Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-02-18
,TMemty-second Comgrcss.--Scss. 4
DEBATE IN THE SENATE,
ON MIR. VAN BUREN'S NOMINATION.
REMARKS OF MR.. SMITH.

|
ton OF Martin Van Buren, several times. The whole OF
ms remarks are however, embraced in the following
Speech.
| Mr.. President IL have said ssthat the Secretary OF
State is not responsible for instructions given by order
the Presidenhat, the Presidents the only responsible
person hnocn TO the Constitution In Eng land agreea-
bly, to its Constitution, the King do wrong and his
advisers held responsible Parliament Our Consti-
tuition IS different as l understand ii. The law which
created tho State Departmental 1882 is that under which
every Secretary has acted and continue This
law says the Secretary for Foreign Affairs shall perform
and execute such duties shall from time TO time be
Joined on or entrusted TO him. by the President of the
United States (agreeably TO the Consttuton) relative
correspondences commissions Instructions with
public Ministers Consuls from the United States or TO
negotiate with public Ministers from Foreign States or
Princes; and furthermore, that the said principal officer
Sccretay oil S;ae shall conduct the business the said
Department. IN such manner as the President Of the Unit
ed States shall from time TO time, 'order or instruct
Such, Mr. President isthe law. The Secretary do
no act without the direction the President and whatever
TIC Directs III agrecably TO the Constuon the Sccrcta-
y, under the oath he takes, perform What is the
OATH '.Well and faithfully the trust committed
TO him. What is that trust? Obedience 10 the instrc
ions oil the President i'll all where the Constitution
not 10 be violated.
have, Mr. President, been thirty years in Con-
gress and this Is the first occasion have heard
other construction seriously urged than 'that the instruc
tons given 10 Ministers abroad are the act ofthe Presnf
All the instructions remember commence thussI
instructed by the President TO give you the following
views &c. &c. or words TO that effect | well remcin-
Der in point, which ,ranspired while was in Con-
gicss than thirty years past called from my
seat by the then Secretary of the Navy He asked
what the House OF Representatives, were dong-I replied
that they were discussing the Report of Mr. Pickering
DO the House consider the report of the President or
the Secretary of State? is considered the
President who it; and how could it otherwise be
considered? come said the Secretary, from Mr. Adams
TO request you say that he dsavows and trusts that
the House will consider il the act Of Mr.. Pickering
and not his (Alr Adams) act-I returned into the
House OF Representatives and in the debae took occasion
10 comment the Report severely the Report
Elected upon Mr.. Gerry for remaining in France was
called to order three times then asked the Speaker in
what respect out of order. He replied, 'syou
consider the Report the act of the Presidents for the
Executive bad made it his by sending it TO the House,.
answered. that the President disavewed it, and therefore
could not treat the Report as the PresdentsI took my
seat An appeal from the Speakers decision washad, and
the vote of the House sustained the opinion of the Speaker
by large majority thus establishing that the President
reSp0nSbe and not the Secretary for done under
his authority In the before us the President gave his
drectonsthe instructions putinto form by the Sec
rcary,the President read and approved Them and they
delivered TO Mr.. McLane-lIow do we know but
that the paragraph which has offended the delicate sensi
bes OF gentlemen had been actually dictated by the
PRESIDENT do not think ii ut all improbable and if So is
1t not an act of injustice make Mr. Van Buren,
sponsiole Tor liz The paragraphs frequently alluded
TO in debate Substantially true-I admit they might
aswe have been omitted. Some has said, that he
dd not believe that General Jackson had
instructions Little does that Senator know the President
he believes that Senator that the Presi-
dent read, and carefully too, the instructions TO Mr. Nc
Lane, and approved of them# wish that Senator would
converse with the President upon any our national at
ars and he viii certainly find that the President is
well, and might say better, informed than himself on
any Thing done in any, ALL of the Departments and OH
all matters relating TO foreign affairs AT least. have
found him so-n all matters as WELL and in some much
better, informed than am. lie is known by his friends
TO be particularly well informed, in every thing that
ates to our foreign relations
4 Senator from Maine (dr. Homes) has said that
Mr McLane sent TO bow and cringe at the feet of
the British Minister" That Senator knows little of Mr.
hcLane What! a native American, the son of dis
tnguished officer of the Revolutions bow and crine at the
leet oil any man: can assure that Senator that Mr.
