Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-09-12

thought loaC lOre'Su hlllSle'S We'o
appointed to exercise supervision over
the pu5]ic interests abroad; but ibis
case furnishes fresh PROOF of the cor
rupting and degrading change which
has come owe" the national habit
The United States are thus PROSTATE,
by their authorized representative, be-
fore the feeble black republic of llayti.
It's Consul can be thrown into a filthy
mison on any trivial charge which
NAV be invented against him. And
when the American Minister demands
his release he is lepuls"d; and on de-
handing it again be is DENIED his re-
quest with every circumstance # con
temptuous expression.
The case Of the recently returned
Dir Houad is another and a more no.
torious complication ofthe thorough
ly mean spirit that pievades The con
duct o; the S;9te Department in its
dealing with foreign powers. Mr..
SickIes was instructed to dewand bis
release, and made the demand accord
ugly. Dr. Houard was after a con
siderable time released, But the
Spanish Government distinctly reused
TO Grant their victims liberty in an
swei to AIRY demand from our own
Government. nor world it so much as
admit by its act that it acceded to our
request on acc, mt of the slightest
claim which the kidnapped DR. Houard
had TO his freedom as a citizen OF the
United States. Spain wished us to
unders,an that she released her prison,
er as an ACT Of pure grace, and only to
manifest her desire so cultivate FREUD
ly relation with us, on her own terms,
during the critical tendency OF the
Cuban question of independence. AZ
ter once peremptofily answering ON
demand with arefusal, Government
Of ordinary spirit would not have ac
cepted any oroSer "n the ground OF
protested friendship. 1t would Of
course be undo. stood that a demand
would never have been made without
full CONVICTION of its intrinsic justice
and to compromise question o; JUS
tee, involving the highest dignity o
the national character, by se,i O."
meut or the cheaply complimentary
ground of friendship. is but 70 consent
to DEGRADE both jc&iice and friendship
togethe,.
Gen. Dut1er is plrading from tow'
to town in New England at this mo
mcnt, taking 10" the text of hi'
haran~ues the rrGtnt necessity 70,
securing p election 10 The American
citizen at home as well as abroad
! j. these two cases rightly illustrated
his and the Grant conception Of wha
constitutes p election Tor the ci,lzel
abroad, it is bot a mis- rable STANDARD
e Of the ordinary rights that impair
value o American citizenship. There
could not well be a more WORTHLESS
exempliication OF them or a sure
method Of bringing them into nniver
sal and meIted contempt. We b"
lieve we put the matter more correct!
,, when we declare in relation to tn,
) conduct of Spain, that it was no spec
ial regard for this Government. though
it might have been Tor the myseriou
Juggling Of the StaIe Depa' tment
that inspired the tardy release OF ID
Hoard, Ter indie ing upon him TIT
foules, indignties and the most tol
tu'esome and cruel punisbments; bu
that it was the result of a dim ant
iud,stinct respect for the resolu;
sentiment OF the American nation, a
expressed in The face OF all Europe, b
on OF the most courageous ard con
sisteut Secrcta les that ever dignite
aud DISTINGUISHED the Department {
State. Mr. Marcy did not shrink iror
declaring the jul purpose of bis Gov
ernrent to protect American ciizer
on foreign soil with The eniire an,ho
: i'y of the nation. The case of Mari
II Koszta WIS a much more delicate on
u for diplomatic haAd'ing than that {
e DR. How ro. and required the nice'
u proofs 10 substantiate the interpret;
ton which the Government put upo
e the ligb,s Of the citizen.
c Koszja, by birth a Hungarian, ha
only declared his intention to hecom
an American citizen, Two years befor
if whereas DR. Houard was born O
|" Amer can soil. and VIGOROUSLY ha
- never committed the act of expatrii
ton. There is that marked dr3erenC
u in the two cases, to begin with
3 Koszta after two years visited Turke,
Il and while at Smyrna was seized an
o. carried on board an Austrian war We
sci then in po.,, where he was put
irons with intent to remove him with
% the Austrian dominions. The Amer
, can Consul at Smyrna and the Amer
- can Minister at Constantinople int
posed without effect 1t was IL
,s prompt end determined conduct
y Commander Iueraham, Of the Amer
= can ship of-war st. Louis, then in pol
7 that prevented the accomplishment
J. the Austrian purpose aud compello
~ Koszta's transfer to the French Coz
il sul-Ceneral al Smyrna. to be dispose
s of according to the agreement Of Il
- Consuls of the two Governments
- that port. The prisoner was in DIT
~ time set at liberty; and Austria d
n. .nded of our Government its co
st Sc It to his sure ldet, the disavowal
at the acts of its agents, and satisf" tic