Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-04-17


commerce al! Amvuca, south aud north,
is worth 10 her more lhan Tie commerce
of the residUe %! he World. THAR, 20 all
Spanish tmerlca, had boon alone estimat-
ed ~ fifteen G.ili0uS Sttrhms. las a9Sre-
gate value 10 Span.sN Ameuca and The
United States, might IS ta.;iS estimated
al upwards i one iUudICu miiitons oi dol
lars. Tie SiitCt oi War with the two
countries ruuld be 10 uiVts' LnSiand OF
tins great utiCEpsi, al ii moment VIXEN she
Is auXiOusiy engaged iu repairing THE ra-
wages OF The European war. Looking 10
t,r present moment only, aud merely to
tie Interests at commerce. England Is
concerned more than even tins country in
the success at the cause OF Independence
III Spanish America. Ihe reduction Of
the Spanish power IN America has been
The constant and tav0r!ie aim ~ her poll
cy for two centuries .Slie must blot out
her Whole history reverse the maXims OF
all her iiiusiriOuS statesmen eNungulSh
the spirit of commerce which anImatcS,
directs aud couir0iS all her movements,
before she can render herself accessory 10
Tie sub .-at;on oi Spanish America. No
G muei advantages which Spain might
oaer her by treaty, could possess the Sc
curly Tor her trace, winch independence
lnnst probably of limited duration, and
liable 10 violation from policy, from inter
est, or from caprice. The other would be
rs permanent as independence. That lie
did not mistake The views of The British
cahiuei, the recent proclamation of the
Prince Regent he thought proved. The
commitiee would remark that that docu-
nent did not describe the patriots as re-
bells or Insurgents, but, using term which
he bad no doubt had been well weighed,
II declared The existence ot a " state of
warfare" Aud with regard to English
Subjects Who sere IN the armies of Spain,
although they had entered the service
without rcsirlcilonaS 10 their military du-
lies, il required That they should not take
part against tie colonies. The subjects
of England freely supplied the patriots
with arms and ammunition, and an hon
or3bie friend Ui ms (COl. JOhnSon) had
lust received Il letter from one of the w
India islands, stating the arriva! there
from Gunland 81 the skeletons of three
regiments, with many of the men TO til
jiicm, destined 10 aid the patriots. In the
Quarterly Review, OF November last, a
journal devoted 10 the ministry, and Il
work OF the highest authority, as ii res
poets their Nicws--ihe policy OF neutrality
iicv Of England ; snd that, even IL the II.
States were 10 take part in the war and
Spain is expressly notified that she can
noi and musi not expect aid from Eng
Iaud.< In ihe case OF the struggle between
Spain and her colonies, England, forOnce
at least, had manifested a degree of WIS
dom highly deserving our limitation, but
mlf0riuuaieiv tie very reverse OF her
course had been pursued by us.-She had
SO conducted, by operating upon The
hopes OF the two parties, as TO keep on
the best terms with both-to enjoy all lhe
advantages OF lie rich commerce OF both.
We had, by neutrality bill containing
unprecedented features and sIill more
by late Executive measure, 10 say the
least oft, of doubtful constitutional char
acter, contrvedto dIssatiSfy both parties.
We had Tie confidence of neither Spain
nor The colonies.
Mr.. G. said il remained for him to de-
iend the proposition which he meant to
submit, from an objection, which he had
heard minated, THAT it interiered with
the duties assigned 10 the executive
branch. On this subject he felt the great
est solicitation for no man more than
himself, respected the preservation of the
independence ofthc several departments
of government, in the constitutional or
bits which were prescribed 10 Them. 1t
vas his iaVorite maxim, that each, acting
within its proper sphere, should move
with IT'S constitutional independence, and
under lis constitutional responsibility,
without influence from any other. He was
perfectly aware, tLat The constitution of
the United States, and he admitted tae
proposition ia its broadcast sense, cOnfId-
ed TO the executive the reception and the
depuiation of ministers. But, in relation
TO the latter operation, congress had
concurrent Will, IN the power ct providing
for the payment of their salaries. Tie
instrument 10 where said, or implied,
that the executive act of sending a minis
Ter 10 a foreign country should precede
the legislative ACT which shall provide for
the payment ofbis salary. And, i'll point
OF fact, Our statutory code was full of eX-
amples of legislative action prior TO exccu-
tive action, both in relation TO lie dppu-
tstion Of agents abroad, and TO the sub
ject matter of treaties Perhaps the act
of sending minister abroad, ana The act
providing for the allowance of hts salary,
ought to be Simultaneous but If, IN tic
order of precedence, there were more rea-
son on the one side than on the other, he
thought il was III favor of the priority Of
the legislative act as the safer dePosiiary
Of power. When a minister is sent "a
broad, although The legislature may be
disposed 10 think his mission useless
although, If previously consulted, they
would have said they would not consent
TO pay such minister, the duty is deli
cate and paiRfuI TO refuse 70 pay the sala-
~ promised TO him whom the executive
has even unnecessarily sent abroad. Mr..
G.. illustrated his IDEAS by the existing
missions 10 Sweden and the Netherlands.
lie had no hesitation IN saying, that if