McLane is not made of such plant materials No Sir:
he ked ff1s
Ch1t tcds right. He set up silly pretensions He
frankly demanded what his country required The Min
sry tried TO avoid negotiation they did with Mr. Gal
latin But Sir his lrmness and rankness conquered the
reluctance OF the Ministry enter into negotiation He
convinced them, that they had departed from rigid
struction oil the Act OF Parliament of July 1925 in the
cases oil France, Russia and Span they could not there
ore in Justice he asserted, refuse similar departure
the demand OF equal Justice 10 the United States He
frankly told them that he come for the sole purpose of
opening the Colonial trade and that if INDUCED i'm nc
COLLATION. he would return home Call you this, bowling
and crlngng at the feet of the British Ministry Is there
any crnging in the dispatches of Mr. McI.ane No one
viii say there is. The truth is Mr. President and it
ought TO be known TO the people, that the front IF the Of
Jence as me negotiation has completely succeeded under
me instructions giUen By Mr.. Pan Buren, and as com
Pteeiy failed under those Of 0noher-a crime that never
can be orgivenby the opponents of Cen j. They will ne
ycrParon him Tor his succeeding in all the negotiations i'm
which the preceding Administration had completely failed
For instances the late administration had attempted and
ded IN all the following important objects, namely
In the claims on France In the opening of the Black
Sea to our commerce In making treaty with Mexico
I'm obtaining from Colombia reduction of the duties
on our produce and manufactures and in cquazng the
dues charged on our trade, with those charged Eng
and In all these matters, there a complete failure
by the one and complete by the other admnistra-
ton. The successful negotiations were under the in
structODs OF Mr.. Van Buren,. How then can Mr. Van
Buren, be pardoned by those who had failed? 1t is true
that the Convention with Denmark and Brazis for sci
zuFes had been closed, nearly So when the present
administration into office. PAYMENT by Sweden
effected by Mr. Conneli the agent of the claimants
without any instructions having been received by the
Charge DIES Afares The Charge acted, he told me- as
private friend OF the Agent, and succeeded
[rhe Senator from Kentucky, (Mr Clay0 in subse-
quent speech this subject remarked that he had him
seq instructed Mr.. Hughes, the Charge des Aares to
sweden, to attend TO the claims Of merchants against
Sweden and that the Senator from Maryland (r Smith
was either mistaken misinfOrmcd. Mr. Smith made no
reply, but addressed note to the Secretary of State for
nlormation whether Mr.. Clay, when Secretary of State
been given by him to Mr. Hughes The reply of the Sec
rotary OF State contradcs the of Mr. CLAW on
this poins.--Sec note nj foot If The Speech
The Senator from Kentucky, (Mr. Clay) has charged
Mr. McLane with having done injury to the navigating
interest," by the opening Of the ST. Lawrence and the
northern ports to free iniercoursctbus transferring
as ne SAID the carrying of the produce of Michigan Ind
Since the above speech wasdeivered have seen and
conversed with the President and have been authorized
TO say hdt the Objectionable paragraphs alluded to in the
debate, were dictated by him to Mr. Van Buren,hat they
were his act, and not the Of Mr. Van Buren," and
nave been subsequently informed, by Senator from Ten
nessee, that prior to his leaving home assume his station
in the Senate the President had told him, that nc Gen
Jackon) would all occasions Of consequences require
the opinion OF his Cabinet writing thus las the Sca