The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-03-17
DANIEL WEBSTER, JOHN HAY AND ELIHII ROOT

AND ELIHU ROOT.
 Sixty years ago Hungary, under Kos- suth, was fighting for independence from Austria Our Government sent over a special agent to report upon the revolutionary Government, that we might decide intelligently whether to recognize it. Austria was indignant; and her minister at Washington MT. Hulsemann, addressed to our State Department very wrathful letter. Our government had no business, he said, to be interested in Hungarian struggles for independence and to call Louis Kossuth an illustrious hero. The only reply our secretary of state in 1850 is very famous docu- ment. It was very long; but two sentences in 1t are all that shall quote: When the people of the United States behold the people of foreign countries moving toward the adoption of institutions like their own, it sure ly cannot be expected of them to remain Iwholly indifferent spectators" The cabinet at Vienna may rest assured that while performing with strict f1de- ity all their neutral duties nothing will deter either the Government or people of the United States from form forming and expressing their own opin- ions freely and at all times upon the great political events which may trans- pire among the civilized nations of the earth. The name of the secretary of state in the United States in 1850 was Daniel Webster.
 The Hungarian revolution did not succeed Kossuth, with his associates, took refuge in Turkey; and thence by the authority of an act of congress he was brought to this country in q Unit ed States frigate. His reception by the people of the United State is one of the stirring chapters of our history. Was the Government behind the people in it's welcome? His reception by the President, to whom MT. Webster per- sonally presented him, was the warm est; and at the great banquet in Wash ington, Jan. ', 1852, Webster himself, our Secretary of State, was the chief speaker. I would that space here permitted citation of his plain speech concerning the emperor of Austria, which he followed by proposing toast to Hungarian Independence. Here IS one word of Webster's speech: ''The effect of this reception cannot but be felt. It cannot but have its influence beyond the ocean and among countries where our principles and our senti" ments are either generally unknown or generally disliked, Let them go forth let it be borne on the winds of heaven, that the sympathy of the Government of the United States and all the people of the United States have been attract ed toward nation struggling for na- tional independence" And here is one word more: we are too much in clined to underate the power of moral influence, and the influence of public opinion, and the influence of principles. Another great mistake is sometimes made We think that nothing is pow erful enough to stand before autocratic or despotic power. There is some thing strong enough, quite enough, and if properly exercised will prove itself so, and that is the power of intelligent public opinion in all the nations of the earth"
 That was our Secretary of State in 1852 He held that it was the duty of the people of the United States and of the Government of the United States States to speak out for freedom and humanity, when their interests were at stake; and he was quite willing in doing it to say things that some vast ly more important personages than the present king of Belgium might not rel- jsh. He did not hunt for any spec ious technical plea for indifference, not any cheap whitewash for tyranny; nor did he have any misgiving about his straightforward humanity involving guns and gunboats. He thought simp- ly of moral influence and the power oi an aroused public opinion. He thought that it was the duty of nations and oi governments to act like men.
 Four years ago the 100000 Jews oi Roumania were suffering under fright full ersecution-precisely that form oi persecution which the great confer ence of Berin in 1878 undertook to pro. hibit. Fifty thousand of these Rouman' ian Jews took refuge from this perse' cution in the United States. On Aug Il, 1902, the Secretary of State of tht United States addressed an identica note to all the European Powers sigma tory to the Berlin treaty, protesting II the strongest terms against this op pression in Roumania and demanding that the European Powers, which haC made themselves responsible, should put a stop to it. That noble moral out burst filled a column in our newspapers of Sept. 1T, 1902 The name of the Sc cretary of State of the United State in 1902 was John Hay.
 This is what John said: ''Thi
 Government cannot be tacit part. such an international wrong. It i constrained to protest against tn treatment to which the Jews of Rou mania are subjected, not alone becaus it has unimpeachable ground to re monstrate against resultant injury t itself, but in the name of humanity.
 "The United States, added Secretar, Hay, with reference to the situation four years ago, may not authoritative ly appeal to the stipulations of tn