Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1827-06-08
No H..


Sir In the letter " Mad The honor 10 address
ia you the other day. ont four or five
IN your letter TO MV of January 81.
c,u he nFsl o. IhGse 70 snyng' that MIR
1926 not communicated TO the AMERICAN Govern.
rnent. MIR. Gallatin did not complain of that cicum
stance bal merely stated ii strengthening infer
eDce.
Your second consisted in saying that the Bri-
ttsh aud American Government do communicate
20 each other the acts Of their Legislatures. The acts
oihe American Legislature regularly cotnnunca
10 the British Ministers at Washington.
Your third errGr, and that very serious in the
present c'rcuinstances consisted in ing tha; the
of Congress of 1923 was not officially communicated
10 the Blush M,nser Washington proved TO
you, by the authority Of the american Secretary Of
State, that If communicated TO your knsrnan
Mr. S!raiord Canning, ilcn British Minister at " ash
lnson. for tie express purpose of giving him ar op
Porunity OF making bis remarks upon H. which he
oil.
Your fourth error consisted in inimaCinr that enc
explanation offered % the hearing of this act TO
the British Minister, nnj that after its passage he
learnt to his asonishmen tla turder word sese-.
where" we're Intended TO be signied both Great Bri.
tain and the British Colonies prored 10 Won that ,
ring the passage OF tie aci Nh Strattord Canninm at
tention called to the word etsevc5e and that the
sense IN winch the word was taken by Congress was
perfectly understood by him the time.
My inference from all this is, that you have not OF
ven yourself the trouble TO read the documents in this
somewhat perpleXed controversy.-Yo have placed
an u;iue reliance on that powerful genius which car
House OF Commons, Int which supply the
place OF patient research in the Cabinet.
Such overslghs are not without precedent III your
office. have been informed, good authority that
S!r Stamford Rafles returned England from the 90
vern;nent Of Java, full Of asonishent that no attention
lad been paid 10 some imP0rtan, suggestions contain
ed in his dispatches. On visit 10 the foreign Office
he discovered the cause OF this natieutun lie saw
his official dispatches Tor two three years past "
Ing in a quiet corner, viii the seals un5roken. The
Minister had not had time opcn them!
No aV,iu man tynO hpt in
lave accompanied N TINS far without coming to the
conclusion that 1910 really uaacquaiDted yith the
history Of this negotisHbn
Having asserted thedact, that the American law of
ment, yon draw from 4 ~ infcrences. ',-'
As have shown yde iced fact 10 he imaginary,
your inierences OF courstEall to tie ground But let
us nevertheless examine meIn.
The first inference is, ''tlat the ordinary AMI nat
nEai course between States IS not TO make diplomatic
communications Of ;bc acts OF he.c respective Legis-
latures.D
am ling, III reference TO this position to wave
all the advantage IN Argument winch have gained by
destroying The premises from which your inference is
dEaWn. VIII treat H. n" as an Incrcoce, but in
dependent proposition. SO far from beng true even
such, venture TO affirm that the direct contrary is
Tie tact do net mean to say that it the ordinary
mud natural course between States Communicate an
the acts Cf uejr Legislatures. But DO not believe
Instance DC lou"h ii: poiitica! history IN which,
after matter Ui importance has been the subject of
anicahle negotiation between friendly powers;
after that negotiation has 6ern suspended moi in i'll
temper, bur from obstacle Biisag out of the laws
Of o. the States suspended not iuictiDitcv bat
with a nu:nai understanding that IT should be renew
cd and That matter has. by legislative of one of
the powers, been decided in arDa,c manner such
act has not been communicated the other rover
IN whom renewa! OF The n'gntation had been pro.
missed.
Your other deduction from premises which have
shown nGt TO exist, is ie: no Interference could
he diayn from such omission on the one side any
more than the Other, of what the undersigned dis
u,guN ;pto,, r
courtesy and re5peCi.n
You are here pnrsnci BY TIC still recurring de!u-
zion, thai Fir. Callan meutioned your omission to
communicate The act Of Parliament Of .July 1925 rs
matter OF complaint, "ganl Of courtesy and re-
speci.n
The American Government, sir, is always gratihcd
when treated with courtesy: but it docs not complain
when oourtescs arc withheld. II does not deem itself
the losing party m any such occasion. Bnt Mr. Gal
latin did ot complain &c argued; and his the Arner
can Government understands aE better than
iU~ will rcst7tc ha argument 20 rotr in , firm
you ran hardly usahe:-
The two Governments had . !org nc~ot;a.ion ,bou,
the oonial iradc They cnnI not come 10 an under.
standing They passed laws each side the IasGo,o
passed by tho american government vas not ONLY r,
mnnicaied to the British Minister l., The usual form in
which all our public documents are communicated 10
mo ,rcg" ministers out vas specially communicated
for bis comments
Tie next year the negotiation was returned Every
point hrt ono was settled On r,ai ono roint tho RIO
gociaiion suspended with an .lndertapd,nr u,f
81 pu'd be resumed. Rarnus accidental un,0rcsccr
and unavoidable cifcUnst arcs occurred t) DELAY ,l
resumption.
THO noS three four acts were passed bv the I;ri
fish Government containing vast Inauy sections re-
pealnm acls , moro complicated Their practical ,ro
TO-, rsibc beforehand to divine they were
construed differently ibc I}fti.b Courts; hey were
rniaprlict he BrIli.h CoOpje.; il bcyOud ,hc
power OF MIR. Vaughan, the British Minister WASH
iggfor cy plain them wien requested so TO DO by
tie Secretary Of State,
Now, sir, under all these circumstances, the faa