The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-02-08

| president Of the United States. Mr.. Gar
field; another l see before me. the vener-
| able father of the body, the senator from
Vermont (Mr. MorrilD. and the senator
from Iowa tMr. Allison. who. II the public
press is to be believed. Is soon himself to be
secretary of state. and a more capable one
can not he found within the republican
party in the United States.
Mr.. President | have shown by the long
and llustrious line of presidents In the
days OF the giants of this Republic that no
one ever intimated that the president Of
the United States had the exclusive right
to recognize or not to recognize the exist =
encc of foreign state. and that when the
proposition WIS first presented. oven dur
ing the administration of SO great a man
and one so strong In the affections OF the
people OF the country as was Mr.. Lincoln,
and IN n time OF war. the congress of the
United States. with almost absolute unan-
unity. denounced 1t; and | hope 1t viii meet
with no better fate now. Congress has tho
pow ar, as General Jackson said and az the
resolution said. to determine the question
Of expcdiency. aud the executive has the
power when that is determined, and 1t Is
his duty. as President Jackson said, to at
in harmony with the legislative depart-
nent of the government. AMI go forward
end finish the Joint act. the power 10 per-
form which is conferred by the constitu-
ton upon the two branches of the govern
ment.
But. Mr.. President. 1t may be said there
are instances and numerous ones. where
the president has acknowledged the inde-
pendence of foreign states without the in
tervenion OF congress. Yes. when there
was no question, when II followed as
matter Of course, when a dynasty was over
thrown and a new government instituted
within an hour. our ministers have been
authorized by the president to acknowledge
the new government. When Dom Pedro
was oyorthrown in revolution that began
and was finished In five or six hours. he
accepted the result OF the revolution, took
his family on board ship. and announced
to the people of Brazil that he was going
to Portugal never to return. There coyi1
be no question whether the new govern
ment should be acknowledged or not; and
its independence was acknowledged by the
action Of the executive department of the
government; but all that only shows that
when the president. as the head OF the eX-
ecutive department. assumes such a re-
sponsibiliy, he assumes 1t upon thc suppo-
sition that the act is so confesscdly just
and right that the congress Will support
him, Just as will in the case Of n gallant
naval officer off in a foreign country who
sees citizen OF the United States seized
by the armed ship Of another government
He can not stop to report If he knows
citizen OF the United States is going to he
slaughtered; he can not Iegitimately make
war. for that can only be done by decla-
ration Of congress but he knows what his
armed ship is securing the seas for. He
p! nows that it is 'or the protection OF the
citizens and the commerce of the Uited
States
1t is that for which his flag is floating
on the ocean. He is sent there for that
purpose. When such case occurred what
did the gallant old commodores. such as
we had many long years ago. do? ! believe
u 1nss. 4
have as gallant a set Of officers in our
navy now as ever stood on the quarter deck |
of any vessel Of any power on earth. In !
Je1crson's administration, when the pirates
had been levying tribute on the commerce |
Of all the maritime powers who navigated |
the Mediterranean sea. one OF our old tars |
said he wanted to pay his tribute from the |
mouths OF bis cannon: and this RoRblic. /
which barely had come into existence Oh !
the Western Hemisphere. was the first
power which laid down the principle that |
tribute would not he paid to the pirates OF |
me Mediterranean, and that where We had |
A right to 20 We would go by force.
/ recall memorable instance in our his
Tory. have often spoken Of it. Ii is one
81 the brightest and most illustrious pages |
nat has ever been written in our history.
During that same Hungarian Instruction
of which ] spoke a poor fellow Who had
laken part in that insurrection, and who
v,
lied to the United States. He declared his
Intention to become n citizen OF this gov
'rnment; he had renowned allegiance to
al foreign princes and potentatee on
he earth he had sworn hc would
lenr true faith and allegiance TO
no government Of the United States. and !
efend 1t against all enemies and opposers.
he contract was made that invested him
'th the robe of citizenship of the United
'tates, lie went back to Smyrna a neu-
ral power belonging o Turkey. was seized
y an Austrian officer, and taken on board
I en- Austrian man war. His PAPERS
ntlllet him to the protection of that fag ,
nat we cell old Glory" Commodore In ,
raham happened TO be there with one Of
ur ships the ST. Louis Around him were I
We armed war ships of Austria Knowing :
nat TINS man was citizen entitled TO our s
protection. though knowing that he was i
ot authorized to make war yet he bat
ened down his matches sandcd his decks, +
no',ed nus guns to the lips, laid his yes ,
u proadslde to the Austrian vessel in q
nose hold Martin koszta lay bound. and II
aid: Il will give you until 4 O'Clock to- 5
ny 10 release him. and IL you do not re- ,
sese MN. will force his release" He y
'ns released. Commodore lngraham. in I
cpo'tlhg TO the secretary OF the navy. I
m called on him because Austria had e
omp'aintd Of his conduct, said 7
"h'Nf Siii / UdNe taken Il fearful 9
}oNsihiiitv upon myself by this act; but ,
TER Mr.. Brown had informed me Koszta v
al TAKEN the cath Of allegiance TO the =
II yea states aud forsworn all allegiance q
austria that he was an American ci,i- Fl
.h' ana had been under the protection n
me legation AZ Constant nople. [ could n
OF hesitate TO believe he was fully entitled y
protection II was case of ne and h
.ata' Tor II kosata had been taken to n
rleste MS fa'e was sealed, ard could | II
'Ve lcf ked the American people in the "
zee again II had allowed citizen to n
executed. and not used the power in c
, hands TO protect him. for fear Of doing W
nc was not authorized to levy war. but Sc
knew what his ship was az Smyrna for. e.
Knew what 1t was on tho high s,as for. q
~ no knew what that Tag ,v,nb1i:=ed q
n'h II noated at the masth al cf an arme Il
ssei OF the United states Io knew m
III ne must protect the citizens If the &c
MED States, and he did protect them.
ID reported his conduct 10 the SECRETARY -
the navy who said "Yoi ,;il rig,t
u l. approve % eVt-vtrirf- vou ala