Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-06-07

undisputed ascendancy in the British Cou".ns
will be rather a matter Of sorrow than Joy lug
friends Of liberal principles in this country.
When YOU lately laid before the House u
Commons a portion of the correspondents oec
tween yourself and Mr.. Gallalin,-a member oil
Parliament asked you ifthat correspondence wa.
final. You. answered that you presumed Us
was, for that you had had the last ioord..
Iu ordinary Variance, a man is SAID 20 have
the las, word in a discussion, who ether Wea-
ries out his opponent by per!inacity o, reply
~silences him by getting The better OF the afs",,
ment. You would not wish to- be. understood
as claiming to have had the last wore, IN Inc
first sense, and you certainly will not assume
10 be the Judge Of your own argument, M
second. You will recollect, that, IN your las,
letter to Mr.. GaIlatiu, yon SAID, " you "ou'a
no, allow yourself TO be drawn again INTO a als-
oftopics, already more than sufhelehuy
debated" You meant by this remark, 10 init
mate to Mr. Gallatin in a polite manner, ana IL
is barely polite.0 that YOU would not continue
the correspondence on this subject Yon could
not suppose, after this intimation, that Mr.. Gal
latin would permit, himself to pursue the DIS
~cussion Whether, in such a mode OF closing
a diplomatic correspondence, you IAN be SAID
TO have had the last word, in a manner proper
TO boast Off Parliament, ] leave 10 those sklH-
ed in diplomatic courtesy 10 say.
Had Mr.. G;rlatin attached as much conae-
ouence. as you appear to do, TO the simple Tact
of having the last word,' l apprchend your
las, letter would have furnished him abundant
materials for an answer.-He might have made
YOU a reioindcr, which, i'll mistake nor, would
have suggested 10 you the expedlency oil a"iew
more lost words"
What Mr.. Gallatin did not think it compat-
BILE with his dignity or rather with the dignty
of his government, TO do, may come without
improperly from an obscure Individual lf!here
is a foundation of truth and reason IN my sug.
pestions. YOU are too liberal 10 under,alue ;heii
on account oftheir humble source.
You ommenc your" last words" with a mis-
statement (unintentionaI Of %course) OF fact
You say Mr. Gallatin complains that the acto'
Parliament Of 1925, was not officially oommn.
nicateG TO the government OF the United otates'
Starting with this mistake OF the premises, you
90 on, through eight or nine OF the short para
graphs into which your recent diplomatic pa
pers are Gu, ub, to show that this supposed com
pLaiat is groundlcss. Mr.. GaDatin SIMPLY stated
The fact that the act OF Parliament OF 1925 was
not officially communicated to the american
government; he stated it, not byway oil compainf,
Dut Dv W2S Oh NGSHHfcWs ~ 'S"NSt
was natural enough that the American govern
men, should not have fully unprecedented the
bearing of this act on the colonial question be-
cause tina, question was the subject matter OF a
negotiation Suspended il, 1924, with the under
standing that il should be renewed II was natu'
raj. therefore, that the American government
shouId not have understood the act OF PaTlla'
ment of July, 1926, as abruptly breakine of that
negotiation, because in that case, the sct would
probably have been communicated officially, as
the substitute for tho promised renewal ofthe ne
gociation. This is Mr.. Gallatin's argurnent.Y You
NAV think il good or bad To me it appears
very cogen,. AT all events, it is no complaint.
This, however. is Of minor consequence. In
the manner in which you show this supposed
complaint TO be unreasonable, you will, fear,
be found 10 have fallen into some errors, which,
however pardonable in the man OF genius and
the be hsprit, do but little credit 10 the man OF
business or the statesman.
You say, sit is perfectly true that it was nor
communicated, nor has ii been the habit OF the
two governments to communicate, recl2rncaliy
to each other acts OF their respective legisla,
lures"
Now. sir, this is more TRUE than you will per-
haps be pleased to learn The governments DO
moi reciprocaRy communicate 10 each other acts
0t tntIT respective VSi1itutNo ="
British government does not communicate It's
acts to the American government. But as an
American citizen, l take great pleasure in in
forming you, thai, by the courtesy OF The Anne
rican government, a copy Of all lis public pointed
documents is regularly communicated TO each foreign
minister, consequently 10 The British minister.
If you should not think the practice worthy
of being initiated, you will a, least, hope, not
again, by implication, deny IFS existence, IN the
part Of this government. Rut l attach no great
moment even to this erroneous statement, al
though it is worth your attention, as another
instance Of the danger Of dealing in gratuilous
generali,ies. But, if your general remark was
incorrect, / fear your special instance will be
deemed still more unfortunate. II is as follows;
l quote it al length, tina, it may not seem to do
you injustice:
The act of Congress Of f823-an act the pro-
visions Of which specially Elected Great Bril-
tain-was not officially communicated, either TO The
Kings Minister al Washington, or to His Maies-
ty's Government, by the American Minister re-
sident at this Court. So far from any such
communication being made, or any voluntary
explanation of the bearing Of that act being