Birmingham state herald., 1895-11-13
VIEWS OF DANIEL WEBSTER.

a people struggling to eStaDnSn a govern ment similar to that of this country. It is not so long ago that the United States received Kossuth withswarmth and uni versal applause. The Austrian govern ment protested against our expression of sympathy for the Hungarians. In 1850 at the close of the attempt at freedom of the Hungarian patriots under Kossuth MT. Husemann, the Austrian charge d'affairs, had communicated to Daniel Webster, then secretary of state, note emanating from his government protest ing against the steps taken by the presi- dent of the United States to ascertain the progress and probable result of the revolutionary movements in Hungary and complaining of some expressions in the instructions of the former secretary of state to MT. A. Dudley Mann. a con fidential agent of the United States, as communicated by President Taylor to the senate on the 2Sth of March of that year. MT. Webster in reply to MT. Hulsemann said that as the events which had occurred in Hungary "appeared to have their origin in those great ideas of responsible and popular governments, on which the American constitutions themselves are wholly founded, they could not but command the warm sym pathy of the people of this country"
 Similarly the events occurring in Cuba command and justly command the warm sympathy of the people of this country.
 MT. Webster very truly said:
 Certainly, the United States may be pardoned, even by those who profess ad- herence to the principles of absolute gov ernments, if they entertain an ardent affection for those popular forms of polit- ical organization which have so rapidly advanced their own prosperity and hap piness, and enabled them, in so short period, to bring their country and the hemisphere to which 1t belongs, to the notice and respectful regard, not to say the admiration of the civilized world Nevertheless, the United States have ab- stained, at all times. from acts of inter- ference with the political changes of Europe. They cannot, however, fail to cherish always a lively interest in the fortunes of nations struggling for insti- tutions like their own. But this sympa- thy, so far from being necessarily hos tile feeling toward any of the parties to these great national struggles is quite consistent with amicabe relations with them all."
 As to the recognition of new powers by a neutral power, MT Webster proceeded to say in unmistakable terms, such terms as We trust Mir Cleveland will use as respects the Cubans
 of course, questions of prudence nat urally arise in reference to new states, brought by successful revolutions into the family of nations; but it is not re- quired of neutral powers that they should await the recognition of the new govern ment by the parent state. No principle of public law has been more frequently acted upon, within the last thirty years by the great powers of the world, than this Within that period eight or ten new states have established independent gov ernments within the limits of the colonial dominionS of Spain, on this continent, and in Europe, the same thing has been done by Belgium and Greece. The exist ence of all these governments was rec ognized by some of the leading powers of Europe as well as by the United States, before 1t was acknowledged by the states from which they had separated them selves. If, therefore, the United states had gone so far as formally to acknoWledge the independence of Hungary, although, as the result has proved, it would have been a preciptate step, and one from which no benefit would have resulted to either party, 1t would not, nevertheless. have been an act against the law of na- tions, provided they took no part in her contests with Austria"
 And further, answering the remark of
  of the United States were to think it proper to take an indirect part in the po- litical movements of Europe, American policy would be exposed to acts of retalla- tion" the great American answers in this forcible and dignified language:
 JAS to this possible fortune. this hypo- thetical retaliation, the government and people of the United States are quite Will ing to take their chances and abide their destiny Taking neither direct nor ln- direct part in the domestic or lntestlne movements of Europe, they nave no rear of events of the nature alluded to by Mr. Hulsemann. It would be idle to discuss with MT. Hulsemann those acts Of retai- iation which he imagines may poSslply take place at some indefinite tune here after. Those questions will be discussed when they arrive. and Mir Hulsemann and the cabinet at Vienna may rest as s,Ired that, in the meantime. While per, forming with strict and exact ndeity all their neutral duties nothing will deter either the government or the people or the United States from exercising, ,at tnelr own discretion, the rights belonging to them as an independent nation, ana or foctming and expressing their own opin- ions. freely and at all times upon the great political events which may trans oire among the civilized nations or the earth"
 If such was lTe dltituuS VI 4 0S'- Tavlor,s cabinet towards people strug- pling against fearful odds in the interior of Europe, distant from us thousands or miles. with no seaport to receive our commerce and with ideas of government very distantly allied to our own, what will be the attitude of President CleVe- land and his cabinet towards people distant only a few miles from our shore who are struggling to remove the nag or despotio Spain from the gateway or the American Republics and to elevate in it's place the flag of free Cuban republic! Are we to keep our lips sealed and our sympathy hushed under repressive in- huence and system which was unknown to Henry Clay when he spoke for Greece and the South and Central American re- publics, and to Daniel Webster when he spoke for bleeding Hungary? We hope that MT. Cleveland and his attorney-gen- eral, MT. Harmon, will read and ponder over the following words from the great expounder of the constitution. one of the ablest lawyers ever born to mould the