KOSSUTH IN NEW ENGLAND. 179 our fall, and by the already developed and still more threatening results

of ourfall.

"Now,

^{it has becomeevident to all}thinking

men

that thebalance ofpower cannot be redressedon _earth, without

Hungary

^isrestoredto

nationalindependence. Consequently that, if^itbeyour

own

_necessity

toweigh ^{in the scale of the}powers on^{earth, ifit be}your destiny^to redress the balance ofpower on earth, the causeof

Hungary

^{is the}

fieldwhere this destiny^willhave tobe fulfilled.

"And

^it is, indeed, yourdestiny. Russiandiplomacy could never boastof a greater andmore fatalvictorythanithada_right to_boast, shouldit succeedtopersuade theUnitedStatesnottocare about her Russia accomplishing heraimtobecometherulingpowerⁱⁿEurope, the rulingpowerin Asia, the rulingpower^{of the}Mediterranean Sea.

That would_be,indeed,a_greattriumph^toRussian_{diplomacy, greater} than hertriumph^over

Hungary

^{; but a}triumph^{dreadfulto all}

human-ity, buttonobody more ^{dreadful thanto}your

own

future.

"All

_sophistryis in vain, gentlemen; ^{there can be} no mistake about it. Russian absolutismand Anglo-Saxonconstitutionalism are notrival butantagonistical powers.

They

cannot long more subsist together. Antagonists cannot hold equal position; every ^additional strength of the one is a comparativeweakening ^{ofthe other.}

One

or the other

must

_yield.

One

or the other must _perish,or become dependenton the other'swill.

"You

_{may, perhaps,} ^believe that that triumph ^of diplomacy ^is impossibleinAmerica.

But

I

am

_sorrytosay^{that it}has a dangerous allyin that propensity whichin some_quarters still

may

^bemetwith,

in thepropensity^tobelieve that thefieldofAmerican_policyis lim-itedbygeographic^{limits; that thereis}a field forAmerican andthere isa field forEuropean policy, and that thesefields are _distinct, and that itis your^interesttokeep

them

distinct.

"There was a timein our struggle when, ^ifa

man

had

come

from America_bringingus, in officialcapacity, the _tidingsof your brotherly greeting, ofyourapprobationand your sympathy, he would have^been regarded^likeaharbinger ^ofheaven_; and hadcheered

up,

by

^hisvery presence, the gloom ^of loneliness, the sad impression of which did more toour fall than the sacrilegious armsof Russia.

My

^nation,

tiredout by ^{the hard task of} dearly but gloriously boughtvictories, like the laborerafterthe hard toilof a _sultry

day, was _longingfora

littleresttorestore his strength,

when

thenumerous hordesof Russia

fell in the hourof

momentary

^exhaustion upon ^us. Indignation ^at

this shamelessviolation of the laws ofnations supplied ^the wanted

rest, and

we

rose tomeet the intruding^foe; butitwas natural that thenation lookedaroundwith _anxiety, if therebe no power on ^earth raising^itsprotestingvoice against thatimpious^act of trampling

down

the law of nations, the

common

property of ^all humanity ^{; if there} be no power on ^{earth tocheer us}

by

^{a word of} approbation ⁱⁿ our bearing up ⁱⁿlegitimate defence_againsta world in arms. Alas^! no such word was heard.

We

stood forsaken and alone^! Itwas upon that ground^of forsakenness thattreason spread ^its poison into our ranks.

They

^told

my

^{nation, '}

^Your

^caseis hopeless. Kossuth has assured

you

that, ^if

you

^drive out the Austriansfrom your territory,

and declare your independence, your independence perhaps ^will be recognizedby^the French_{republic, probably}by England, butcertainly

by

^America.

And

look! none has recognized you, not even the United _States,though ^with

them

itwas, fromthetime ofWashington, alwaysa constant principle to recognize everygovernment.

" ^'

You

arenot recognized.

You

areforsaken

by

^{the wholeworld!} Kossuthhas assuredyou^{thatit is} impossibletheconstitutional powers of the world should _permit, without aword of_protest, Russia to inter-fere with the domestic concerns of

Hungary

^{; and look! Russiahas}

interfered, the laws of nations are broken, the political balance of power^isupset.' Russiaassumedtheposition of a despotic arbiterof the condition of theworld_; and still nobody^raisedasingle

word

of protest in favor of Hungary's just and _holy cause.

Such

was the insinuation which Russian diplomacy, with ^its wonted subterraneous

skill, instilled,drop

by

drop,into

my

^bravepeople's

manly

^heart; and, alas^! I could not say ^that the insinuation was false.

The

French republic, instead of protesting againstthe interferenceof Russia, fol-lowed its example, and interfered itself at

Rome.

Great _Britain, instead ofprotesting, checked

Turkey

^{inherresolution to} oppose^that

new

aggrandizement of Russia; and the United States of America remained _silent, instead of _{protesting against} the violation of those laws of nature and of nature's God, ^{in the'} maintenance ofwhich nobody^{can be}moreinterested than the greatrepublicof

America

^!

"All

this having been_true, itwas the sentiment of standing for-sakenand alone by which ^theskillofour enemies succeededtospread the despondency of hopelessness through^{our ranks. It} was this de-spondency, and notthe arms_{of Russia,}which caused ustofall. Self-confidencelostismorethan halfadefeat.

