WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, ln24~1825
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to regard them much. If they have determined to crush the Greeks, will they not do it in defiance of us? And we have little need to care for the Porte: Has he ever paid any regard to us? Has he ever rendered us any service as a nation? Does our flag protect our property upon the Bosphorus? Has not our com- merce rather been protected by the Greeks? vVill he who has totally disregarded the laws of nations care for any po!icy but his own? We can expect no justice from that quarter, but what we acquire from their fear. Mr. H. said if he could believe that this resolution would bring war upon our country, he would be the last member to support it. No one could deprecate the horrors of war more than he did. He did not wish to provoke war with the Ottoman Power, nor with the crowned heads of Europe. If it was the policy of the other nations to oppose or support the po,ver of the Porte, they would do it. The Allied Powers have sufficiently proved that they are not very solicitous to preserve the rights of other nations. The Chesapeake proclaimed to us that one of them was not more careful of those rights even than the Ottoman. Are we to expect any advantage from not expressing our opinions? It is declared that we should not enter into an alliance with the Greeks. Nor do we wish to do it; we wish to presen·e our regard for the rights of other nations. It is said that this measure will be of no advantage to the Greeks. Mr. H. said he differed from this conclusion. It would be an advantage to show them that they are not an isolated people. It will be telling them that America, the freest and happiest country in the world, has heard of Greece, and sympathizes with her, in the midst of her misfortunes. It will be encouraging them to stand like freemen, and to fall, if they must fall, like men. And there is yet Greecian blood left to thrill with joy and quicken its circulation at this cheering reflection. Hearts that have bled for years,· under oppression, will be touched with sympathy. It will te!l to Greece, that, while the Holy Alliance is standing, with hands off, and the Porte is butchering her armies, her venerable sires, borne down by the weight of years, her matrons, her unviolated virgins, and helpless infants, it will tell her, by the declaration of Congress,. that we regard her situation; and that, although our own policy interdicts us from acting in her behalf, yet we recognize her among the nations of the earth. Were we not the first to ac- knowledge the independence of South America? Did we wait till the Holy Alliance had authorized us to do that? Or did we
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