Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol IV. No. XX. January, 1852.Various
History
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol IV. No. XX. January, 1852.
Various
American literature -- Periodicals; Civilization -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals
congratulations, and to invite him to their respective sections.
On the evening of Thursday, the 12th ult., the Corporation of New York
City entertained M. Kossuth at a splendid banquet, at which he made a
very long and very able speech, explaining the purposes which had
brought him to the United States, and the action which he desired should
be taken by the people, and vindicating their propriety and necessity.
He began by saying that Washington's alleged policy of non-interference
in European affairs was the greatest obstacle which he encountered to
the prosecution of his plans. Supposing even that such a doctrine had
been bequeathed by Washington, he insisted that it could not possibly be
applicable to the present greatly-changed condition of the country. But
Washington, in his judgment, had never recommended such a policy. He
only recommended neutrality: and there was a great difference between
these two ideas. Neutrality relates to a state of war between
belligerent powers: and in such contentions Washington wisely advised
his countrymen to maintain a position of neutrality. But
non-interference relates to the sovereign right of nations to dispose of
themselves; this right is a public law of nations--common to all, and,
therefore, put under the common guarantee of all. This law the citizens
of the United States must recognize, because their own independence
rests upon it. And they could not, therefore, remain indifferent to its
violation. Washington never advised such indifference, as his
instructions to our Minister in France, and his correspondence, show.
But even neutrality was recommended by Washington, not as a
Constitutional principle, of permanent obligation, but only as a
_policy_--suited to temporary exigencies--which pass away. Washington
himself declared, that his motive was to enable the country to gain
_time_, to settle and mature its institutions to that degree of strength
and consistency which would give it the command of its own fortunes. And
in a letter to Lafayette, he said, that twenty years of peace would
bring the country to that degree of power and wealth which would enable
it, in a just cause, to defy whatever power on earth. M. Kossuth then
proceeded to show, that in the history of this country this policy had
been steadily developed. He referred to the declaration of the
Government that they would not permit the interference of European
powers with the revolted Spanish Colonies. True, this doctrine was
restricted to this Continent, because it was so distant from Europe, and
because the Atlantic separated us from European nations. Both these
objections have been superseded. Europe is now nearer to us than many
parts of our own country: and the Atlantic now _connects_ Europe and
America, instead of separating them. Commercial interest required the
United States to prevent the overgrowth of Absolutism in Europe, because
that growth is, and must be hostile to intercourse with a republican
country.
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