Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-10-08

.oufd NOT execute that law consistently WIN
~; cate contracts made with the different re-
gencies of Barbary.
Many of the instructions to the eohsuls on
the Barbary coast given during the aoinliiis'
tration of Mr.. Jefferson are within our feach'
ard. in due season, some of the most import
ant OF them shall be given the public. From
among them we extract the following, from
letter to James L. Cathcart, esq. dated depart
ment of state, April 9Th, 1903.
Extract of letter from Mr.. Madison 10 i.
L. Cahcart, Esq. Af'A 9Th, 1908
my last to you was of Aug. %, 1902. 1t
was then hoped that you would have been sue
cessfully engaged in making peace with ri
poll, foriwhich the crisis was peculiarly favor
able. The course of circumstances having
deprived us of the advantages OF this Crisis,
to which the tenor Of your official instructions
was adapted, the president has thought proper
to review them, with an eye to the change IN
the state of things under which, If peace be
still unmade, the negotiations for 1t must be
still carried on. And, considering that the
Bashaw is no longer under the domestic dis
tresses, which at that time humbled his pre-
tensions that all the other nations at war with
him have yielded to the customary terms OF
peace ; and that the new terms, which the
concurrent policy of all civilized nations ought
to force on these barbarians would now be
pursued by the United States at a very great
expense, not only without the cooperation OF
any other power, but in opposition to the ex
ample of all, and at a period in different re-
spects critical to their affairs, it is thought
best that you should not he tied dorm TO a re-
fusal of presents, whether to be included in the
peace, or to be made from time to time during
its continuance, especially as in the latter
case, the title to the presents will be motive
to it's continuance. You are accordingly au-
thorised by the president to admit that the
Bashaw shall receive, in the first instance, in.
GLIDING the consular tresent, the sum Of 10000
dollars, and at the rate afterwards Of eight or
ten thousand dollars FER ycar If these sums
can be reduced you will of course avail your
self of the opportunity, but no enlargement
of them afterwards towards the example of
other nations will be admissible; especially
if, at the date of the negotiation, none Of our
captives should be in captivity. The presents,
7yhatever the amount or purport OF them,
Except the consular present, which, as usual,
may consist of jewels, clothes, SC must be
made in money and not in stores and also
the periodical payments are to be made blen-
RiA and not annual: and the arrangement OF
the presents is to form NOePART Of the
PUBLIC TREATY, if a PRIVATE PRO
MISE and understanding can be substituted"
1t is not necessary for our present purpose
to quote any more of the Instructions of this
date. What picture is here presented ofan
administration secretly purchasing popularity
with the peoples money. The executive In
structs the consul to make treaty, and give
eight or ten thousand dollars this treaty
comes before the senate and perhaps before
the people but $4,000 and consular pre-
sent and other presents of Jewels, swords, sc.
to be given annually we presume; these things
we say, to the amount at once OF perhaps an
hundred thousand dollars, as well as annually
after to perhaps half that amount, are to be
forever kept flrivate from the PEOPLE: hence,
lest the people should discover it, the future
presents are to be made in money, instead of
stores for, if in stores it would be known
There is no limitation with respect to the pre-
sents the words are, whatever the amount
or purport of them" WHY biennially paid
Because less liable to discovery.
Well might Robert Smith say that the Pre-
sident had paid no attention to the law past
the session before last. Smith has given no
particulars, but he has given Congress hint
which they ought not to forget-Let the snb-
jeet be sDied to the bottom.-Where is the
Presidents oatli of faithfully executing the
laws? Numerous charges, for which the
President ought to be impeached, can be sub
stantiated against him; but this one alone
ought to remove him from his Office. What,
because the execution of a law would expose
his misconduct, he disobeys the solemn du-
ties of his Office; nay, Uiolates his solemn oath.
And shall he not be arraigned? Will party
spirit forbid it!
We hope aud trust that one of the first re-
solutions, past at the commencement of the
next session, will be to call for all the papers
relative to the Mediterranean affairs; to have
the Instructions, and, the most important, the
secret tarts of the different treaties, the pri-
vate promises and arrangements made pub
lie. Let the people know how much of their
money has been privately given away, while
the Executive has been challenging approba-