Had

Americasenta diplo-matic agent^toHungary, greeting usamongstthe independent powers

KOSSUTH

IN

NEW ENGLAND. 181

on _earth, recognizing ourindependence, and_declaringRussian inter-ference to be contrary ^tothe laws of nations, thatdespondency, ^that loss of self-confidence, hadnever gainedground^{in our ranks.} With-out this, treasonwould have been_impossible; and without_treason, all the disposable power ^{of Russia}would never have succeeded to over-come our arms, never^! I would have rather brought ^the well-deserved punishment

home

to her, would have shaken herathome.

Poland _heroic, unfortunate Poland^! would

now

befree_;

Turkey

deliveredfromthe nightmare

now

pressing her ^chest; and _I,according to all probability, would have seen

Moscow

ⁱⁿ _triumph, instead of seeing Salemin exile!

"

Well, ^{there is} a just

God

inheaven, andtherewill be yet justice onearth.

The

_dayof retributionwill yet

come

^!

"

Such

being the sad^taleof

my

father-land, which,

by

a timely token ofyourbrotherly sympathy, might have beensaved, and which

now

^has losteverything, except^its honor, ^its trust in God,^itshope^of resurrection,^itsconfidence in

my

patriotic exertions,and its steady res-olution to strike once

more

the inexorable blow of retribution at tyrants and _tyranny, if the cause I plead werea_{particular cause,} I would _place it upon ^the ground ^of well-deserved sympathy, and would _trytokindle intoa flame of excitement the generous ^affections of your ^hearts; andIwouldsucceed.

"However,

^a great ^crisis in

human

_affairs, universally^{felt to} be approaching, having placed

my

^{humble self in the} position of being entitled to claim for

my

^{cause a} universalitynot restricted by ^the geographical ^{limits of} a country, ^or even of Europeitself, or

by

^the moral limits of nationalities, but

possessing an interest

common

to allthe Christian world, ^{it is} calm, considerate conviction, and not the passing excitement of generous sentiments, which I seek. I hope, therefore, to meet theapprobationof this intelligent assembly, when, insteadof_pleasingyou

by

^anattempt at eloquence, ^forwhich,ⁱⁿ

my

sick condition, I indeed have not sufficient freshness of mind, I ratherwill enter into some drybut not unimportant considerations, which the citizensof Salem, claiming ^the glory of high commercial reputation, ^willkindlyappreciate.

"

Gentlemen, ^{I oftenheard the}remark _{that, if} theUnited States do not care for the policyof _{the world,} they ^will continue to

grow

internally, andwill soon become the

mightiest realm on _earth, a republicof ahundred millions of _energeticfreemen, strongenough ^to defy^{all the rest}of the _world, and tocontrolthe destiniesofmankind.

16

And

_surelythisisyourglorious^lot; but onlyunderthe condition_that, beforeyouhave, ⁱⁿ peaceandin

tranquillity, grown ^sostrong, no hos-tilecombination arrestsby^craft and violenceyour giant's course_; and

this, again, ^is onlyunder thecondition _possible, that Europe become

free, and the league of _despots become not sufficientlypowerful ^to check the peaceful development^of your strength.

But

_{Russia, too,}

thisembodimentofthe principleof _despotism, isworking hard ^forthe development of her power. Whilst

you

growinternally,herable

diplo-macy

^has spread ^{its nets all} over thecontinentof Europe; there is scarcelyanyprincemore there

who

feelsnot honored tobean under-lingof the greatCzar

; the despots are^allleagued against thefreedom ofthenations_; and,should the _principleof absolutism succeedto con-solidatetheir power,and _lastinglytokeep

down

the nations,then they must, even

by

^{the instinctof} self-preservation, try ^tocheck the fur-therdevelopment^ofyourrepublic. In_{vain they}would have _spiltthe blood of_millions, invain they would have doomedthemselves to eter-nal damnation, ^if they would allow that the United States should become the ruling power on ^earth.

They

crushed poor Hungary, because her example was considered dangerous.

How

^could _they

permityou^tobecome so mighty^{as to} be not only dangerous

by

your example, but

by

your power ^{acertainruinto}despotism^?

They

will, they must, do_everythingtocheck your glorious progress.

Be

_sure,

as soon as

they have crushed thespirit of freedom in Europe, ^as soon as they

command

^all the forces of the _continent, they^will marshal

them

_{against you.}

Of

_{course, they} will not lead their fleets and armiesatonceacross the ocean

; they^willfirst ruin your prosperity

by

ruining your commerce.

They

^{will exclude} America from the marketsof Europe, not only because they^fear the republican propa-gandism^ofyour commerce, ^{but also because Russia} requires those marketsfor her

own

_products.

"I

remember

in

my ^own

country, one thousand years ago, our ancestors came from_Asia, a conquering people, seeking a

new

home.

Foronehundred and _fiftyyears therewasa

policy of war. Itwas a necessity^tothem, ^thatthey might show^theirpower and strength, to maintain that policy; and_theybecame the terror of Europe, ^{so far} evenas France.

"

Now,

^our people

know

that warcan_{never, for}allfuture time, be regarded^asa

principle, butonly ^asa_policy. Principles are eternal^; butwhoever takespolicy^for a_principle puts himself ^ina positionof doing^wilfulwrong.

In document NEW ENGLAND: (Pldal 195-199)