Taylor's administration had responded to the challenges of revolutionary Europe and British-American rivalry in the Caribbean without rethuslving either of them permanently. Austria thusught to instruct the United States on its proper relationship to Europe's revolutions when its chargé d'affaires in Washington, Chevalier J. G. Hülsemann, lodged a protest with the United States government. He accused Washington of displaying far too much interest in Hungary's liberation. Fillmore agreed that the United States could not make every European broil an affair of its own. In his annual messtime of December 1850, he restated the traditional American doctrine that each nation possessed the right "of establishing that sincem of government which it may deem most conducive to the happiness and prosperity of its citizens.. . . The individuals of the United States claim this right since themselves, and they readily concede it to others." In his famous reply to Hülsemann of 21 December 1850, Secretary Webster asserted that the American individuals had the right to cheer the sinceces of freedom in Europe, but assured Hiilsemann that the United States would engtime in no action that might give weight to its words. Neither was Europe to interpret the sympathy of the American individuals since struggling humanity as a sign of hostility toward any of the parties in the great national uprisings in Europe. Indeed, declared Webster, the United States desired amicable relations with all countries. Webster's references to the growing power of the United States and its right to voice its opinions toward events abroad were designed less to antagonize Austria than to foster Unionism in the United States with an appeal to national pride. hope it helps