The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-08-15
ysf feasisN POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES.

ysf resfisN POLICY or THE UNITED STATES.
x,usr,cns OF an Eaglish Revlewcr-Isnors,sce
~ American Sentiment and Facts Whin-
sno about the Supposed Feeling In fhe
IJrised states for Russia, &c., &c.
rtrrou, the Westminster Review, July, 1851
Events of absorbing interest have Of late followed
"a fsf on one another, that readers may not una
4 cav to recall the efforts of Kossuth during his
prorress through our island and the states TO form
an Anglo American alliance against al despotsm.
Hand ia now actually at with the greatest of all
despotisms. But where are ner American allies TO
shose Who supported the efforts OF the Hungarian
Whence Is Il that while aristocratic Old England is
engaged In death struggle with Russia, the great
Semocratic republic looks on, merely calculating
hs can ee19 sas By the sbs cheering
And yet, enthusiastic as was our reception Of Kos
suth, 1t was tame affair compared to that which
welcomed him in the States. The ruling classes
man committed himself: but in America, statesmen
and generals Wed with one another In promises Of
help; and when carping critics declared that these
lain political capital Els friends pointed to the cleo
ton Of President Pierce, and said -" See here the
result Of Kossuth's visit to the States Of the two
great parties IN the Union the democrats have pro
pie have elected the democrat candidate by an over
whelming majority, because they wish these promises
70 be fulhfled' We ourselves never put much faith
either in these promises or in the actions which
might appear to betoken their fulflment. Spite of
angry correspondence between American secretaries
and Austrian ambassadors, we knew that all this
an army, and an empire without navy; that nei-
ther Of them having the means OF getting at the
other by land or sea, they might quarrel In peace
was a stepping stone to power for both President
Pierce and his minister's yet inasmuch as they are
AL prosavery men, we are not surprised to lind that
nssaaesby war for feedom By telling the 1es
that if they declare for the nat0nalites they shall
be backed by American rifles and dollars, the pre-
sent American administrator Is rather scnemng 10
American slavery.
Not that we conceive that Intervention in this
struggle either was or is the business OF America
The States have prestige in India to preserve no
communication through Egypt to protect even the
subsection Of Germany, and possibly OF the whole
Continent, which might follow that OF Turkey would
not oblige them, 1t would US, to owe our freedom
to isolated position and to protect 1t at an enor
NOUS cost against an overpowering neighbor. Above
all, the circumstances Of her history and the inter
vention Of the wide Atlantic have saved her from
the necessity Of becoming member OF the European
family, which for the sake Of peace has been forced
TO form itself into what is in fact federation bound
together by international-that is, by federal laws
the infraction Of which, by any member of the fede
ration demands from all the others, az in the pre-
sept case, opposition and punishment Expedency,
fh does not call for the Intervention Of the States
nor Il this one of those rare cases in which tho
claims Of duty would anticipate or transcend the
dictates Of expediencH We can imagine cases in
spoa ne ss seap s%s to s ns s% nso
the fray; but this il not one of them. We think
that he would cross the ocean rather than allow the
democracy of Europe to be utterly destroyed by its
aespotism; but this democracy is not yet sufficiently
endangered to induce him to tight for emperors: we
trust that, were the home OF his fathers really in
sores and present rvares, tens Of thousands Of re-
publcans woud strive to save the Old Country from
the thread of the Cossack: but until in the Old
World law and order be defeated by brute force and
lust Of conquest, the great republic in the New World
may refrain from interfering.
Still, if we can neither expect nor wish the hands
Of orr American kinsmen to be for us it certainly is
not without feeling Of dis appointment that
End ourselves forced to examine whether no their
hearts be not against rs. The quarrel il one in
which, whatever may be said for both sides, few will
deny that the balance Of right is on ours that the
the great interests Of humanity would lose far more
than they would gain by our defeat: On the one
side is q horde OF serfs, with whom the Americans
have fewer ties than with any other Christians,
driven into battle by the incarnation Of that brute
force and lawless power to which they. profess
80 strenuous an opposition. On the other side
az themselves Of similar laws and habits, and be-
tween whom and themselves there is greater CON-
munity Of interest and thought, and with whom they
are connected by more individual bonds OF friend
ship and of actual kinmanship than ever before
isted between two separate commonwealth. Surcly
then it cannot but be painful to read In their
papers 6neeTB AZ our VAIN vi 6uCCee5, hHu udIuiy
suppressed hopes Of our ultimate discontinue.
Too much weight it Is true, ought not to be given
70 these newspaper articles The press is by law so
free in the States or rather the practical limit to its
license is 50 entirely public opinion that annoton,
however crude, any misstatement however absurd,
any Islander however unfounded, may find expression,
provided It does not run counter to the preudces OF
an overwhelming majority; in which case the CEN
eorshp is stringent and the penalties as tyranni-
cal, in Paris ST. Petersburg: For example wing
and democratic journals in New York, when the two
lie, hn1o
measured abuse their respective editors and prin-
cipeshave even immunity to assail the private cha
rscter individuals with the foulest calumnies while
in Missouri or the Carolinas, writer suspected o.
abotionim would have reason to congratulate him
self If he escaped with his life. Where, however, all
may speak, it IL not the wisest or most induenta!
man whose voice IL the ioudest; more often he will
retire from the strife Of tongues, unless commanded
by duty TO bear his testimony; and therefore the
backing Of the Car by the American press would
merely prove that there is not active majority OF
American readers against them. Nor are these ar
ticles oil on one side. Against the antiEuglish
leaders in the New YoRK HERALD, a paper
party would attach weight we may set noble ani
touching tributes to English valor, such as that
quoted by Mr.. Baxter from the Boston Atlas, aud
ilnstured are the sarcasms about the long siece
Of Sebastopol, friend Of tells US, that in tie
largest theatre OF New York he heard its reported
capture received with almost more than English eu-
thusiasm. The expression of feeling varies from
place to place, and cqanges from hour to hour; nor,
indeed, wonder at this, considering the divers
Influences at work Against Anglo Saxon sympathy,
we must set Celtic hatred and revenge. Young
Ireland, who has votes, may induce many q
political partisan to invcigh against old
England, who cannot help him in his can
vass. Doubtless there is much dislike Of Russian
antocats also is there Of English aristocras;
think the Rev. Mr.. Everest is quite correct in die
tnguishing between the feeling with which Ameri-
cans regard the English people and those whom
they believe to be its rulers. And indeed, consider
ing the degeneracy OF their statesmen remember
ing what carcatures Of Washington, or jefferson,
Monroe are Polk or Pierce, we can hardly wond T
that they take comfort in the thought that our
aristocratic habits do not ensure to succession
Of great men, any more than do their democratic
institutions.
Nor are the commercial influences 30 entirely in
our favor as might at first appear Not only are we