Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-03-17

place, he had been asked 10 Withdraw the call
Tor the yeas and nays, upon the supposon. doubt
less, that no opposition intended. But the at
fair, 1t seems, had taken another turn. But,
whatever course the discussion should take, he
should not initiate the example OF wandering into
exraneous and irrelevant matter. Still less should
he attack individuals, or aliude TO occurrences no
way connected with this subject, for the purpose
OF making personal cbse ltious, ihiiicg pain.
lie intended, in this and ether occasions, TO dis
charge his public duties with dccorum tow ards
all public tDen, and with abstinence from asperity
ami personal vtupcraton aud reproach. AS to
the resolution itself, common Justice required its
adoption. The resolution, IA originally framed,
requested that the instructions 10 cur Ministers at
Panama should be communicated to us SO Tar as
me public service would properly allow them to
DC maue pubic. his was the usual course. IL
was customary Ia re, a;,d in relation 10 all nego-
tiatons, either pending closed. How long was
It since member from Maine hal made similar
eau ior the correspondence of our Commissioners
under the Treaty OF Client. This call had been
made for the purpose OF publishing that cores
pondence, although IL related TO a question OF
great Importance still pending; nevertheless. i,
was readily acceded to, or. according to usage, it
was limited by reference to the discretion Of the
President.
With the same Limitation, he had now moved
this resolutions; and il had been Immediately oh
Jected to. To remove oil objection, he had then
so modified il as to require the information 10 be
communicated conticentiaily. SO that the Senate
itself might Judge what part could be properly
published. But, atho' this seemed for the mo-
ment, satisfactory to every body, yet it is OPP
posed with the same carnestness before. He
had been asked, by the member from Yirginis If
ne had seen the instructions. He was willing to
answer, and he answered that he had not. He
mad been asked again, as If that could be possibly
aproper question on such occasion, il the hes
ident wished the instructions published. To
which, also, he willing TO answer, that he
knew nothing Of the Presidents wishes on the
subject He had called for these instructions OIL
atnn ~ bat 81,
them public. The occasion had passed by. The
mission had become part VI the political history
OF the country. 1t had been s,ion which hat,
much divided the opinions of public men. Was any
thing more just or proper than that now the coun-
try should have full view Of the whole subject.
10 what end does the member from Virginia de-
clare, with such emphasis. and enforce with so
much repetition, that there maioIities and mi
nories on this tloor' Does he wish rather TO rail-
~ party, than TO take the sober Judgment OF the
Senate ON this question. Does lac mean, when
olher arguments fail, TO accomplish his end by
talking oiparties, and oil the propriety of macri-
ties resisting motions made by those in the minor
ity! Was 1t the members object TO preserve
strong lines Of distinction between maurtics and
ininorities? Certainly il was the ordinary effect
oisGch q tone ctargument as had now been re-
sorted TO, to preserve such lines; and if what
both just In itself and according to uniform prac-
tise, was to be resisted by the argument oil ma
ofles and minoIiues, distinctions OF that kind ere
very likely to prevail, unless, indeed individuals
Should. ere long. undertake the task of thinking
aud acting for themselves-ab event, he hopsl,
NOT yet TO be despaired Of
lie had already said his orignal object aad been
foreGuest the President to send oil the insiruc-
toEs, or SO much thereof he thought mi ght,
with propriety, be made public. This being on
posed because II LETT the matter in the Presidents
discretion, no had altered his motion so as to ask,
ior tina whole, and 10 request il TO be sent conf
dentialiy. This the present shape of the
Question. II the instructions here, they
W he rnla halt H. Ill.
Judge what may safely be published Are gen
slemen afraid OF this course? Dare they not trust
the Senate! Dare they not trust themselves? If
the Senate should refuse to publish any part, still
the motion will have been proper, because il was
proper that the Senate itself should see the in
srucions 1t bad been asked, why does not the
President himself publish them? lie did no, know
that the President wished them published. WhetL-
er he did or not, was wholly iminaieIiais This
motion not made for the President, but for the
country. Ii was TO enable the People 10 see the
real character of mission, about which so mtci,
had been said. And it was somewhat singular
he thought, that gentlemen should refuse all op.
pQrtunity to make the Presidents instructions pub
lie, who had taken care 10 make their own speech
es delivered IN closed doors) against the mission
public. The member from Virginia himself had
iayored,not only the Senate, but the country, with
his objections to the mission. A fier long debate
IN the Senate, the Injunction Of secrecy had been
removed, and the debate Published. These speech
es had long been before the country; and was it
not fair now 10 have sigh; of the conduct of the
Executive itself! Gentlemen said tis Executive
was instructed by their discussions and that the
instructions will not show the original objects of
the mission. But now could this be known ill
the instructions were seen? All that was matte.
OF argument. Gentlemen seem to wish the pub
lie judgment to be formed, with their own views
made known, while those vi tie Executive should
be kept secret.
The People were 10 form an opinion OF the
Presidents objects an, intentions. not from the
instructions given by himself 10 the Ministers
but from the con, lectures the surmses the irnpII-
fauons, OF his opponents. All these last were 10 be
spread abroad, while SO plain an act of justice as
toilet the President speak for himself, through his
Instructions, was to be refused. Did gentlemen
so much fear confutaon from these instructions!
Were they so apprehensive that, wheresoever
these instructions should see the light, the whole
fabric Of their opposition to the mission would van
ish Did they feel safer to combat in the dark an
i9 the Light They had seen harm in making
their own views oil this mission public. How is it
that they new see so much harm in making equal.
ly public the views OF others!
For his own part, he felt confident that tl.is ma.
sade Of opposition would not answer its end. The
People viii! naturally desire to sec the instfuc-
ton given to our Ministers. It will be esteemc
but just TO publish thern that the occasion is
passed, and the mission itself has become matter
ofhstory. After all that had been said of MAORI
tics and mInoriiies, he trusted that the Senate
would feel il due TO its character, 20 its own
sense ofjustice and propriety and 10 the country.
70 accede to the resOlution-sfce sooner or later
the country would require the publication Of what
10 now requested.
Dir. Benton would vote differently on This oc
casion from what he would if the present admins
traton were to continue in power. II they were
TO continue, he would struggle TO The uttetmost to
have all the instructions communicated confiden-
tally 10 the Senate Those Win ba6 onrosaJ ~,