Your laws, which forbid your citizens to partake in an armed expedition abroad, are founded upon the sentiment, that to a foreign power with which you are on terms of amity the regards of friendship are due.  But you, without becoming inconsistent with your own fundamental principles, cannot consider yourself to be in good friendship with a power which violates the laws of nations:  so you may well withdraw the regards of friendship from it without resorting to war.  Between friendship and hostility there is yet a middle position—­that of being neither friend nor enemy—­therefore permitting to every private individual to act as he pleases.

Thus the conditional recall of your neutrality laws would enforce the respect to your protestation without bringing your country into the moral obligation to maintain your protestation by war.  I hope those who share my principles but hesitate to pronounce on account of the possibility of a war, will be pleased to consider this humble suggestion, and will see, that with my principles war will be averted from the United States, and by opposing my principles the United States will soon be forced into dangerous difficulties, out of which they cannot be extricated but by a war, which they will have to fight single-handed and alone.

[After this, Kossuth proceeded to speak on Catholicism; but this subject is treated afterwards more amply in his speech at St. Louis against the Jesuits.]

* * * * *

While Kossuth was addressing his audience at Pittsburg, a special envoy from Massachusetts arrived, Mr. Erastus Hopkins of Northampton, one of the Representatives of the State Legislature.  At the vote of the Legislature, the Governor (Jan. 15th) deputed Mr. Hopkins to convey to Kossuth a solemn public invitation; and at the close of Kossuth’s speech (Jan. 27th) permission was granted by the President of the evening to allow Mr. Hopkins’ credentials to be read; upon which that gentleman said:—­

“Mr. President, after the soul-stirring proceedings of this afternoon, I dare hardly venture to obtrude upon your attention.  It was indeed very far from my expectation, when I came a pilgrim on a toilsome journey at this inclement season of the year, that I would be enabled to mingle the congratulations of the citizens of the ‘Old Bay State’ to Governor Kossuth with those of the people of Alleghany County.  But Sir, my message, although not addressed to this meeting, is addressed to one, whom we, in common with you, love, and whom we all delight to honour.”

Turning to Kossuth, Mr. Hopkins then addressed him as follows: 

“Governor Kossuth:  I am directed by his Excellency the Governor of Massachusetts to present to you the accompanying resolve of the Legislature, inviting you to visit their capital during the present session.  The resolve is in fact, no less than in its terms, in the name and in behalf of the people of the commonwealth.