Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-05-18
SPEECH or MIR. SPRAGuE

Mr. PREsrnE>r,-rhc gentleman from \. York,
(Mr Mhrcy) dissatisfied with the result of com
P1rison oi the expenditures of the late and present
administrations. has rtcd to the substitution OF
Issue. What has been accomplished in our
foreign tntcicoprs"!-iS the question upon which
ho Challenges discussion lie has selected bis
ground, and thrown down his gauntlet. IL was
immediately taken up by the gentleman from Nv.
(Mr. Clay who, at once briefly, but satisfactorily
exhibited the superiority of our former Executive
Wa arc called upon to pursue the s3ajcct farther
aud shall do so 10y advancing at once to what il,
friends have proclaimed, tho proutcst of their
diplomatic achievements, the triumph which has
been tr"mpctcd, echoed and rc-cchocd, from thy
ocean to the mouhtainS, toe ARRANGEMENT of TIE
'''o"'1l lFddc mM G-eot Britain. This cSploi;
has cn'c!opcd this GminiSrai i'm such 4 hl,z,.
% glory That ut nray he thought to require the
hardwood OF t,n Fire King himself To approach
Its uImcS let the breath by which i, has been finn
hed has too little of vitality to impart either in.
tcnSity or duration. The note Of cNultation which
WAS raised, lost much of its effect upon rcncctiny
minus, when 1T was perceived that these praises
We're ung IN advance, before the work was seen OF
It's character known; of course were To he deemed
only as incense TO ITS authors. nor nation that xon
agreement had been conclude rcaclc, this country
ON the 81 of October 1880 Immediately the loud
acclaim oil triumph rovcrbcratcd 80 the eNtrc.
mites OF the Union. But the terms and conditions
oil the arrangement could not be asccrtancd for
months afterwards. Indeed, the British Order in
Council did not issue until November, and the
communications containing the agreement were
never submitted 10 the public until the month of
January following. Nay, little Solicitous were
many, rs to the character of the agreement, that
'h"y not only never examined it, but knew not in
what documents 1t was TO be found Even tu-
ring tho present winter, leading, important public
Journals, and, among them the Richmond Emguircr,
have demanded why did the Senate ratify TIE irc1.
ty under Mr.. Van Burcn's objectionable ins,rpc,
lohs! Again. the Trenton Emporium asserts that
the treaty was unanimously ratified by the Senate,
ana TINS language is copied into the paper here mt
the seat OF government, and ditiuScd throughout
while "A that
existed, the arrangement having been formed NV
diplomatic letters, which were 10 submitted ior
the appreciation of the Senate.
L regret o say, that the deiuson, thus propaua-
ted, is likely TO be strengthened by letter recent
~ published, under the signature of the President
OF the United States, in relation TO the vote of the
Senate upon the nomination of Mr.. Van Buren,, in |
which, he says that the negotiation, which had
been successfully terminated, had previously re- I
ccved the sanction of both Houses of Congress. /
W hat must be the surprise Of the people, when /
they learn the fact, that, since the termination of
that negotiation, there has been no vote no action
upon, no sanction OF it, by either House Of Con-
gress!
Ii reference was had to the Ac, of Nav, 1890 il /
should be rccolcctcd that it's passage was anterior
to the conclusion of that negotiation, and lis pro.
visions were entirely independent of prior in
sTuctions that every member might have voted for
the former while he condemned the latter; that |
There was, indeed, no reference to thcm either in
the Act itself or the report of any Committee.
The same letter attributes the action of the Sc
nate TO motives "tor nterruptmg an important
foreign ncgotia ion" | shall make no comment
upon the lndignity thus offered to Il branch of the
National Legislature, unprecedented and unparal.
lecd, as 1t ls in tho history OF this Government
leave ii 10 the Senate and to the People
The Presidents communication INDUCES not a
little in Standardization, having closed con-
test, which had been carried ever since our ma
uonal existence. But how has it been terminated!
by glorious triumph ingorous surrcn. |
dor!-By victory or dctcat?.-That is the cues
ton.
Mr.. Ierrics, in the British Parliament after de-
scribmg IT one of the longest and most interest
ing OF national controversies, announced that il
had been brought to close, and that .AMuRrcA
HAD ENrREIy AND UNCoNDITIoNALIY wIlIIDRAwS All
HER rEErENsioNs,"
This language aroused within me INDIGNANT
American feelings. What-this commercial war
fare, wagcd in our infancy, in weakness and de.
prcssIon-pcrscvcrcd i'll with firmncsS, TO wears of
sircng n and manhoOd-and now, in our high and
Pllmy state, terminated by unconditional sur
render could not believe it. 1t must be the
arrogant assumption Ola vaunting minister of Bri-
tam In other contests, those OF arms, her com
I!'a;dcrS HAD represented disaster, success de-
feat, as triumph. She had, in mimic war, upon
the Scrpcntine River, exhibited, as a holiday show
the surrender OF American to British ships: while
we, IN fierce encounter, upon the Lakes and upon
the Ocean, hid presented to the world tho specta-
Gle of the proud cross Of st. George bowling in sub
mission to the glorious STAR. SrANGLED BANNER.
AS then turned with Joy to American autho
rity, to correct the mi. representations of our enc
mics, so now reverted with hope TO our own en-
yoy, ocxaminc the representations which had beer
made 1T the Court of st. james. found, Sir that
he had presented to Lord Aberdeen our statute of
1880, as the basis OF an arrangement. | was anx- |
ious to learn what his construction of its pro
visions, his conception OF its scope, and the spirit in
which was to be exercised the discretion, vested bv
the American Congress, to vindicatc our interests
and our honor. J was astonshcd-I was humili- /
atcd to find that, upon lis presentation to the Dri-
fish Government, he characterised it in the follow /
ing languagc;-'It comedies in its terms all the
power in the regulation of the Colonial Trade and
authorizes the President to confer on British YES
sells all those privileges well in the cirouitous
the direct voyage, hch Great Britain has at any !
time demanded or dcsircd;" and that Mr.. lIcrrics |
had in effect, but repeated the declarations of the
Minister. Still would not despair, but turned
with hope to the arrangement itself, trusting that
its terms and conditions had not been fIiry dclinca
ted in that sweeping concession of our agent.
This examination to be thorough must ncces-
sary be laborious, and | have no induccmcnt to
pursue it, except the Importance of the subject To
the country at large, and especially to my own
State. Maine, with less than thirteth of the
populations has about onceighth of the tonnage of
the nitcd States Indeed there arc but two States
that exceed her in amount and these the powerful
and ancient Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and
New York; and, while they have other paramount
manufactures, her navigation is the great interest
most likely to be seriously affected by the national
counsclS and to which, therefore, her representa-
tvcs should at all times he studlously attentive.
Mr.. President: For what this contest origin
ally wagcd and so long maintained What was is
pbiectt The prize contcndcd for? ! answer dis.
Gnctly and cmphaiicri,y the CARRYING rrADY; and
that alone. Tho British have always been not only
willing, but anxious for produce, if it could be
Transported IN their ships Indeed the DEGREES Of
nature, their climate and geographical position,
, e. l. H..