle
There are Warren, Green, Sumpter, Marion,
Lee, Shelby, Williams, Wayne, and hundred
others Of the mighty dead. They remember
that it was German cannon that thinnei their
ranks at Mud Fort and Red Bank. They re-
member that German bayonets were dimmed
with patriot blood at Monmouth. They remem-
Der Chad's ford aud Chew's house, and MANY
another field where they met the hired merce.
naries that England's gold had brought across
the Atlantic to fasten smanacles upon q people
who had never injured them, and remembering
this, they turn to each other with the mournful
inquiry, "Are these our sons are the tradi.
tions of the Revolution already forgotten ~ All !
shades of departed Patriots, there is an engine
Of power IN our land Of which in your day you
did not dream. There are few hundred thou
sana German voters among us, and every dem
nSosuo Mho asPites W Inc Presidency, and all
the satellites that glitter about him, are yieine
with each other in base concessions to German
pride and German feeling. But the picture is
a sickening one, and | turn from it. God knows
it was bitter enough at the time, and have no
wish to dwell upon it anew #
Not satisfied with the honors heapess unon
Kossuth. Congress determined to extend to him
more g material add Mr. Seward discovered
that he was the Nations guest, and introduced
a bill assuming his expenses as National debt.
The account turned out to be somewhat extra
VACANT. This plain republican martyr to lib
erty only lived At the rate of $500 per day.
Consuming in the twenty four hours Champagne
and Burgundy which cost more than it would
take to feed respectable family in North Ala
bama, for q twelve month AT that very mo-
ment there were. bills upon the Calender of the
House for the relief Of destitute Widows and
Orphans, whose husbands had died in defence
Of the country, which Congress has not had time
to attend to even to this day Not so with Kos
suth-he drank his wine ate pastes de fo;e
gras, and Congress instantly footed the bill.
Do you ask the reason' | answer widows and
children have no votes. The foreigners who
were to be conciliated by adulation Of Kossuth,
had many. Others will say it was not Kossuth
but his cause--that he had been battling for
freedom and they wished to mark their appre
citation of his efforts. As tribute to the spirit
Of Liberty it might have been we'll enough II
we had not been so lamentably deficient in pay
ing that tribute to our own citizens
When General Jackson had driven the British
fhntsa MA MIA q