The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-29
An Instructive Precedent.

. ~
An Instructive Precedent.
II the president has not yet phrased
to his satisfaction that part of his an
nual message which will treat of the re-
lations Of our government with foreign
governments, he could not dc better
than to reproduce the spirit Of the pa
triotic letter in which Daniel Webster,
rs secretary Of state, communicated
under date Of Dec. q, 1850, his reply
to Mr.. Hulsemann, Austrian charge
d'affairs, who had. by direction of the
Vienna government, protested against
the steps taken by President Taylor
to ascertain the progress and probable
result Of the revolutionary movements,
previously rife in Hungary. In partic-
ular, MI. Cleveland's attention Is
called to the following extract from
that reply. which is as pertinent to
present conditions as 1t then was to the
ill-fated battle for liberty waged by
the Hungarian patriots:
The United States may be pardoned even
by those who profess adherence 70 inc
principles of absolute government II they
entertain an ardent affection for those
popular forms OF political. organization
which have 10 rapidly, advanced their
own prosperity and happiness and enapisa
them In SO short a period to bring their
country and the hemisphere to which 1t
belongs to the notice and respectful re-
s card, not w to say the the T aqm,ra'i States ., has
ebstained at ali times from acts Of inter-
ference with the political changes OF the
earth. They cannot, however, lali 20
fortunes of nations struggling for institu-
tons like their own. 1t Is the right OF ey-
cry Independent state to enter into friend.
ly relations with every other ~ 19d er',deecs
naturally arise In reference TO new states.
brought by successful revolutions into
the family Of nations; but 1t Is not TO pe
required of neutral powers that they
should await for recognition of the new
government by the parent state. No prin-
ciple Of public law has. been more ire
SSentlyh "a acted ted S @peat T ToMsrs ' Of ' the w salilsdy
ten new states have established independ-
ent governments within the limits OF the
nent; and In Europe the same thing ha
been done by Belgium and Greece. the
existence of all these government was
Of Europe as well as BY the United States
before 1t was acknowledged by the
states from which they had separated
themselves; Il; th sa as the ,o umits1
to acknowledge the Independence of Hun
gary, although as the result has proved;
1t would have been a precipitate step, and
suited to either party; 1t would not, never
1heiess. have. been an act against the law
Of nations, provided they took no part in
her contest with Austria.
In conclusion, Secretary Webster
said:
Toward the end Of his note Mr.. Hulse:
mann remarks that 'if the government Of
me United States were to think 1t proper
% take an indirect part IN the pohticai
movements of Europe, American poilcy
md to certain Inconvenience, which
would not fail to affect the commerce and
industry of the two hemispheres. As TO
this possible fortune; TINS ny ypS nsoEia Of
the United States are, quite Wiling TO
Jake their chances and abide their des-
Nny. Taking neither q direct nor an IN.
movements of Europe. they have no Tear
Of events of the nature alluded to by MT.
Hulsemann. 1t would be idle now to dis.
retaliation which ne imagines may pos
sibly take place at some indefinite time
hereafter. Those questions will be dis:
cussed whe en- They dsy,r arise of v and mr. ma Mu reset
assured that in the meantime, while per-
FORMING with strict and exact fidelity
ali their neutral duties, nothing Will de-
ter either the government or the people
of the United States from exercising. at
their own discretion, the rights belonging
10 them as an independent nation, and OF
forming and expressing their own opin-
ions upon the great political events which
may transpire among the civilized nations
of the earth.
The political condition which ELECTED
this spirited letter vas in one material
point different from that which con-
fronts the present executive. The
battle of Hungary for freedom was
fought and lost 5000 miles from these
shores, by q people in whom we had
no more than q sympathetic interest.
Today there IL in animated, and. II re-
port speaks truly. successful progress a
similar battle waged by a people who
are our intimate friends. on an island
only eighty miles distant from the
American mainland. The cause of
Cuba is not less q cause of Justice than
was the il-starred cause of Hungary,
and It ID moreover q cause whose sue
cessful termination would appreciably
enrich American commerce. fortify
American security in q point Of great
strategic value and add to the list of
free American nations a power doubt
less destined in time to form part of
This great republic.