The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1826-04-10

instance, and To- require the sUeaaahee "
our Agents at the Congress Of Panama. -
~ thai body, questions directly Involving
oar most mp rftant political and CONNER
cltl interests, are 10 b. discussed. Thougl
the new Republics there represented are 81
many separat. Governments, our relations
With them are moi merely those which W,
hold toward each, Individually they form
one whole family, IN language, religion
law, historical fortunes, aud present poll,l-
CT, alliance. From this family, ~ Tar as
the enumerated circumstances go, we are
necessarily excluded oUt " this EXCLUSION
springs an entire class of political aud com
merelal relations, between us, on the one
side, and large family Of ncw Republics
on thu oihe. This family of Republics
has Thought il .xprdlen, to convene an
Assembly of Plenipot.ntidries al Panama.
As an important part of their public fel"-
tinns. are those in which they stand To us,
they have invited us In send our ministers
To this Assembly. The law OF nations
warrants them, in thus designating the
place and mode OF treating with friendly
powers, and If We refuse to accept the ~
vitaiiou, takes from US the right of com
planning Of any result, however inconsistent
with our interests.
Uoder the circumstances in which this
subject IS before the House, the Committee
deem il their duty To consider some Of tue
objections which may he urged against
the acceptance by thu United States Of this
invitation: These may BIZ among others, thai
such acceptance is unconstitutional that all
he objects 9th. Congress as far as we are
CONCERNED may be attained by negotiations
with the separate States, that the subjects
Of discussion the powers If the Ministers,
the mode organizing the Congress, aud the
mod ofdsciding questions are not .nihclent
" settled 10 aurhorlIs our accepting the
lnvitation:iha our attendance " ould eedan-
g'r our neutrality towards Spain that IS
might Involv. us in an entaugling alliance
with III. new States; that our attendance
would b. Il novcl aud unpreced ented mea-
snrr thai there IL. in Congress of States.
something essentially pernlcIous as proved
by tho example of Europe in its recent
history.
The first objection may be, that the at.
tendance ofthe United States at the Con
gross of Pananaa would be demonstrations
al. Toths objection the Committee would
reply thalt they are not acquainted with any
restriction IN the Constitution on the APP
. ointment Of Foreign Ministers nv the pro-
per authority. II may not however be su-
y rhnons 10 add that this objection pro-
cords on the assumption that the Congress
A Panama u either IA Government, branch
Of "A ar ( cd nI
Guvrrs ments, aud that the United States,
by attending thIs Assembly, unite them
s,lvss To the said Government or Coafed-
"raey. Neither part Of this assunpton IS
true. The Congress Is a meeting of d.
plowatic Agents from independent Gov
ernm.nts, and. granting for . moment
tn It tn. Congress al Panama were Gov
ernmsnt or 'onfederacy. our attendance
at II by Diplomatic Ministers. would be 90
entrance milo such nfcdrracy--nn union
with such Goverpment. II need scarcely
be urged. that the Unled States do not On
Ter into \ coDiedrracV. do not form an M
ION with foreign Powel. or any number
"f Powers, by sending Minister To treat
with such PoWrI or Powers.
II may, in the next place, he objected to
our ATTENDANCE at this meeting, thst all It's
Objects may be- attained by separate nego-
tHt'ous, with the several STATES. 1t may
adult doubt whether this could, by pos
shlh'y, he the case. Il is questionable
whether separate =, d dlsconnrcfed nego-
tlat'ons between States geographically So
remote, aud III various respects politically
80 different from zach other, could be-
brought IN the same harmonious aud sys-
irma'lc result, as discussion in an Assem-
bly, of Diplomatic Agents. prnnpilv com
municstog with each other inform lion.
counsel, and arGun, nj. At all events, it
may safely be affirmed, that the same re-
suit may be far more eNpeditiously and
conveniently attained hya conference with
the assembled Ministers of States So remote
from each other, that an Interchange of
intelligence with their respective capitals
could not take place moe than twice IN a
twelve nohth. This objection, gong only
to the convenience of fhe measure, need
not he more particularly weighed.
The third objection may be, that tho sub
Jects of discussions, the pone of the Min
l,trrs, the mode If oreau,Ang The Com
grows ahu lhad' o| dttlHl qntS'lnfS, are
not yet sufficiently settled to Justify our
Attendance. frrm the papers submitted
ro the Committee, il appe'rs tina, this con-
s'drratlon engaged the attention Of the EN-
rcutrve. WHEN the invitation WAS made to
this Government, lat spring, by the Minis
trrs OF Neylco md Columbia. Il was then
required by the President, that previous
satiNrc iion shou'd be gwen in these points.
The ,eplles ofthosr Ministers. after having
consulted thelr governments do not enter
into minute detail on AL these points, vet
tn" Committee are f opinion that they are
satisfactory. As to the subjects in general
~ be discussed, there is me- limitation t.
the disadvantage ofany Govtrnarot rep
resented and the meeting being one of d.
plnmalic Agents. and Il hung siinnlated IN