Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-08-18
OUR CANDIDATE IN 1900
A Scrap Of History.

A Scrap OF History.
In one of the political revolutions in
Austria against despotic government,
and in behalf of the external principles
of the American declaration, which,
everywhere inspires and fires and fires
the hearts of man, that "all just gov
ernments derive their power from the
consent of the governed" Martin
5Kosta was prominent actor in be-
half of the sacred rights of man, to
"life, liberty and the pursuit of happi-
ness" and that these rights could not
be interfered with, either by usurpa-
ton or the alleged divine right of
kings and emperors. His effort to re-
store to his countrymen their lost
rights failed, and Martin Kosta came
to the United States to enjoy the liber-
ty he had sought. Remaining in this
country the requisite length of time
and having taken the steps prelimin-
airy thereto, he was admitted to full
citizenship by naturalization. as pro-
vided in our courts, and became anac-
tive, and public spirited citizen.
In the course of time it became neces-
sary for him to return to his native
country on some business matters.
Arriving there he was seized by the
authorities and cast into prison for
political offenses that had occurred in
the stirring events which had trans
pired quarter Of century before.
He appealed to the American consul
claiming protection as an American
citizen; the consul laid the matter
before the Commander of an Ameri-
can vessel of war lying in port and
upon. his demand and threat in case of
refusal to storm and lombard the city,
Kosta was released. Then came the
correspondence of VIM. L. Marcy,
Secretary of State under Franklin
Pierce, with the Austrian government.
In that correspondence, Secretary
Marcy distinctly asserted the duty of
this government to protect all its
citizens whether such by birth or
adoption, against every wrong or
injustice and that the legal and
military power Of the government
would be called into use in their
defence, clearly and emphatically en-
dorsing the American consul and the
course of the Commander of the
American warship for his prompt
action in the matter and it's decisive
results. And this too at time when
the now living, then leaders of the old
Wing party, afterwards the organizers
of the present republican party were
organizing Know Nothing lodges
throughout the country in open
hostility to the naturalization and
citizenship of persons foreign born.
until they had twenty one years resi-
dence in the United States. These
are facts which should be known by
every person of foreign birth seeking
home and citizenship in the United
States, that to whatever party they
may belong, they are indebted to the
democratic party for the rights they
enjoy in this country. A 81 ort
time since the Omaha World Heraldin
an article showing the reception given
by Austria to the vessel bringing
Dewey to his home alluded to these
matters giving the credit for the
Martin Kosta affair to Daniel Webster
and Wing administration with it's
Know Nothing procliyities, instead of
to Secretary Marcy and a democratic
administration to which the credit
was due. To correct this wrong i'm
preston the editor of the PLAIN
DEALER addressed the following note
to that paper, which it publishes with
correction of its former statement
as follows:
THE PUBLIC PULsE-MARCY NOT
WEBSTER.
Cresco, Ia, July 23.-Editor World
Herald: Did not the Martin Kosta
affair, which you mentioned editorial
ly in the World Herald Of the 22d,
occur during the administration of
Frank Pierce with William l.. Marcy.
secretary of state, instead of Daniel
Webster?
Being a New Yorker, and in the
editorial harness then, and proud of
our distinguished Governor Marcy
who, we think, was entitled to the
credit you gave to another, we write
simply that the record might be kept
straight. Very truly yours,
w. r. MEAD.
Tin a recent editorial comparing
Dewey's reception by the Austrans
with the treatment accorded to Amer
leans number of years ago by the
same people, the World Herald recalled
the Martin Kosta case, and inadver-
tently credited the correspondence in
that affair to Daniel Webster.
William L. Marcy was secretary of
state at that time, and to him belongs
the credit of settling with all honor
to the United States and justice to
Kosta what promised at one time to
bring on a war between this republic
and Austria. The affair occurred when
Pierce was president.)
Even wax figures are sometimes OBJ
served lying