The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-01-21
WASHINGTON, D. C.
THE NEUTRALITY LAWS.
SPEECH OF HON. ELI THAYeR,
OF Massachusetts,,
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
JANUARY 7, 1853.

IN THE HOISE VI
JANUARY I, 1853.
Mr.. Chairman, it is my purpose to offer
an amendment to the resolution which is
now before the Committee, for the pur-
pose of widening the proposed investi-
CATION. | do not intend to discuss al
all the topics which the Committee has
been considering during the past three
DAYS. ] am not here to consider whether
Mr. Walker was legally or illegally ar
rested, or whether Commodore Paulding
is to be censured or applauded for his
action. / shall express no sympathy with
the course pursued by the President.
have no intent to discuss his position
in relation to this matter, neither is it my
purpose TO enter the lists with the gentle
man from Tennessee, Mr.. Maynard, who
eulogized the heroism of MIR. Walker-a
man, who, claiming TO be the President of
Nicaragua, and TO represent In his own
person the sovereignty of that State, sur
rendered without protest, and without
blow, to power upon his own soil,
which he claimed to be an invading force.
Whether this be heroism, | shall not now
inquire.
thrust aside, for the present, all ques-
tons of legal technically in this matter !;
all the mysteries Of the construction of
the neutrality laws; all these questions
which have engrossed the attention of the
House during the last three days, and con-
corning which every body has been speak
ing, and nobody caring; and l come to
that great, paramount. transcendent ques-
ton, about which everybody is caring and
nobody is speaking: Chow shall we
Americanize Central American"
Ii may be matter of surprise that |
pass over two or three questions which
in their natural order seem to be antece-
dent to this one. And these questions
are: First, Do we irish to Americanize
Central America Secondly, Can we
Americanize Central America? Thirdly.
Shall we Americanize Central America?
Now, Mr.. Chairman, say that whoever
has studied the history Of this country, and
whoever knows the character of this peo-
pie, and whoever can infer their destiny
from their character and their history,
knows that these three preliminary ques-
lions are already answered by the Ameri-
can people-that we do Dish to Ameri-
canize Central America that we can
Americanize Central America and that
we shall Americanize Central America.
And now, Mr.. Chairman, in relation to
the manner and agency. HOU can we
Amelicanize Central American Shall we
do it legally and fairly, or illegally and un-
fairly, Shall we do it by comforting a
benefit on the people of Central America,
or shall we do it by conquest, by robbery,
and violence. Shall we do it without
abandoning national laws, and without
violating our treaty stlpulations' Shall
we do it in accordance with the law of
nations and the laws of the United States,
or shall we do it by force, blood, and fire
Now, Mr.. Chairman, my position is
this that we will do it legally; that we
will do il in accordance with the highest
laws, human and divine.
By the way, sir, did agree with the
gentleman from New York, Mr.. Haskin,
when he told us yesterday that he was not
in favor of petit larceny but did not
agree with him when he said he was in
favor of grand larceny. l regret that a
Representative of the people of the Uni
ted States i'm the Council Hall of the ma
ton should say to his constituents, to the
nation, and to the world, that he and the
Democratic party were 'ttrather in favor of
grand larceny" Larceny is larceny; and
you cannot say a meaner thing about il
than TO call it by its own name. | am
panied that this report has gone forth, that
any party, or that any individual in this
House, or connected with this Govern
ment, is in favor of grand larceny or petit
larceny. Larceny, grand or petit, is not
only disgraceful, but is absolutely and ut
terly contemplate. We do not 90 for
the acquisition or AUGMENTATION of ter
ritory by larceny of any kind whatever,
but fairly, openly, and honorably.
Then, sir, by what agency may we thus
Americanize Central America? | reply
TO the question, by the power of organi-
zed emigration. That is abundantly able
to give us Central America as soon as we
want it. We could have Americanized
Central America half a dozen times by
this power within the last three years, il
there had been no danger or apprehen-
sion OF meddlesome or yexatiOus Execu-
tive interference. But If we are to use
this mighty power of organized emigra-
ton, we want different kind of neutrality
laws from those which we now have and
therefore am DESTROYS that this Commit
tee shall recommend something which
shall not subject us to the misconstructiop
of the President of the United States, or
10 his construction at all. want these
neutrality laws so plain that every man
may know whether he is in the right or in
the wong, whether he is violating those
laws or is not violating them. For, Mr..
Chairman, with our new-fashoned kind
of emigration, with our organized emigra-
ton, which goes in colonies, and there
fore must, of necessity, to some extent,
resemble military organization, there is
great danger that President with dim
intellect may make mistake, and subject
to harassing and vexatious delays, and
sometimes to loss and injury, peaceful,
quiet colony, going out to settle in neigh
boring State.
Mr.. Chairman, | can illustrate this po-
sition. You, sir, remember that i'm the
year 1856, when it was bad travelling across
the State of Missouri, on the way to Kan
sas, that our colonies went through the
State Of Iowa, and through the Territory
of Nebraska. These were peaceful, quiet
colonies, going to settle in the Territory
of Kansas, by that long and wearisome
Journey, because it was bad travelling
through the State of Missouri. You re-
member that one Of these colonies of Or
panized emigrants. which went from
Maine and Massachusetts, and from vari-