Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1832-02-09

that even an American Secretary Of State
dare not polute its ermine.
Mr.. President, | mean to resist the
confirmation of Mr.. Van Buren's ap-
pointment exclusively on the ground, that
in his instructions to Mr.. Nc Lane, on
the subject Of the colonial trade, he has
violated the honor of the nation, has
wounded its high and elevated charac-
ter, has evinced disregard to the inter-
ests of the American people-nay, has
insulted that people in the person of their
government, has attempted TO promote the
objects Of a party amongst us, and has
disclosed total ignorance OF the proper
principles and feelings which should IL
dorm the diplomatist. For proof of these
assertions | mean to rely exclusively on
his own words, deliberately embodied in
state paper, and on those to which he
has himself alluded, and found amongst
the archives of the Department Of which
he was then the head.
In directing the attention Of the Senate
to a particular part ofthe letter of insruc-
tons from Mr.. Van Buren, to the Ameri-
can Minister then at the British Court,
disclaim the inference, that the residue Of
that letter, or that other letters of instruc.
ton contain no eXceptionab!e matter
There are many positions which, on a
mother occasion, it would be proper to dis
pute, and the whole temper and tone Of
the dispatches breathe an air Of humility
and concession, and conviction of error,
and a supplant entreaty Of favor and no
h,
thinks and feels as think an American
freeman should do, can regard as the APP
propriate language Of his government,
pledged as il is 'to ask nothing but what
is right, and to submit to nothing that is
wrong"
The portion of Mr.. Van Buren's work,
however, to which / will more particu-
larly allude, is part of his letter of in.
struction to Mr.. Nc Lane, dated 2Oth Ju-
ly, 1899. He uses this language:
"The opportunities which you have de-
rived from a participation in our public
councils, as well as other sources of in
formation, will enable you to speak with
confidence (as far as you may deem it
proper and useful 80 to do) Of the rcspec-
tive parts taken by those to whom the adj
ministration of this government is now
committed, in relation to the course here
tofore pursued upon the subject OF the
colonial trade. Their views rpon that
point have been submitted to the people
Of the United States; and the counscls by
which your conduct is now directed are
the result of the Judgment expressed by
the only earthly tribunal to which the
late administration was amenable for It's
acts. Ii should be sufficient that the
claims set up by them, and which caused
the interruption of the trade in question,
have been explicitly abandoned by those
who first asserted them, and are not re-
yived by their Successors. IfGreat Bri- |
tain deems it adverse TO her interests TO
allow US to participate in the trade with
her colonies, and finds nothing in the ex-
tension of IT to others 10 induce her to ap-
ply the same rule to us, she will we hope, !
be sensible of the propriety Of placing
her refusal on those grounds. To set up
the acts Of the late administration as the
cause of forfeiture of privileges which
would otherwise be extended to the pco-
pie of the United States, would, under
existing circumstances, be unjust in it.
self, and could not fail to excite their
deepest sensibiIity. The tone of feeling
which course so unwlsc s. untenable is
calculated to produce, would doubtless
be greatly aggravated by the conscious
ness that Great Britain has, by Order in
Council, opened her colonial ports to Rus
sia and France, Notwithstanding similar
omission on their part to accept the terms
offered by the act of July, 1926.
"lou cannot press this view Of the
subject too earnestly upon the consdera.
ton ofthe British Ministry. 1t has bear.
ings and relations that reach beyond the
immediate question under discussion.
Now, sir, when stripped of its vcrbiage
and reduced to its plain import, what
does the Secretary of State here press so
earnestly? That Mr. McLane, the Min
lister, who had been a member Of the po-
litical party Of which the then President
was the nominal head (and the Secreta-
ry of State most conspicuous supporter,
with imputed anxiety to claim revcr-
sionary interest in the chieitainship,) that
the Minister, who had been member of
this Senate, and in that character inform
cd of the conflicting views of the differ
ent political branches or subdivisions in
to which the great American family had
been arranged, should stoop to avail him
self of this personal intimacy with our
family dissensions, to press earnestly up
on foreign Government the misconduct
of one part of this family in the relation
Of our Government with that foreign Pow
er, and the more amiable and kind feels
r b.. ID :. N :