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

The National Intelligencer has published the
Speeches Of Messrs. Hayne, Woodbury., of n.
III. and White, of T. delivered in secret session
against the Mission, and of Mr.. Robbins, of r
l.. n iavor OF it. The three former Speeches are
distinguished by great ability Other speeches
VIII appear. We shall select two OF them
or our readers. The question is exciting deep in
'erest at Washington and elsewhere.
The prints servely devoted TO the adminis;ra-
uon are laying much stress upon he fact, that G.
ID. has sent Commissioner to Panama. If she
sends one, they ask. ought not we alsos But the
orators in the Senate, whose speeches have appear
ed against the Mission, do not deny that we might
nave had such an agent at Panama. Mr.. Woodbury.,
Tor instance, suggests that I" our present large
foreign corps III 3. America, and one Of them a,
Colombia, in the very neighborhood of this Con-
gress, might be sufficient TO watch contingencies
Or, II we must have some person at the very place
OF meeting, that mere agent, without public Gre
den'ias (and Of course, without the power of i'm
rcating US In the character or measures ofthe Con-
gress,l wonld be Argus, much more saie as
well as successful Mr.. Van Buren's resolu-
tons in the Senate went to the proposition.
| But the fact, which strikes the mos, extra
ordinary in those Speeches. is the extreme difficult
Guilty which the Senate has experienced in worm
| ing out OF the Executive the Public Documents in
their possession. We have already noticed the
singular fac, disclosed by Mr.. Hayne that at the
very moment when the correspondence Of Mr.
Middleton laid before them; when these
cheering prospects Were held on, to them, there
existed in the Bureau of the Secretary of State at
| Washington. conclusive evidenc that these pros
poets were iifusory-,hat at the very moment Mr..
| Clay twas dispatchns to the assurance that the
mediation of Russia would, in all human pr o5abil
lty, be eGecual with Spain, he had, in his own
hands, the dispatches of MIR. Everett, our Minis
| ter at Madrid, which demonstrated that there was
| no hope of such a result" Mr. Van Buren, :
call, however, wormed these papers out.
Mr.. White notices another singular hiatus in
the Documents submitted MIR. Poinsett, (actine
with without Instructions ailirms to the Pleni-
poentiaries of Mexico, that, T" the u S. had pledy-
| ed themselves not to permit any other power 10
interfere either with the independence or form OF
government (of the Spanish American States y
and that in such an event we should " tie compel
! led to take tic most active and efficient part and
TO bear the brunt OF the contest" Now, SAYS Mr.
| White, 4" nothing can bind to go 10 war with
! any nation, but declaration made in the proper
form, and by the proper department of this 60
vernment" II would indeed be strange enough,
if the President alone, without advice from the
Senate, and without authority from the II. of II .
should presume to make any such pledge, or that
any of his ministers without any authority from
| him should be bold enough 10 make it, Mr.. White
denies that &c the groundwork of this pref ended
pledge is found in President Monroes Message of
| Dcc. 1870. IL contains no pleuSe III Is general
declaration 10 his own Congress, of the sentmen,
which would be felt if any neutral should interfere
on the side of Spain. notwithstanding that
declaration, the y. S. still liberty consist
ent with their honor, TO take part with the new
states, or omit to do so, the wisdom OF Congress
might Judge best, when any neutral power did take
part with SPAIN" &c Since the new Administered
came into power, it seems, that upon the appear-
ance of French feet in our seas, some of the
new States called upon the Executive to redeem
the pledge which had been given 1t becomes
therefore, important, if Mr. Poinsott did give utter
ance TO this pledge without instructions, or if the
administration did disapprove his conduct in so
doing, that it should appear. Blu, it turns Out,
that Mr.. Clay reply TO Mr.. Poinsett's communi-
cation is not among the papers laid before the
Senate. MIR. White notices the chasm: He still
complains OF 4" a ,cant Of documei,ts.'' 81 think
we are still in the dark; have no copy of the
application from the States, nor of our answer
to them" and he might have added, OF Mr. Claws
reply to Mr.. Ponseu. The Senate did not call
| for these papers but the H. Of r. have since on
Monday last) gone to the President himself, for
the information We thank Mr.. Wickiife for
string the question. Let us have light, and we
may Judge for ourselves. We do not much admire
this costiveness the part of the Bureau of State
1t is impossible that any Administration can get
on, ia this manner.
A