Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1826-11-10

involve themselves, who prepare speak on one side
of question, aud by untoward circumstance
(such tue controlling influence and authority of am
memorable dciator forced to argue ON the other
Notwithstanding Col. BeDton's anxiety to keep out
of view the real which produced "the decided
change in his mind" the nomination of Mr. Sergeant
eVdeny contributed, in degree, TO produce this
result The preference OF Mr. Sergeant 10 himself as
one OF the seems to have been consi-
ueieo as an objectionable private injury; and has
brought upon the "nomnee" two octave pages of
lent nvective and Incorporate dcnunciaon altogether
g'a'uoas or Tor The mere qualification of revenge for
defeated hopes as the ratification OF the nomination
not then before the Senate, were the remarks sur
ges'e oy, or IN wise opposite the question pen
ding. That il was SO considered By The Senate ia
demonstrated by the fact, that .the vote on Mr. An
dersons nomination (only more in hi, favor
than there was in favor of Mr. Sergeant" and that
was MIR. Benton's the rest of the conedcrates making
no difference between the s'nominees."
Another instance of the ar.ifcc and stratagem as
well as the consistency, of Senator, will be found
IN the fact that the body of the printed speech contains
more than page devoted TO the consideration oftLe
expense OF the mission; ga TOPICS which he confcsses
IN note, 'was altogether p'eermitted in the Spoken,
Speech" as delivered in the Senate Before the people
the cTense made one OF the principal objections
The missiona consideration which he was ashamed To
urge before The Senators, for whose cdifcation the
speech was professedy delivered. After exhibiting "a
statement of the whole expense of diplomatic inter-
course with all the Spanish American States incndinr
the Panama misson he says, s'if this is economy
know not The meaning of the word" Thus by inter-
Po!ang IN 'spccch" deiicered IN the Senate, that
which not spofen,n he hopes 10 acquire the name
OF an economist; 10 take advantage cf the sensibitv
OF the people the subject of expenditure at ouce 10
promote has popularity and excite prejudices
against the Administrations The real disposition OF
this gentleman. the subject of expenditure has al
ready been exposed III my sixth number it may not be
amiss, however, 10 state additional facts which NAV
fully i,str ate his claim TO the character of an
economist. Members Of Congress are allowed by law
eight dollars day for their attendance and .tcieh1
dollars for every twenT miles of estimated distance b
the most usual road" between their place of residence
TO Washington, going and returning. II seems that
the members of Congress have construed this act 10
allow computation of distance bv the course of tlc
most crooked navigable rirer; and under this con-
strucon, some, at least, of the members of Congress
from Illinois and Missouri, iamong them Col. Benton
ascertain the distance between ST. Louis and Wash,
ington TO be about fifteen hundred miles, making the
1SuGt road follow the meanders of The Mississippi and
ONO TO Wheeling; and according TO this computations
they charge and receive pay-whle the real distance
between the two places, estimated nv what the peopl
would understand 10 be the 's;suat roadn does not ex
coed eight hundred miles. 1t is probable that the
compensation allowed by the plain import of the act is
not suiucIen but the people have right 10 be infrom-
ed, by the language of the law, what t.ey are TO nay
and certainly, an economist ought to connivc at
the continuance, mnch less participate in the benefits
OF this leithand mode of increasing compensation.
The intoIerant zeal with which Gel. Benton common
ced and prosecuted his hostility the mission is be-
Tayed IN ms note, preRXed 10 the published speech.
1t seems, that suspicion VERY unnatural TO mere
enquirer after truth excited in his mind against
his relation Mr. Clay, by whom TRANSACTIONS of the
treaties were furnished to be The Senate sus
he applied TO the Colombian Minister for and obtained
a copy of the treaty between Colombia and Guatema-
la, in the original language, by which, he says, he
discovered errors far material 10 the character
and power OF the assembly than he had supposed ,i
"To expose these" land of course the article of his
'eidon he prelXes 10 his speech five articles OF the
treaty, arranging the original, the translation sent to
Inc Senate and his own, in separate columns. Whics
OF these TRANSACTIONS is the best, il unnecessary TO
inquire since it will appear tina, the two first treaties
Ia point OF tence and as arranged among the documents
nv Tho
tTansatcd according 20 his opinion which ex-
cudcs the idea of any design lead lie Senator las is
aiieged} "to an idea essentially upon the
character of the assembly," The word nsscp,Eiy is
employed in the translation OF the two first and Con,
g'eSs IN the two last of the treaties; the former Col
Benton contends, has diplomatic seBse;n but the
latter sIenilIes an assembly Of pienipotcnt,aries-
UnIuckiy for this display of crudon the COME nula-
ted assembly is called. in Of the trans!a.ons "s
general nSseru6ty," and in the other two ga general
Congress of American states, composed of their alH-
TotentiGricS"-terms evidently synonymous both IN
aicatng the diplomatic character of the assembly, in
language not 10 be mielndcrscod nor perverted by
hyper criticism. The aiectation Of learning, exhibit
Ell IN the Pretaratoy note might be pafdoned but the
wl!iul Suppression of facts, for tile purpose of crim
mating honorable man and that man re1niton cam
not be cxCusedor palIiatcd
Such is the spirit which anisnates le whole coalition.
and such the means they employ sustain Themselves
and overthrow the they hate. Some of then,
certainly possess IN an eminent degree, that species Of
courage which sCorns TO recoil from shame aud have
perseYeTed 10 the dishcnor of the principles on which
they formerly assumed 10 act, until they have been
brought 10 the shameless ayowal of determination in
oppose every proposed by the Administration
no matter how direct and Obvious IFS cr.ency TO IEe
public goodt-and all of them prophets of evil
they loretel no good, but the JOY of their hearts, To
predict msoTiunes;n ard TO realize their predictions
they use all implements which to their hands, and
neglect no means which promise success
CURTtUs,
In the "Mssouri Advocate 31st Aug. there an
editorial article which improves speech by charging
10 the Panama Mission The whole expense of foreign
intercourse with all nations and shows thai the Senator
can only be outdone by the Editor
The errors complained Of, as calculated 10 lead tho
Senate to erroneous IDEAS upon She Assem-
bly, arc that In the transactions, Congress twice used
instead Of assembly, and the words ''eir" 'hera'
entirely omittedthat arbitrator is used instead Of
Je arbitrator Of which supposed errors tx list in the
two first lrqnslatons Senate. Tues Arbtro S.
indeed, rendered umpire which is as correct as