Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-07-27

4 - e.crnai law, which, although it may hay,
: len overiooiSed during the infancy of the bu
.ntenect, sooner or later developes its pro
vis'ons, and compels the human race to observ,
,ue'n; Thus IN former times, piracy was an al
e 0"aoie Practce OF the most civilized nations:
-. now When 1t has become provision of ;
nsuonai law to prescribe as outlaws those VIII,
.oow II, hwould seem most extraordinary pro.
pv'"'oh TO repeal Or to modify it. So will! the
unconventional law of nations, whenever /,
crime 10 of sufficient extent ant, atrot.itv Il, ro,
Iuile provision of the laws of nations To- pre.
,., PUNISH 1t, that provision ought to be ire
e.-I mere IS no prOpriety i'm temporisino.
e.I;, crimes OF the deepest atrocity. Ii once
III thcy should be prohibited forever
Ar s,aVe tradeis of that character; and thourL
an buren aud his coadjutors may think IFS
suppression of less Importance than the suc,..s
~ tir. Crawford, still there is anhonest sensc of
Justice, and pure, heartfelt desire anonr tho
seo'ianry OF the United States to improve the
; OF mankind, by extending the bless
is y, freedom; and more especially to preserve
go, aG'er OF siis country from stain and re-
p''ch, mat VIII support every atteInnt tn ext;r
pate the evil; add will alike frown mon thc emil
- merchant who has grown rich by the price of
s''iah iiesi, and the no less guilty statesman WIN
no'h party motives, would encourage him in his
lGctestablc traffic -'' III MS
we nave thus shown, that in this convention
,he right OF search as claimed by Great Rr;i,;n
uehied; and that the British government has SAM
,'oheo Inc construction which the American ro
'crhuicht had given to the law ofnatioas on This
contested point 50 far this treaty is TO he ouo-
tcd as authority. 1t also appears that the ona,i-
lca fight al search is so well guarded as to rem
"er impossible for any abuse of power 10 take
place on the part Of the public officers v;thnut
ample PREPARATION 10 the sufferers.
When the Convention with Great Britain was
brought M, according to the rules oftb, Senate
LOT mat consideration, about forty members
nearly the whole number, were present.-NIr.
van burcn however, requested that the business
might be postponed, as Mr.. Dickerson' was not
present, and lac knew that he intended To make
some observations relating to the Treaty.
ffcrson uhconnectcd with the Presidential Can
uidatcs would have thought, that treaty with :,
ioreIsn power, if improperly made, might have.
been opposed without the aid of Mr. Crawtcrl,s
confidential friend. Many other Senators were
present equally wise and experienced, and Mr.
Dickerson himself was in Congress-Hall. and
would undoubtedly have taken his place before
the conclusion of the business; but such was
not the plan. Mr.. Diclserson was fixed upon to
begin the battle, and it would have dcraneed
his tactics If any other person had taken the
tho field before him.
Al last Tic question was taken UP, AMI Mr..
I'GAcison opposed the ratification in long and
c.a22Tate speech; but so evident were the sirns
of concerted opposition, that it was observed in
tile senate that this was the worst illustration of
me Caucus principle yet manifested; aud that
II John Quincy Adams had not been Candi-
date for the Presidency, no opposition would
have been made to the Convention.
| That the conduct of Mr.. Crawford's friends
provoked such an observation, is sufficiently de-
grading; but it was fully justified by the vote on
the ratification of the treaty, when every Cray-
iordte IN the Senate, excepting Mr.. Barbour
| who as chairnon of the Coin.aiticc of FOREIGN
hciationS, had previously reported in favour Of
ratification, and could not reccde; and Mr. Iow-
RE, who did not dare so utterly to disappcint the
wishes aud expectations of his constituents, vo-
ted in the negative and voted as party too; for
the. friends OF every other candidate, Adams,
Clay, Jackson, and Calhoun, voted in the aiTir-
| NATIVE 1t Tas vote of the Crawford party
and it would have been difficult 10 explain how
Nlr Crawford's frinds, and his only, should have
voted against this Convention, if they had not
| themselves afforded the explanation, by stating
| at the time when this treaty was under Discus
| slon, that it had been concluded without consul
ting Mr.. Crawford, and that he had never piy-
en- his assent to il.
This fact was distinctly asserted by them in
conversation, and Mr.. Crawford was given as
their authority for the assertion.
We call the attention of the nation to This
fact. 1t concerns the people of this country to
know whether man, who is candidate for the
highest ohce within their gift, did give author
NY TO his friends to make a statement for cleo
tioneerlng purposes, 50 utterly without fcunda-
ton; aud which he must have known to be SO.
He knew that that Convention was not made
without his knowledge. He was consulted
not only as TO the projct, but even as 10
the letter of instruction TO MIR. Rush aud liz.
distinctly and unequivocaliy approved of the
concession of the right of search, ana chat TOO
to greater extent than The Secretary CT State
had proposed.
These facts we have from more authorities
than one--and when they considered IN
conncxion with the statement of Mr.. Canning,
they present mass of testimony of iaYincibIe
force aud fatal in its conclusion to the charac-
ter of the Caucus Candidate AMI his party
They prove him guilty ofinsigating his friends,
and for the purpose of rendering his rival un-
popular, to oppose a treaty when made, which
in the preliminary steps that led to it, he SO
warmly approved, to urge the minister of
England not to remit in his claim for the con-
cession of the right of search; and lis friends
arc convicted of yielding to that investigation,
! in violation of their ostts as Senators.
| They prove him to be guilty of treachcry To
| the cabinet of which, he \ member, and CT
disappearing his own opinions and conduct
in relation to the subject in controversy.
| Such proficiency we should not have believed,
even with such conclusive proof, IL Russell,
| Floyd, and Smy til had not shown 10 the world
what the enemies OF John Quincy Adams arc
capable of doing. off such things are seen in
the green tree, what may we not expect in the
dry?" These fears weighed heavily upon the
minds OF the sober men, when the portcDtous
letters OF these patient though inyetcratc foes of
the Secretary of State first disturbed the po-
litical calm which VIC enjoying, and
| Eot.o 81.