Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-02-08
Mr. VAN BUREN's NOMINATION.
Extract from Mr.. Smiths Speech.

Extract from Mr.. Smiths Speech.
have, Mr.. President. been thirty nine years
in Congress, and this is the first occasion have
ever heard any other construction Sc, iouSly urg-
ed, than. '.that the instructions given to Minis
tiers abroad are the act Of the President" All
the instructions | remember commence thus-''I
am instructed by the President to give you the
following views, &c &c." OF words to that ef-
feet. we'll remember case in point which
transpred while was in Congress more than 80
years past. was called from my seat by the
then Secretary of the Navy: He asked me what
the House of Representatives were doing, re-
piled, that they were discussing the Report of
MIR. Pickering DO the House consider it as the
report Of the President or the Secretary Of State
II is considered as the act Of the President.
who sen! it, and how could 1t otherwise be consi-
dered? come, said the Secretary, from Mr..
Adams, TO request you to say, that he disavnws
II, and trusts that the House will consider it as
the act Of Mr. Pickering, and not as his (Mr.
Adams act.-I returned into the House of Re.
representatives.. and in the debate, took occasion to
comment upon the Report, as severely as the Re-
port reflected upon Mr.. Gerry for remaining in
France | was called to order three times
then asked the Speaker in what respect / was out
of order. He replied, you must consider the
Report az the act of the President; for the Exc.
cuve has made it his BY sending it to the House. :"
| answered, tina, the President disa,o it,
and therefore could not treat the Report as the
Presidents. II took my seat. An appeal from
the Speakers decision was had, and the vote of
the House. sustained the opinion of the Speaker,
by large majority; thus establishing, that the
President ,oas responsible. and not the Secreta.
~, for acts done under his authority In the
t,.co tho De-
the instructions were put into form by the Sc
cretarv,-Che President read and approved them,
andthey were delivered to Mr.. McLane.-How
do We know but that the paragraph which has Of
Tended the delicate sensibilities of gentlemen,
had been actually dictated by the President. |
do not think it all improbable, and If so. is it not
an act Of gross injustice TO make Mr.. Van Buren,
responsible for it? The paragraphs 50 frequent.
ly alluded to ia this debate, are substantially true
Il admit, they might as well have been omitted.
Some one has said, that he " did not believe that
General Jackson had ever read the instructions"
Little does that Senator know the President, if
he believes so. can assure that Senator, that
the President read, and carefully too, the nstruc-
tons to Mr.. McLane. and approved Of them
| wish that Senator would converse with the Pre-
sident upon any Of our national affairs, and
he will certain find that the President is as we'll,
and might say better, informed than himself, on
any thing done III any. or al, of the Departments,
and on all matters relating to our foreign affairs
At least, Ihase found him so;-In all matters,
as we'll, and in some, much better, informed,
than am He is known by his friends to be par.
hcullrty well informed, in every thing that re.
lales To our foreign relations.
A Senator from Maine Mr.. Holmes has said
that MIR. McLane was sent TO Tow and cringe
at the feet Of the British Minister" That Sena.
tor knows little Of Mr.. McLane! What! a ma
tive American, the son Of distinguished officer
OF the Revolution, bow and grunge at the fee, of
any man! can assure that Senator that Mr..
McLane is not made Of such plant materials. g.
No, Sir; Mr. McLane came to the point at once
He asked fer ,0hat was right. He set up no s,I-
ty professions. He frankly demanded what his
country required. The Ministry tried to avoid |
a negotiation as they did with Mr.. Gallatin.-
But, Sir, his hrmness and frankness conquered
the reluctance Of the Ministry to enter into ne.
sotlatlon. He convinced them, that they had de-
parted from rigid construction of the Act of
Parliament of July 1926, in the cases of F. ance.
Russia, and Spain; they could not, therefore, ia
Justice, he asserted, refuse similar departure.
10 the demand Of equal justice to the U. States.
He frankly told them that he had come for the
sole purpose ofopening the Colonial trade, and
hat If not INDUCED in a negotiation he would re.
urn home. Call you this, bowling and cringing
It the feet Of the British Ministry! Is there any
ringing in the dispatches of Mr.. McLaue? No
me will say there is. The truth is, Mr. Pres-
lent. and il ought to be known to the people,
hat the front Of the offence is. the negotiation
as completely succeeded under the Instructions
irsn 6y Mr.. VDn Buren,, and as completely fail