The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-05-10
BRITISH PROTECTION!
Ibe Gnqulrer.
RICHMOND. MAY 10, 1871.
T II Z c II d I " E. T!

II f. L II II " Il T..
We pass from the late Secretary of State
TO his successor. This is the order of dis
cussion, which we have laid down to our.
selves
We have said, that there were" reasons
why Col. Monroe should not have been Sc :.
lected for thar host."
These principally spring out of the treaty
which in 1907 he toumed in conJunstion with
Mr.. Pinkney, with the Bri-tishgovernmen ,
This paper was not a mere sketch, tD
show what were the best terms, which we
could obtain from that power-it was not
merely trojet of treaty, though Mr..
Monroe has on one occasion styledit So--
1t was in fact intended to have been trea-
ty; as, Mr.. Monroe, on another occasion,
has thought fit to name it.
1t was paper not ouly sketched but sign
Ell by our Ministers in conjunction with the
British Commissioners--Lords Holland &
Auckland.
1t was signed too. after these commissi-
oners had delivered the Official Note re8er-
ping to "his majesty" the right "toretali
ae" in what he might please to call :" his
gust defence" against the DEGREES OF France,
q :" to adopt, IN regard to the commerce OF
neutral natin:s With MS enemies. the same
measures whieh those shall have permitted
60 be enforced against their commerce with
his subjects"
Yet the Treaty was not only signed, & of
course sanctioned, by our ministers but it
was indicated by Mr. Monroe, in very
Kong and able letter which was addressed
by him to the Secretary of State, by way of
explanation, after his return to this coun-
Ey. ,
But the soundness did not correspond with
The ability of the detence--it would, in q
very point of view, have been better, that
1t had never been exvrted.
In truth we may say that this treaty was,
zndefensible. No express stipulation was
made 20 protect our Scamen from impress
mepi--and those who should have been
crimped into the British service, were per-
mitted to pine away their lives in inglori-
GUS bondage, with no other hope of relief
chan the casual and capricious mercy of
British ninisters.-Thc note, too which had
6een presented TO our ministers at the time
OF the signature OF the treaty, was of itself,
an insuperable objec ioh 10 it-because it
would have been Interpreted by G. b. to
nave reserved rIghtto his majesty of reta-
aiating the French decree.-We are at no
aoss 20 guess what would have been The
spirit OF these retaliatory measures-for the
Ordc s in Council were probably the very
measures then IN contemplation. Ii is indeed a
tact. that within 10 days after this treaty
was signed by our ministers, the Orders
an January were formally promulgated to
the world.
On the whole. this treaty was regarded In
an unfavorable light.---rhe Presiden,
Tn ughtit superfuous 10 lay it before the
Senate Tor their consideration. The repub-
iicans almost to a man, disapproved of it &
regarded it as an improper covenant for the
American nation.
No doubt, Mr.. Monroe was led by patri-
otto motives to sign that instrument. He
hac Apr l - h. -
better terms could not have been obtained at
che time (hey0 signed the treaty than it
con ains"-that these were "the best con-
ditions that it was possible to obtain--that
Though ltbey) were aware that in several
points it fell short OF the just rights OF (their)
country yet that lthey) were persuaded
thai such an arrangement was made of the
whole subject as justified (them) in the par,
which they took"
NJ doubt, Mr. NJ thought, that these were
ehe best terms which we could get--and,
that we ought to have taken them. But ad
hitting the first, the latter does not follow,
of Course. 1t is not so clear, that because
we cannot get good bargain, we ought to
make bad one. 1t iscertanly non-8eguitur.
There are the best reasons 70 think, that
Mr.. M stood justified to his own consci-
Ence---but we thought him wrong in 1908,
and we think so still And what reasons
are there to believe, that his opinions have
changed any more than ours We know OF
bone. Ideas so firmly rooted at the time,
aRd rather for fled perhaps than weaken
ed by subsequent circumstances, cannot
have vanished by this time. We take it,
therefore, tor granted, that Mr.. NJ. is at
this moment OF opinion, that his treaty in
1907 ought to have been at that time a.
dopted and, perhaps. that 1t would have
prevented the Embargo, &c. &c He did
not, perhaps, for this reason, regard that
measure in so favorable light as those who
adopted lit is impossible too to think,
but that the same reasons which led him in
1oC5 TO sanction such a treaty, would now
operate on his mind IN favor Of a similar
measure. Thisis the great sia that besets
hina----It is this bias which excites our
Sears---it is this which would have formed
The main pillar Of our objection 10 his be
ing transa ed into the department of State
hcse points may Cone before him, as
-arrt.Ty OF STATE. Ehe reasons, which