Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-04-18
The Right of Asylum,

correspondent or the CINCINNATI
Southwest publishes some important
historical facts bearing on the right of
asylum Of political offenders He is in
dignant that III secret session this last
winter the United States senate passed
again the shameful extradition treaty"
with Russia which binds us to deliver
over to the Muscovite autocracy refugees
who have attempted the life of the car
he reminds us that this is the same treaty
President Cleveland refused to sign six
years ago.
The correspondent remarks that one of
the most sacred and vital of our free in
situations is the right of asylum Of polit-
ical refugees who have sought our shores
for safety. He reminds the American
people how in 1851 President Fillmore
sent the United States frigate Mississippi
to Cutaya, Asia Minor, to ask from the
Turkish government and bring to Amer
lea the defeated patriot, Louis Kossuth,
and his suite After the failure of his
cause Kossuth fled to Turkish soil. Aus
tria, backed by Russia, demanded his ex-
tradition from Turkey. But the sultan,
backed by England and France, refused
to accede to the demand, keeping Kos
suth till our vessel reached Cutaya and
brought him in triumph TO America, the
land Of the free and the home of the
brave. Russia and Austria snarled, but
all the rest Of the world applauded our
act. shall we be meaner and more cow
ardly now than we were As years ago2"
asks this writer
Further, Kossuth, the political refugee
and revolutionist, had a reception in the
United States senate chamber after his
arrival here and addressed that body by
invitation. Baron Hulsemann. the Aus
TRAN minister, entered formal protest
in the name of his government Daniel
Webster was secretary Of state. In a
letter which is among the noblest, most
logical of our American state documents,
Webster replied, indicating the course
Of the United States under the law Of
nations. Again. in 1854. Martin Koszta,
former subject of Austria, who had
been engaged in the Hungarian revolu-
ton, became a subject of international
dispute,
Koszta had taken preliminary steps to
obtain American citizenship papers, but
nauar -o,n, >tata1 he ,,o,,,a1;oo4sa.. III.
went to Turkey sfterward, was inveigled
by the Austrian consul aboard an Aus
TRAN ship at Smyrna and made prisoner.
Word Of the outrage was conveyed to
Captain Ingraham of the United States
sloop-of-war st. Louis, then at Smyrna.
The release Of Koszta was demanded,
and on the refusal to deliver him up the
guns of the ST. Louis were at once trained
on the Austrian ship. The Austrian au-
thorities then quickly agreed that pend
ing decision of the question Koszta should
be placed in custody of the French repre-
sentative at Smyrna.
This was during Pierce's administra-
ton, and W. L. Marcy was secretary of
state. There was an interchange Of
diplomatic correspondence between Mr.
Marcy and the Australian government
in which Marcy claimed and obtained
the full surrender of Koszta by the Aus
TRANS. His letters in regard to the af-
fair are another shining addition to
American state documents This is a
sufficient resume of the history Of the
course Of our government in the past as
regards the extraditisn of political
offenders. That we do not wake up to
the insidious villainy of Russia in this
present extradition treaty is owing in
the Judgment of The South W est's CORE
spondent to the fact that half the Amer
lean people are asleep and the other half
so busy pursuing money that they donot
know what Is going on at Washington.
France, Italy, Great Britain and Swift
zerland steadily maintain the right of asy-
lum within their borders for political Of
tenders. Both England and France re-
fused to surrender to Russia Leo Hart
mann, the nihilist bomb thrower of
Moscow; England declines to hand over
TO the cruel mercies Of the cars gov
eminent Stepniak, the nihilist propa-
gandist. France. Italy and Switzerland
have alike refused to surrender Prince
Krapotkine. Shall the American repub-
lie turn nihbst catcher for Russia'