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

its organization, it must witness, let it
be sought, let the days Of Adams, ofJef-
ferson, of Madison, Monroe, and the last
Adams, be diligently inquired Of Sir,
no voice responds to countenance this
degrading, this disgraceiul operation by
which the Government is humbled into
pentientia confession of its transgresslons
to appease foreign King or to mode
rate the wrath or conciliatc the favor Of a
foreign Power.
Not only, Mr. President, do the fair
and unadulterated pages of American Di-
plomacy refuse countenance to such mis-
cradle reimbursement, but, sir, the hlsto-
~ of all the civilized nations of the Earth
stamp upon it the indelible character Of
gra.utous prostitution, unaided by pre-
cedent unwarrantcd by any parallel
Sir, it adds to the deep condemnation
which belongs to this subject, that it was
as useless and unproductiye of gain as it
was disgraceful in itself. Can the imag-
ination conceive how benefit could pos
sibly arise, or be supposed to arise, from
an nbjcct confession Of wrong by repu-
uidtlllp iHc CldlliiS vi tIIt WV c'niii'bt us
"Amelican prctensions' ''explcitly u
bandoned by those who first asserted
them" mot revived by their successors
who are directed bv counscls that care
the result Of the judgment expressed by
the only earthly tribunal to which the
iote .9dnthisirui,0H was aincnablc for its
acts" what possible advantage, / ask,
could be anticipated by the position of
prostrate suppliant, who, from the depths
Of degradation and abascment, should
thus bcseech foreign Diplomatist, that
would not be accorded TO civil and high
minded application, based upon the sug-
gestion, that however the American
Government was convinced Of its claims
to higher and other terms, it was yet will
ling, in spirit Of frankness, and in an
anxious desire to terminate old and agl-
tatcd questions of disagreement to waive
the further prosecution of those claims,
aud thereby to evnce the sincerity of its
desire for an amcable Adjustment But,
sir, | come now to that consideration
which stamps upon this suhje lis pecu-
liar character, which sets it of in colors
of a still darker shade, and which must
leave us to infer, that no mere want of
manly, stern republican feeling of soli-re-
'spect, not the unobserved prostration or
careless disregard of national dignity and
character, not alone a Geld and callous
insensbilty to those feelings of cherished
pride, of nice and delicate honor which
kindles into active resistance at even the
appearance of rcbuke, but that some
more latent motive of proposed cDcct, has
caused this deep dyed stain upon the ma
tons history and its fame. Sir, as if it
were not enough to bow down the knee I
and suppIcate forgiveness in terms of
doleful regrets for wrongs, and anxious
solcltude to repair them, as if it were not
enough to open to Foreign Power the
history of our internal disputes and pollt-
ical divisions, and to ask them to consd-
cr one party here as more kind in their
feelings, more reasonable in their de-
mands, more conciiating in their tone,
and, therefore, more entitled to hope for
the favorable notice of Eng land ,-as if
the measure of our degradation was not
to be accomplished 10y a gratuitous con-
cession Of acknowledged injustice of "a 4
merican pretensions' "abandoned, the
Secretary has resorted, in the absence of
other provocations, to mis-statements of
fact to create a condition of things, for
the purpose Of giving color to the fierce
ness and uncovert wrath which he aims
at his political adversaries.
Sir, | say, and the diplomatic history
of the nation will prove, that the state .
ment made in this particular charge of
the Secretary is false in act,-yes, sir,
joubly false. What is it? "The claims
set up by them, and which caused the in
ierrupton OF the trade in question, have
been crpliciily abandoned by those who
first asserted Mem." Now, the first
branch of the position is utterly without
foundation we all know. The last Ad-
erplcitiy abandoned no claims
which it set up, nor did any claims set
mp by it cause the interruption of the
trade. The last Administration was will
Ing to negotiate on the subject Of the
trade, but the British Government refiIs-
ed to meet their proposal, although made
in the most extended and liberal feeling
Di compromise. Let the correspondence
Of our Secretary OF State, and the Mes
sage of the President prove this. But
uniounded as is that branch of the asser-
hon, how maniiestly and obviously more
so, how profoundly destitute of even the
shadow of correctness is the other which
declares that the miscalled american
were first asserted by the
ast Administration. Why, sir, does not
every one know that in this respect the
ast Administration did not pursue the
settled and fixed purpose of the Admins