Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 182?-183?, 1832-02-24

and on all matters relating to our foreign
affairs. At least, | have found him so
in ali matters as well, and in some
much better informed, than | am. lie
is known by his friends to be particularly
we'll informed in every thing that relates
to our foreign relations.
y Senator from Maine (Mr HoLMEs)
has said that "Mr. McLane was sent to
bow and criDge at the feet of the British
Minister" That Senator knows little
OF Mr.. McLane! What a native Anne
rlcan, the son ola distinguished officer
OF the Revolution, bow and cringe at
the feet of any man? ] can assure that
Senator, that Mr.. McLane is not made
of such plant materials. No, Sir. Mr..
McLane came TO the point at once. He
asked for Ohdl ,CaS right. He set up no
silly pretenSiOns. lie frankly demanded
what his country required. The Min
istry tried to avoid negotiation, as they
did with Mr.. Gallatin. But, Sir, his firm
ness and frankuess conquered the reluc-
lance of the Ministry to enter into a ne
gctiation. He convinced them, that they
had departed from rigid construction
OF the act Of Parliament of July, 1925, in
the cases of France, Russia, and Spain !;
they could not, therefore, in Justice, he
asserted, refuse similar departure, in
the demand Of equal Justice to the Unit
ed States. He frankly told them that
he had come for he sole purpose of
opening the Colonial trade, and that not
INDUCED in negotiation he would re-
turn home. Cali you this bowling and
cringing at the feet Of the British Min
istry? Is there any cringing in the des-
patches of Mr.. McLane? No one will
say there is. The truth is, Mr.. Presi-
dent, and it ought to be known to the
people, that the front Of the offence IS, the
negotiation has completely succeeded IN
der the instructions giuen By Mr.. Van
Buren,, and as completely failed under
those Of dnOther-a crime that never can
be forgiven by the opponents of Gen.
Jackson. They will never pardon him
Tor hic succeeding in all the negotiation,
in which the preceding administration
had completely failed. For instance,
the late administration had attempted and
failed, in all the following important OBJ
jects, namely: In the claims OF France
III the opening of the Black Sea to our
commerce; in making a treaty with
Mexico; in obtaining from Colombia a
reduction of the duties on our produce
and manufactures and in equalizing the
duties charged on our trade with those
charged to England. In all these mat
tiers, there was complete failure by the
one, and complete success by the other
administration. The successful negotia-
tons were under the instructions of Mr.
Van Buren,. How, then, can Mr.. Van
Buren be pardoned by those who had
faiIed2 1t is true, that the Convention
had been closed, or nearly SO, when the
present administration came into office.
Payment by Sweden was effected by Mr..
Council, the agent Of the claimants,
without any Instructions having been re.
ceived by the Charge des Af1aires. The
Charge acted, he tolde me, as private
friend of the Agent, and succeeded.
THE Senatorfrom Kentucky, Mr.. CIay)
in subsequent speech on this subject, re-
Hughes, the Charge DIES Af1aireS to Sweden,
TO attend 10 the claims of our merchants a.
gainst Sweden, and that the Senator from
Maryland Mr.. SMITH was either mista.
ken or misinlormed. Mr.. Smith made no
reply, but addressed note tc the Secretary
Of State Tor information, whether Mr.. Clay,
when Secretary of State, had ever given the
instructions, which he asserted had been
given by him TO Mr. Hughes. The reply
of the Secretary of State contradicts the a
vermont of Mr., Clay on this point-See
note at foot the speech.l
The Senator from Ky, Mr.. Clay ! has
charged Mr.. McLane with having done inu-
ry to the navigating interests, by the opening
ofthe st. Lawrence, and the Northern ports,
TO our free intercourse-thus transferring,
as he said, the carrying of the produce OIL
Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Yer
mont and Maine, to British sbips. which
would otherwise have been carried by our
own ships, | believe the farmers of those
States do not complain. They know that
their produce, sold in Montreal, is received
there free OF duty, and is carried TO England,
Ireland, and the West Indies, as if il were
the produce of Canada. Its ofliltle impor-
lance 10 them who is the carrier, provided
they get an additional market, and a better
price for their produce. regret, MIR.
President, that j cannot give the credit off
that important act TO Mr. McLane. He,
however, had nothing to do with it, Ii
formed no part of his arrangement The o.
pening OF that intercourse, for certain artic-
les of our produce had been done grGillitous-
iy by the British Government in 1926, pri-
or even to the attempt at negotiation by MIR
Galldtin. Now that act must have been
known. II could not fail to have been known