Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-05-18

the people Of the nation to manage for then this very
concern, might, possibly, have rather more Information,
and must he much better qualified than was to form
a proper opinion. I might say, as l do say, although
these are very es,imable men, in my opinion, yet the
President, possibly, may have reason. TO believe that
others may succeed where they have failed He may
not unre asonahIy think that, in addition to a Minister'S
being a man Of ability and integrity, he ought to possess
The perfect confidence OF the Fret Magistrate, whose
views he is TO carry into effect. These reflections, Sir,
would probably occur 10 me, did | ~disapprove Of the nom
ina'ions which have been made, and would prevent
my expressing any warm disapprobation Of measures,
Of the ~proprety Of which | had not the means of judg-
ing. Much m%orewould this induce me to refrain from
stig,natising lhom as Illegal usurpations Of power, and
cruel prescriptions.
Do gentlemen really suppose that, by applying to the
recall OF a Minister a word which leads the mind to
the murder, and assa.sinations of Marius and Sylla.
and the Triumvira'e, they can identify the two cases!
Sir. the attempt is not very complimentary TO our I'M
derstanding; and the approximation only tends to show
the ridiculou. disparity Of the cases.
What are these prescriptions Five Ministers Pleni-
potentiary, at one '.TeH s,cocpT'-incarcerated! banish-
edo decapitated! No, sir! Invited TO return to their
country TO their friend,! Lotu us see, Sir who were the
sufferers, whose fate excites so much commisera'icn'
First Sir, our late Minister to France. I can, forta-
nately, lessen the gentfeman's distress on his account at
least: for, having had the happiness to enjoy an intimate
and uninterrupted friendship with him Tor many years.
I know that he returned by his own desire. after hav-
ing faithfully and ably represented his country, with
honor TO himself, and possessing the esteem and the
confidence Of the first Magistrate, who acceded to his
request.
The Senator from Delaware will not find fault with
the mission to the Netherlands, when he knows that II
was provided for under the administration Of Mr.. Adj
ans. And the Senators from Maine. am sure can.
not object to the selection Of the distinguished citizen
from their State, who so thoroughly understood the inn
portan' question submitted 10 the decision OF the Court
to which he has gon"; a question so vitality interesting
to their constituents.
Our Minister TO Srain had been there for FIVE years
the usual period for Them to remain abroad; during that
time. "a far as has been made public, he had been a.
hIs TO effect nothing. and the iTpnortart claims oil our
citizens remained %un.stted; il was not extraordinary.
therefore, in any view, (ioing full justice to that gem
tIeman's assiduity and ability that the efficacy Of a
new mission should he tried.
There remain our Mi, is'ers TO England and Colon.
hia, and their cases seem particularly TO have excited
the sympathy of the Senator from Delaware. He pa
theticaliy exclaims, What hail General Harrison done!
What had Mr.. Barbour done' that they should he pro.
scribed. Sir, | cannot answer this question; / know
not what they have done. But I do not consid. r their
recall az a punishment. As far az the individuals are
concerned, I presume they do rot think IL any great
hardship: each OF them, for a years service, has re-
ceived eighteen thousand dollars; and one Of them has
returned from a country which is, from all accounts, no
very agreeable residence in i' present unsettled state.
| esteem both Of these gentlemen; with the former I
have an acquaintance OF a very old date, and although
| think highly OF his character, and IA highly OF his
military services as the Senator can, yet | scarcely ex-
pected from that quart.r 10 hear these lat insisted on
as a qnali hcation for diplomatic duties. But because
have this opinion, am j 10 jim in the lamentations
that are uttered over their recall, az ii the act were an
offence and the consequences OF il a public calamity!
The President, for aught | know. may have as high an
opinion OF them az the Senator has, and We, he may We
ry properly have chosen others to replace them; and il
we may judge from what we hear, his choice has not
been iIjudiciOus or unsuccessful. Sir, | disavow any in
vidious comparisons, but II cannot escape observation,
that, in ore OF these missions, so loudly reprObat.i,
Mr.. Moore has already completed an arrangement
for compensation to our fellow. citiz ms. which his
predecessor was unable TO obtain; and, in the other
under Mr.. McLane, a gentleman well known 10 all oil
", and highly esteemed wherever he is known-,h.
important negotia' ions with which he was charged, and
which had SO long slumbered, werr, from the momen,
of his arrival, revived. They were begun. and have
been continued with his characteristic activity, talent
and perseverance,; they may fail, for there are some
errors, which il is a most difficult task 10 repair. But
Whatever be the event, neither the hono- Of tn. coun.
try, nor the reputation OF its minister, will have suffer
ed by the change. But, Mr.. President, | feel as il
had been led astray by The example of the gentleman
to whose argument | am replying, and were treadins
on unconstitutional ground. Both Of us, Sir, have
right, "a individuals, TO form an opinion, and freely Il
express il, in such terms as our sense of proprie,y
will permit, on appointments, removals, or any othe
measures OF Government. As Senators, we have a du
ty to perform in relation TO appointments; but, in our lie
gislative capacity, l am al a loss to discover what duty
requires, or what right permits us 10 pass upon the pro
pri, ty Of acts, which the Constitution has vested ex
clusively in the Executive hands; and that, too, with
out knowing the reasons or circumstances which indu:
ed them. Whether we accuse or defend, i, must be il
the dark; to know whether a Minister has been proper
ly recalled or appointed, we must know The precise OBJ
ject which the Executive had in view. We do no
know II. We must know what particular talents o
qualities were necessary 10 be employed. We do no
know il. We must know what were the instructions o
the recalled Minister, and whether he had obeyed them
We do not know ii. We must peruse his correspond
ence, and know the whole progress of the pending ne
gotiatiou. These we have not perused, and this we d.
not know. We must know the difficulties which pre-
vented his success, and whether his successor may b,
better enabled to overcome them; and of this too, W.
are ignorant, and must be ignorant, and OIL Int to be 50
until the Constitution is changed, and the Executiy,
power is taken from the President, and placed in on
hands for without totally subveriing il, we cannot ar
rogate TO ourselves the rights claimed in this argument
So much for the despoiism, and oppression, and lille
gality, alleged in our foreign relations. Let us nov
come to the domestic corruption: for such is the charge
The public treasure has been employed in de.troyin,
the liberty ofthe press, and subsidizing lie venaI conduc
tore, the interest OF a million OF dollars T think that wa
the cdlculaion) employed for this corrupt purpose
There are, | believe, on a moderate computation, abov,
one thousand newspapers printed in the United State
of these seventy two are employed 10 print the laws o
the United STATES, aud the advertisements anil notice
issued by the Department, for which they receive,
dollars each. Now, Sir, suppose. instead Of eight thou
sand dollars, the sum mentioned by The gentleman, o
even a grea'er, for these necessary objects. were ex.
pended, would that incur the charge made? The print
ing must be executed. Who is 10 do it, the men de
signa'ed by the proper officer, or Hose selected by The
gentleman and his friend? One tenth or one TIVE nth nj
the printers in the United States are paid a very small
price Tor doing a necessary duty, and this is called sul.
sidizing the press for corrupt purposes. have no. in.
quired, but | take ii for granted. that, at the expiration
Of the year, the Secretary Of State has restoscd the
public printing TO those presses which were deprived
Of IL for opposing the election Of MIR. Adams; hat he has
not given, or coniinued IL, TO those who manufactured
or published the vile SANDERS by which the present
Chief Magistrate and his dearest connexions were as
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