Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1832-03-08
WHOLE NO. lO1.

j j
foreign interference in domestic affairs.
But ofall Governments, Republics should
guard with the most assiduous care a
gain,t such interference. All history,
from the days Of Greece and Philip, pro-
claims that this is the point Of most dam
ger. But these instructions invite the
attention of the British Government to
the fact Of our dissentions, present it as
topic for consideration, fr persuasion,
for drliberation. When that Govern
ncnt is thus lcgitimatcly put in posses
sion of the fact, do we not know that the
transition from deliberatiOn upon those
divisions to action is short and perilous!
The gentleman from Newly ok (Mr.
Marcy )supposrs, in ndverting to the prac-
tice Of prescription which l understood
prevailed with the dominant party in his
State, that had reflected upon the char
acter of that State; and he alleges, that
the practice has existed for thirty years,
with every dominant party, and was rig
orousl y exercised many years ago, by my
friends. Nothing was farther from my
intention than to reflect in the smallest
degree upon that powerful and respecta-
bic State. On the contrary honor and
admire it for its noble institutions, il
splendid public works, and its enterprise
and intelligence. But l must pronounce
my adherence of the practice to which
| allude, no matter with whom it origna-
ted, whether friend or foe, or by whom
il may be continued. 1t has been car
ried by the present administration to a
most odious extent in Kentucky. Al
most every official incumbent who voted
against the present Chief Magistrate, and
who was within the Executive reach has
been hurled from office; whilst those who
voted for him have been retained, no
matter how long they had been in their
stations 1t is not practised in kentucky
by the State Government, when in the
aands of the opposition to this Admins
traton. Very lately, Gov. Metcalf has
appointed to one of the three highest ju-
dcisl stations in the State, a supporter
Of this Administration. The gentleman
appointed is nephew of the gentleman
from Maryland, Gen. Smith, and al
though highly respectable and eminent in
his profession, he il not more so than
twenty other lawyers in the state belong
ing to the opposite party. Ihe Govern
or also renewed the appointment, or COM
missioned several gentlemen opposed to
him in politics, as attorneys for the Com
monwealth. And recently, the legisla-
ture appointed President of one of the
Banks froin the ranks Of the friends Of
this Administration, and several other
officers.
~There il a statcme mt in the published
speech of General Smith which, If he
made in the Senate, did not attract my
attention. He says he asked me whcth-
er The terms proposed by the British act
OF Parliament, of July, 1928, were salts
factory; and that said considered
they were all we could ask" Now l
nm perfectly confident that the Senator's
recollection is inaccurate, and that l new
or did say to him that the terms proposed
by the act were all we could ask. 1t is
impossible | should have said so. For,
by the terms of the act, to entite Pow
ers not colonial tand Of course the Uni
ted States to it's privileges, those Pow
crs are required to place the commerce
navigation of Great Britain european
as well as coloniaD upon the footing OF
the most favored nation. That ls, II we
had accepted the terms as rendered on
the face of the act, we would have allow
ed British vessels all the privileges
which we have granted by our treaties
of reciprocity with Guatemala and other
Powers. The vessels of Great Britain,
therefore, would have been at liberty 10
import into the United States, on an e.
quail footing with our own, the produce
tions of any part of the globe, without a
corresponding privilege on the part of
our vessels, in the ports Of Great Britain.
1t is true that the King in Council was
authorised to dispense with some Of the
conditions of the act, in behalf Of Pow
ers not possessing colonies. But wheth-
er the condition, embracing the princi-
pie of the most favored nation, would
have been dispensed with or not, was un-
known To me at the time the Senator
states the conversation to have happen
ed. And, long after, MIR. Vaughn, tho
British minister, was unable to afford any
information as TO the act OF Parliament,
That very authority, vested in the King,
demonstrates the necessity there was for
farther explanation, if not negotiation,
Il With respect to the note from me to tho
Senator, which he says he received ac-
companying the draft Of the bill Introduce
cd by him, it would be more satisfactory
if he would publish the note itself, instead
of what he represents to bo an extract.
n ii. G..
\ MY belief was, and l so stated, that