Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-03-31

upon before the crisis TO which il alluded should
actually arrive. In the mean time he did not wish
that the declaration of official organ of this Co
vernment should induce others to believe tia such
pledges had been given, unless that was actually
the fact. That such opinion had gone abroad,
and that it was held by some of the South Ameri-
can Governments, the documents cenclusively
proved. During the last year call was made BY
the Mexican Government upon that of the United
States, TO be prepared TO redeem its pledge French
fleet having then recently entered the West India
Ii is said, by Others that the declaration Of
our Minister is assurance of the Cabinet here. If
such is the fact, it is high time it should be known
and understood in this country. The only autho--
rity for this suggestion with which he was acquant-
ed, MIR. w. observed, was a passage in a message
OF the late President OF the United States to Con
gress- but he did not conceive that that communi-
cation would warrant our Minister to say that any
pledge had been given by the United States He
recolleced that, at the same session, resolution
was introduced by distinguished member of this
House, now no longer member which seemed
to respond to the sentiments OF the Executive but
he believed the resolution was never called up. nor
acted on, by the Congress of the United States
Ii there existed any other evidence of such pledge
as that referred to by our Minister TO Mexico, Mr.
w. said he unapprised OF it, and he should
like that the State Department should let the House
know what the true state of the case.
.sT OIsyln ODseTNeO, tnat III would be needless
for the gentleman to direct his resolution to the
Committee on Foreign Relations, as they were un
able 10 give to that gentleman, 10 the House, any
information on this subject, ofwhic they were not
already possessed. Ii was obvious, from the doc
uments, that the gentleman alluded to has, in the
| execution of his powers Minister, and in ODE
dlence 10 the Instructions given 10 him by his gov
eminent, held official language in the declarations
he made. The authority by which he made them
| is fherefnra hat f tho presilnnt oF n
States Mr.. F. could not positively say that our
Minister TO Mexico had received instructions TO use
these particular terms, but the Minister must, in
! doing so, certainly have obeyed the spirit of his
instructions. 1t appears that a statement of the
language he had used was afterwards submitted TO
the Secretary of State, and approved by him under
the direction of the President. The inquiry would
be made by the Committee on Foreign Relations, il
they ordered; but it could lead only TO one
! result-that the Minister used the language by au-
thority of the President. Mr. +. presumed that the
desire of the gentleman from Kentucky was. that
inquiry should lie made into the propriey o! such
language, and of the instructions on which il was
founded; it that was his wish, he ought 10 make the
| language OF his resolution more specific. Ii would
then certainly present very important question.
Mr.. Webster though, the motion ofthe gentleman
was Of an extraordinary character and one which
deserved more consideration than is usually bes-
towed upon mere call for information. Among
the documents submitted by the President to the
House, was letter from the Minister OF the United
States near the Government of Mexico, in which
| he details conversation which had taken place
between himself and the official Agents Of that
Government, in which he arguing in favor of
an allowance, by Mexico, 10 the United States, of
equality in commercial privileges with the States
of South America, and in which the Agents of
Mexico were resisting such allowance, and insist
ing that the United States should be- in these res
pecs post poned TO of the States OF the South
American continent. In this conversation il ap-
pears that our Minis referred to an opinion COM
| monty entertained in the United States, as to the
interference Of foreign powers in the concerns OF
Mexico and the other new republics; evidently re-
ferring TO celebrated declaration by the late Pres
| ident OF the United States that subject. He u.s.
ed the term " pledged but it was plain that its
reference was merely to this declaration. If the
object OF the resolution is to find fault with the
conduct OF this Minister, he could not, without
more information, concur in il; and it seemed
scarcely fair to infer that he instructed TO make
any improper declaration, unless there was some
proof that he actually was so instructed. But lifts
object was to ascertain whether sach instructions
had been given, the call should be made on the
Executive. Mr.. w. entirely agreed with the gen.
tleman from Georgia, that no information, in an
swer TO this inquiry, was to be sought from the
| Committee OF Foreign Relations. He had no OBJ
!
tons, but until farther inquiry, lie thought any in
ference unfavorable to the character and conduct
of our Minister, ought not to be indulged-- he,
therefore, was induced to move to lay the reso-
luton the table; but, having made the notion
he withdrew il at the request of
Mr.. Forsyth, who explained himself to have said
only that the Committee on Foreign Relations were
not at present possessed of the information desired
they could, however, make the inquiry at the De-
partInent OF State. IL that were desired.
Mr.. Wicklife observed, that the gentleman
from Massachusetts was grea ly mistaken if he sup
posed that he had any intention 10 find fault with
the conduct OF the distinguished individual refer
red TO. His inexperience in legislation might
have prevented him from suggesting the best mode
of obtaining the information; bu; he had conclu-
ded that the Committee on Foreign Relations
being, from the nature of i,s duties, in intimate
correspondence with the Department of State,
might readily obtain knowledge OF the facts,
without putting either the House or the Depart-
ment to the trouble of a caA upon the department
for copies of instructions, SC. If such a call
should be made, perhaps it might not suit the
views OF the Government TO give, in ertenso the
instructions given TO our ministers; or if they
should be given, it might be under an Injunction
OF secrecy, mode which he wished ever TO avoid.
His main object to direct the attention of
Congress and Of the People of the United States
TO the question:, whether any such pledge had been
authorIzedby our Government. He was desirous
that the country should be left free to act when
the crisis referred to should actually arrive. IL
seemed 10 him that the language Of our minister
was official-and he had observed that i, did not
seem to be cont adic ell or questioned by the Sc
cretary OF State. He was therefore forcihly led
to the inference that the language of our Minister
was approved II the resolution was to be laid or
the table, Mr.. w. presumed he should be permit
ted TO call 1t up and modify 1t at future mbReni.