Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1831-04-28

I SUPPOSE that the Gra0d Sienior, after accredr.
/ ing these Comm s. toner's, had sent them 10 the
seven Towers, must not every body admit.
mat The honor of this nation would have obliged
1t 10 'eseat the insult offered TO itself nv such
| an indignhy TO its representatives, projected as
'hey would have been Ivy the public law Or
suppose that any of those Commi ssioners had
been brlbed, or had been guilty OF any other
high crime, against their faith and the duty
| conhded TO Them. Dors any one doubt that
| they might have been impeached And yet,
lorsooth, they are not officers Of the United
| otates, but mere secret agents, like the bearers
Of dispatches or newspapers. who, as we all
know, receive as little consideration at home as
they are entitled 10 expect abroad.
The honorable Seaator from Mary land. not
| outstanding he aifirms this 10 be exactly like
The Panama case, and therefore clear, yet en-
| beavers 10 distinguish il little, in order 10
make 1t clearer than that, il possible. He tells
us,that one of these Commissioners, Mr. Rhind,
was regularly appointed Consul at Odessa, by
Tue President, acting with the advice and con-
seni OF the Senate, given at our last SESSION.
ihat he being, thus an officer ofthe u. States,
me President mig ht charge him with whatever
Instructions m gilt seem necessary, even TO ne
goeiats Treaty with Turkey. II is 50 common
IN this country, ~ here the thirst for Office is
unsuitable, TO continue the titles oil Cover n0rs
| once filled such places n oil only wherever they
may b., but SO loag as they live, that am not
surprised the Senator from Maryland should
feel disposed TO enlarge this custom httie;
especially when barren name may be mode
| the fruitful parent OF so much executive pow'r
as he thus claims for II. Henceiorward, we
! mus, not only say, | suppose, tina, once Con
sui and always Consul, but also, tina, once u
Consul any where, aud always Consul
every where, Nay, if it be true that this
Consul TO the Russian port OF Odessa may.
| rHtuie oDfcii, be metsmorp hosed by the mere
instructions OF the President, or rather OF the
| Secretary of State, into negociator at Con-
| stanlinope of Treaty with The Ottoman en,-
pre- IL Will be ve,y difficult to had IA limit 10
| CONS u lar functions. Thus, that thing called n
Consul, the lowest in the diploma scale, With
out pay, power, OF privilege, may be convert
ed into the most important tunctionary the u.
States can have abroad. S,r,it would have been
| subject worthy Of Hogurb pencil, ina
| CINE, TO have represented the iniel view be-
tween Mr.. Rhind aud the Keis EHendi, tht
proud representative OF his naughty tosere'gu,
il, Nben they first met 10 exchange tier pow
ers, the - Christian dog" had presented to
him consular diploma 10 Odessa, Us the equi
| ynlrni oil his full powers. it"olld crafty me
much to hear from any body what would have
been the state Of the negotiation, IT, pe'dede
| lite, the Russian AutocTat had revoked MIR.
| Rhnd's ereo4a:tr, and SO terminated his func-
| lions as Consul at Odessa, But suppose We
nigh thus justify Mr.. Rhnd's appointment.
! hat is 10 be said for Biddle lie WAS no
| Consul 10 Odessa, nor any where else nor did
| he bear any diplomatic authority, save what
this commission conferred upon nm IL Is true
that he bore. and gal4ntly bore, the commits
sion of a Posl-C aptain IN the navy OF the Uni
ted States but surely il will not be cuniendtd
| that naval military officer may iii iute oDicH,
| he transformed inlo a diplomatic fnnctionary
Of the highest grade, by the mere instructions
! of Score ary OF State,or SIMPLE orne' OF the
President alone The Officers, am sure,
| ought 10 object 10 this, Tor II 50 little ceramo-
| nv il necessary in the one case, as lt''le would
| be requisite IN its converse ana when naval
! officers may, by a word from the ffe'ldent or
| hi. Secretaries. be converted into public minis
,ers 10 negotiate Treaties, NE latter oy pre-
| ross equally summary, may be made The com
| msnders OF our fleets and armies
But the President himself has answered this
argument He did not suppose tina, orders
| and instructions alone would authorize Consul.
| Pos.s. plains, or any body else, 10 make Urea
| ties. He knew well, thai plenIpotentlary
| commission was requisite and therefore gran
| ted these" letters patent for that very pnr-
| nose, Nor will be, should think, feel mu, Ii
| OBLIGED TO the honorable Senator from Mary
| land. for the mputation neces- arily implied in
thi. argument, the sum and substance (which
is, that mea0ing 10 negotiate Treaty with
Turkey, and to conceal this his object from the
| Senate. the President nominated to them as
mere Consul To Odessa, him whom he had Al
pointed as Minister Plenpolenliary for that
purpose.
Mir. President. there is one more argument
which Isee have to answer aud then will
have done with this par, OF the subject. The
honorable Senator from Illinois (Alr. kANE)
tells mr, that come too laIs-ihai the Senate
have already advised the ratification OF the
Treaty aud by so doing have approved the
! appointment Of the ministers who negotiated
il. Therefore, am NOW estopped to urge any
| objection To these appointments. For my
| particular emancipation from this supposed
| estoppel, appeal TO the knowledge Of all my
| bre rhreu OF the Senate, who have heard my
| prntestations and witnessed my continual
claim TO the right which is now sought TO be
| barred by this strange limfa, ion. Nor can
permit this argument as apple to the Senate,
| 10 pass unnoticed. AS doctrine il Is not cor
rect, however certain it may be as fact.
1 come too late-I stand here to vindicate
the sanctity of the Constitution which has
| been yiolae ed to assert the high privileges OF
this body which have been iniringed and
here. even here, in this l. . very hall. am told
by one of its, honorable member'. that come
too lme! | know il. sir; | do come too late.
i" 'Iis true and pity It's, ,is true" But il is
only true as fact, and not as doctrine. | cam
not undo what has been done, or prevent the
wound that has been already ,nhlcted-tor TIM,
| do come too lae. But do not come too
late to warn those who sent me here, that their
constitution has been violated. do not come
loo late, ,s satisfy those with whom ain here
associated, that their chartered rights have
been impaired. do not come too late. 10
heaI those wonnds. which ought not 10 have
heeo inflicted OF TO strive to prevent the re-
petition oil such njuries 10 future.
Nor does the .sloppel which has been re-
4 lied upon, constitute eveu just technical OBJ
lection, to the assertion Of The high PRIV
Ieee, which | have proposed to MAINTAIN.