The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-06-23

| in which deliverance from oppression was
achieved without foreign assistance. The UNI,
ted States of America had the assistance OF
despotic France in establishing their independ-
ence. Hear, hear. Even England, heroic
and brave as she is, had the aid OF l5,00O
| Dutch grenadiers, and Dutch feet of 500
sail. 1t was with these that William of Orange
came to the rescue of her liberties. hear.l
! We Hungarians achieved our independence
| without foreign assistance but 1t was by for
eign Intervention that we were enslaved. What
curious change has come on sudden over the
| minds of Governments and of aristocrats, that
they raise hue and cry against what they
call the Intervention of the French In ltaly1
Why, my Lord, for about forty years we have
scarcely heard of anything else than foreign in
tervention against liberty. There was inter
vention in Spain, at Naples in Piedmont, in Sici
ly, at Rome, in Moldo-W alachia, in Hungary,
in Hassia, in Baden, in Schleswig Holstein-
| everywhere there has been Intervention against
liberty and / do not know that England has
ever drawn her sword to forbid it. Sometimes
a tame remOnstrance may have been offered;
but, in the case of my own dear native land,
England's Government had not one poor word
of observation to offer. Hear, hear.
Well, here at last is a case in which chance
of emancipation from the yoke of Austria is
presenting itself by an intervention, (if inter
vention it be- and hue and cry is raised
against it, and principles are invoked in favor
of oppression, which we never invoked In favor
of the oppressed. Hear, hear It is dis
creditable hypocrisy. Let Austria be replaced
in the position into which the heroic arms Of
my nation had hurled her in l849, before for
eign Intervention lifted her up from the dust
and be sure neither Italy nor we shall want
any assistance. But, if England permitted
Austria to be saved, and the rights of nation
alities to be crushed by foreign Intervention,
let 1T not be recorded that, when such interven
ton might have turned to the advantage of the
oppressed nationalities, then only was it OPP
posed for the first time by that England which
was so much indebted herself to foreign assist
ance for her deliverance from oppression.
| Cheers. Besides In this case there is not
exactly Intervention, there is war between es
| tablished Governments That one or more ma
tionalities may take advantage of the opportu-
nifty is, should think, not exactly proper
reason for England to throw, Brennus like, her
sword into the scale in favor of Austria, a
name synonymous with oppression, and with
the murder of nationalites. Cheers.
What may be the special motives which in
| duced the present ruler of France to engage
in this war, do not pretend to know; but |
know what cannot be in his interest, and there
fore cannot be in his intentions. 1t cannot be
in his interest to enter on the career of con-
queror, because that would be positive ruin to
him, it was the ruin of Napoleon |. Nay,
though that great captain was certainly an am
bilious man, yet feel perfectly certain that if
he were to rise this day from his grave, with
all his high-towering ambition, not even he
could enter now on the career Of a conqueror.
At certain times, certain things are impossible
and this is one Of them. Furthermore, know
that it cannot be in his interest, nay, that it is
|
preston Of natiOnalities. Cheers.
1t is the irreverent disregard of the sentiment
of nationality which sent Napoleon to die
fettered eagle on the scorching rocks of ST.
Helena it is the same irreverent disregard of
the sentiment of nationality that will shatter to
atoms the lettering throne of perfdious Austria
And, verify, it does strike me that Napoleon III
is not exactly the man to repeat the fault by
which Napoleon fell By doing good to the
| oppressed natiOnalites, he may earn great
moral advantage by doing them harm, he
could not anything but ruin for himself
Cheers. In forming my opinions, take for
a startlng-point interests, not men; and know
| ing that, in matters where so much is at stake
men are not likely to disregard their interest,
dare trust to the soundness of my conclusions
And, after all, there is some guaranty in the
force of circumstances, too. Suppose give
it you as uppOsition-suppose that the logic
al Development of the present war should offer
to my own nation, not an Indictment to hazard
Gus desultory riots-these | should sternly ad-
wise her to avoid but should offer such a
chance as would, with reasonable prospects.
place her independence within the reach of
her own determination, would you advise her to
reject the chance, because under the mysteri-
GUS dispensatiOn of Providence, it would have
come to her from a Bonaparte2 Why, she
| yo,,l1 ha ool 20 N
gary cannot be made French department :;
she is both too strong and too distant for that !;
her distance alone places her out of that dan
ger. Hear, hear. And even as to italy,
Hated as Austria is by every Italian, the iron
rod OF Austria was strong enough to prevent
Italy from organizing and arming the nation
Thanks to the assistance Of France they can
do it now. Let them be wise enough to take
advantage of the occasion, and, having had
assistance in getting delivered from the foe, if
they should not know how to secure their future
independence from the friend, they would not
deserve to be free. Loud cheers When the
fate of nations is trembling in the scale woe to
the man, loving himself more than his father
land, would allow himself to be guided in his
Judgment by his personal sympathes and an
tipathies, rather than by what he owes to his
country love my fatherland more than my
selt-more than anything on earth-and, in
| spired by this love, | ask one boon-onlv one
boon-from England; and that is, that she
should not support Austria. England has not
interfered for liberty; let her not interfere for
the worst OF despotisms on earth-that of Aus
tria. Great cheering.
The only boon | ask is strict neutrality; and
this, too, should not ask, if / were not certain
in my conscience that England's interference
In the war would bring incalculable calamity
on this your free and happy country, without
any possible present profit or future compensa-
ton. Hear, hear. | owe, and gladly profess
to owe, eternal gratitude to England. / should
feel it much like misfortune Detailing my own
native land, should England inconsiderately
rush into calamitous course by coupling her
own fate to that of the House of Austria
Hear. The English nation has mighty des
TIMES in her hands. Please to bear well in
mind this, that no war can be thought to have
assumed European proportions, unless Ger
many and Russia become parties to it. Now, my
Lord am of opinion that, though the German
nation be uncommonly excited, Germany will
not fly into the to the rescue of Austria
unless Prussia takes the lead hear, hear -
thus abjuring the policy of Frederick the Great
which raised her to the position of frst-rate
Power. And |, for one, considering the atti
tude which the Gar of Russia would be likely
to take in such CASE, for one, cannot think
that the Regent of Prussia will risk the danger
Gus hazard, unless he shall be made sure of
being supported by England. Thus, it evident
ly depends on the resolution of England, wheth-
er or not this war is to assume general Euro
pean proportions because if Prussia, from re-
lance upon Englands support, plunges into
u IL. IL e A