Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1832-03-01
DEBATE IN THE SENATE ON
MIR. VAN BUREN'S NOMINATION.,
CONTINUED.
REMARKS OF MIR. WEBSTER,
Of .HdSs0chuseits.
on THE sECoN DAY.

/ Mr.. Webster said, in reply to some re-
marks OF Mr.. Forsyth, that it was IN his
Judgment, u great mistake, to deny thai
what was now called the American ''prt-
tenS,on," originated with Mr.. Adams, ci-
ther as President or Secretary OF State.
By the way, II Is singular enough that the
.fmertcam side OF this questi,n,is called, III
the intructions before us, u preienSion too
long persisted in; but the British side of
it is called "A right, too long, and too tcla
ciously resisted by us. This courteous
mode of speaking of the claims OF u for
eign Government, and this reproachiul
mode Of speaking Of the claims "i "'r
own, is certainly somewhat novel IN di-
plomacy. But, whether it be called, re-
spectiully, a clam or reproachiully, pre-
tension, II did not orig einate with Mr.. Ad-
ans. 1t had much earlier ori ri.in.-
This "pretensiOn," now abandoned, with
50 much scorn, or this claim, said, Ie-
proachiully, to have been first set up by
the late administration, originated with
George Washington. He put his own
hand to it. He insisted on it; and he
would not treat with England, on the
subject of the colonial trade without CON
sldering it.
! In his instructions to Mr.. NJ RS, IN
der his own hand, in October li3J, Ires-
ident Washington says
''Let it be strongly impressed Oh your
mind, that the privilege of carry ing GA
productions, in our vesscis, To their is
lands, and bringing in return the prodnc-
tons of .hose islands to our own ports and
markets, is regarded here as oi the high
est Importance; and you will be careful
not to countenance any idea OF oui dis
pensing with it in te eaty. Asce,tnin, II
possible, their views on this subject; FOR
IT WOULD NOT BE EXPEDIE>T TO COM
MENCE NEGOTIATIONS WITHOUT PREVIOUS
LY HAVING GOOD REASONS TO EXPECT \
SATISFACTORY TERMINATION OF THEN.
Observe, sir, that President w ashing-
ton, IN these instructions, Is not speaking
of the empty and futile right of sending
our own vessels, wiiiom cd,goeS, to the
British West Indies; but he is speaking
OF the substantial right of carrying oul
own products to the islands, for sale and
consumption there. And whether these
products were shut but by positive act "i
Parliament, or by tariff OF duties, abs"-
lutely and necessarily Prohibitory, could
make no difference. The object was t'!
provide, by treaty, ifit could be done,
that our products should find their way
etlectualy and proiitably, into the mar
kets of the British West Indies. This
was General Washington's object. This
was the "pr,tension" which he set up.
Ii is well known, sir, that no satisiac-
tory arrangement was made, IN General
Washington's time, respecting our trad"
with the British West Indies. Bat the
breaking out of the French Revolution,
and the wars which it oCCasiuucd, were
causes, which of themselves, opened the
ports of the West Indies. During the
long continuance Of those wars, our yes
sells, with cargoes Of our own products,
found their way into the British West In
dia Islands under practical relaxation
of the British Colonial System. While
this condition of things lasted, we did
very well without particular treaty -
But when the European wars, and Our
war, all ceased, then Great Britain re-
turned to her former system; then HE Is
lands became shut against us; and then
it became necessary to treat on the sub
ject And, sir, we proposed To treat; our
ministers were, succcssivcly, instructed
to treat, from that time forward. And,
sir, ] undertake to say, that neither Mr..
Madison, who was then President, nor
his successor, Mr.. Monroe, gave any au-
thorlty or permission to any American
minister to abandon this pretension, and
give it up, or even TO waive It, or post
pone it, and make treaty without pro-
viding for it. No such thing. On the
contrary it will appear, think, if we
look through papers which have been
sent to the Senate, that under MIR. Madi-
sons administration, cur Minister IN
Eng land was fully instructed ON this sub
jcct, aud expected to press it. And as
to MIR. Monroe, | have means Of being
informed, in manner not liable to mis-
take, that he was on this subject always
immoveable. He would not negotiate
without treating on this branch Of the
trade, nor did ! ever understand, that, in
regard to this matter, there was any dit
ference Of opinion whatever, among the
gentlemen who composed Mr.. Monroe's
cabinet. Mr.. Adams, rs Secretary of
State. wrote the dispatches and the in
structions; but the policy was the policy
Of the whole administ ration, as far as
ever understood. Certain it is, il was
Ala, s,,il.,d ana d,t.,n,;nad nolicy oi MIR