Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-02-02
DEBATE IN THE SENATE
On Mr.. VAN BUREN, NoMiNATIoN.
REMARKS or MIR WEBSTER.

EMENhNO w MN w hDS liz
Mr. Presidents as gay probable that
our proceedings ON this nomination will be pub
lished, deem it proper 10 state shortly the con.
sdcrations which Influenced my opinion, and
will decide my vote.
| regard this as q very important and delicate
question. II is full of responsibility; and feel
the whole force of all that responsibility. While
have been in the Senate, have opposed no
nomination of the President except for causes
aud have at all times thought that such cause
should be plain, and sufficient; that IL should be
real and substantial, not untOunded or fancful.
have never desired, and do not now desire,
TO cncrooch in the slightest degree, on the Con-
stltu,ional powers of the Chief Magistrate Of
the Nation have heretofore gone far, very far,
in asserting to nominations which have been
submitted to us. voted for the appointment
of al the gentlemen who composed the first
Cabinet; | have opposed no nomination of n
foreign Minister; and nave not opposed the
nominations recently before us, for the re-or
ganzation OF the Administration. l have al
ways been especially anxious, that in all mat.
tiers relating to our intercourse with other M
tions the utmost harmony, the greatest unity
of purpose, should exist between the President
and the Senate. | know how much Of useful
ness such harmony and union arc calculated to
produce.
am now fully aware, Sir, that it is a serious,
very serious matter, to vote against the con-
firmation ola Minister to a Eoreign Court, who
has already gone abroad, and has been received,
and accredited, by the Government to which he
is sent. | am aware, that the rejection of this
nomination, and the necessary recall of the Min
ister, will be regarded by foreign States, at the
first blush, as not in the highest degree favora-
BILE TO the character of our Government. !
know, moreover, to what injurious reflections,
one may subject himself especially in times of
party excitement, by giving a negative vote, on
such nomination. But after oil, l am
placed here to discharge a DUTY. I am not
to go through Formally; 1 am to perform
substantial and responsible DUTY. l am
10 ADVISE the President in matters of ap-
poinimeni? This is my constitutional ebli-
CATION; and shall perform it conscicntiously and
iearlessly. | am bound to say, then. sir, that
for one, | do not advise nor consent to this
nomination. do not think it fit and proper
nomnatlon; and my reasons found in the
letter OF Instruction, written by Mr.. Won Blu
rem, on the goth of July, 1929, to Mr.. McLane,
then going to the Court of England, as Ameri-
can Minister. think these instructions dero.
gatory, in a high degree, to the character and
honor of the country. / think they show
manifest disposition, in the writer of them, to
est abhsh distinction between his Country and
ms Party; to place that party above the coun-
try; to make interest, at foreign Court, for
that party, rather than for the country; to per-
.uade the English Ministry and the English
Monarch, that THEY had an interest in maintain
ing, in the United States, the ascendency ofthe
Party to which the writer belonged. Thinking
thus of the purpose and object of these instru c.
tons, cannot be of opinion that their author is
proper Representative of the United States
at that Court. Therefore it is, that propose
to vote against his nomination. 1t is the FIRST
time, believe, in modcra Diplomacy, it is GER
tanly the first time in our history, in which a
minister to a foreign court has sought to make
favor Tor one party at home, against another; or
has stopped, from being the Representative of
the whole country, to be the Representative of
a Party. And as this is the first instance in
our history OF any such transaction, so l intend
TO do all IN my power TO make 1t the last. For
one, set my mark of dsapprobation upon it,
| contribute my voice and my vote, to make it a
negative example, to be stunned and avoided by
all future Ministers of the u. States. If in a
deliberate and formal letter of instructions, adj
monltlons and directions are given to minis
ter, and repeated, once and a gain, to urge these
mere party considerations on the foreign 90
i vernment, to what extent, is it probable, The
writer himself will be disposed to urge them.
in his one thousand opportunities of informal
intercourse with the agents of that Govern
men;?
oftheso instructions; but before / do that, allow
me to state, very generally, the posture of that
subject, to which those particulars relate. That
! SUBJECT was the state of trade with the Br-
| i
sary now to go infinitely into all the history of that
trade The occasion does not call for it, All
know, that by the Convention of 1915, rccipro
city OF intercourse, established between us
and Great Britain. The ships of both countries
were allowed TO pass, to and from each other res
! Pcctively with the same cargocs and subject To
the same duties. But this arrangement did not
extend TO tie British West Indies There. our
intercourse was cut Off Various discriminating
| ana rctaliatory acts were passed, by England and
| by tac United States. Eventually, in the summer
OF 1873, the English Parliament passed an act,
| oHerihg reciprocity so fur the mere carryi1e
trade ''dS concerned, to all nations, who might
| chuse, within one year to accept that offer.
Mr. ACams's Administration did not accent that
| oher first, because it was never officially commu
nicated TO II; secondly, BECAUSE only few months
oeiore negotiation on the very same subject, had
been suspended with an understanding that it might
DC [csuiod' and thirdly, because it very desi-
TaOe 10 arrange the whole matter if possible by
treaty, In order to secure, if we could the ad,ns.
SION o. our products into the British Islands for
consumption, as well as the admission of our YES.
seis' ms OBJECT had been earnestly pursued ever
since the pace of1S15 1t was insisted on as every
/ body knows through the whole of Mr.. Nor.
| roe's Administration. He would not trent at all.
without treating of this object. He Thought
the existing state of things better than any ar.
iahgGmoht' winch, while it admitted our pessels
INTO west India Ports, still left eur productions
subject to such duties there, that they could not be-
carried. '' W
Now, sir, Mr.. Adams's Administration was not
the FIRST to take this ground. 1t only occupied
the same position which its predecessor had ia
ken. 1t saw no important objects to be gained by
changing The state of things, unless that change was
to admit our products into the British West Indies
directly from our ports, and not burdcned with ex
cosaivc duties The direct trade, by English en-
actmcnts and American enactments had become
closed: No British ship came here from the Bri
fish West Indies. No American ship went from
us to those places. A crcuitous trade took place