Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1864-01-25
Coming Down from us High ES-
lnlA.

.H. .. NfNNGs
Our Government has come down to
acknowledged insigniiiance, and pusillani-
nifty. 1t used to be the pride, and justly
so, Of American citizens that their govern
ment followed them with the egis Of its
protection in all their wanderings, and
shielded them everywhere from oppression
and outrage. We all remember, how the
Hungarian MARTIN KoszTA, a man who
had only "declared his intention to be-
come an American citizen, was delivered
by Captain 1NoRAHAN, commanding a
United States ~sloop-of.war, from the ty-
%rannous clutches of the Austrians, in the
far off harbor Of Smyrna. This occur
red in June, 1858, when FRANKLiN PiHRcE
was President of the United States. Cap
tain INGRAHAM went on board the Austrian
brig and after learning hat KoszTA was a
candidate for American citizenship, asked
him If he claimed American protection.
He said he did. Then, said ~INeRAHAM
goa shall hdve IT," and returning to his own
sloop, he cleared the ieck for a fight. That
was enough-KoszTA was released, and
about a month later Mr.. OFFLEY, United
States Consul at Smyrna, received a dis
patch from the State Department-recog-
nizing KoszATA to be a citizen of the
United States and extending the protection
due to him as such. Mr.. KoszTA was pro-
vided with an American passport, and
sailed, q freeman, to America. As soon as
he landed, he addressed a letter to Mr..
PIERCE gratefully acknowledging the OBJ
legations he wa under, and thanking him
for the establishment Of a principle; (which
viii in the future, enforce respect to all
those who have the good fortune to be
placed under the protection of the Ameri-
can flag" &c. {
How is it now ? Under date of Ne
Vember, 1868, Mr.. Secretary SEWARD
writes to General BANKS, as follows: "You
can assume no authority in Mexico TO
protect citizens of the United States there,
much less to redress their WroRgS and
grievances, de-" 4 q If %consuls
find their position unsafe on the Mexican
side of the border, let them ledUe the couR-
try, ratheT than invoke lie protection of
yoar forces" Here we have a total and
.cowardly abandonment of America con-
suls and American citizens in Mexico.
They are at the mercy of the French-or
of the Mexicans as the case may be, and
subject to impressment into the service Of
one or the other-with the protection Of
their own government expressly denied
them Again, under date Of December
%, 1868, Mr.. SEWARD, sends Minister
CoRvR a copy of the above instructions
to BANKS, and instead OF requiring him,
in the name ana by the authority of his
government to demand protection both
from French and Mexican authorities, for
American citizens, he is ~graciously per-
mitted, "if from any catse his position in
the city Of Mexico becomes ~intolerable, or
seriously iReoBVenisnced" to "resort to any
other part of the country, or to return to
the United States" is this the cold hagp
we have heard so much about2-
"Fiag Of tho free hearts hope sand home"
Alas, time was when a man had but to
say 81 am an American citizen" and the
whole world respected him-the cold
flag" was his glory and his strength.
Now, behold it trailing ignominiously in
the dust before the flashing eagles of
France, while ministers, ~consnls and citi-
zens, of the United States in Mexico, are
abandoned TO their fate whatever it may
be. How suggestive is all this of the
eouplet-
These are not the same days though they bear the
same paIDeH
As those that have gone on before"