Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-02-21

what WAS donel the execution oil an act
Of Congress positively directing tho proclamation,
was suspended by Executive authority for tw O
month before the meeting of Congress and during
the whole proceeding session, to see if Concrcss
who had been prevented the preceding session
from leg>lating-the administration prcfcrrinr the
cclat of ncgociation-could not lcgslatc tho Ex-
ccutivc out OF the difficulty into which no had pla-
ccd the country by negligence, or, if tho Senator
from Kentucky pcascs, ignorance Of tho act of Par
Lament. We all know how that effort torminatcd.-I
Tho two Houses disagreed about the mode of cf
fccting the purpose; both, however, willing To take
the privileges on the conditions proposed by
Great Britain. The Senate passed q bill-thc
House, under the influence of the Senator from
Massachusetts,, amended ii, and the question was,
whether ono or tho other oblQuc path should be
troddcn. The session Terminated without Iep;sln.
tive enactment, and then, and not till then the
proclamation of Introduction was issued Thus
Sir, smartmg under the taunt of the British Min
is'Sr, admiuisrat on left tho whole trado in the
hUnds of Great Britain for six or eight months
sught to cover itself from cenSurc by invoking
legislative intcrpC siton, and then was CONNIE He'd To
act on the suspended statute The interdict being
proclaimed, the trade stood upon the very advanta.
geous footing, according to tho Senator's Judgment
which wo have lost by the negotiation No,wih
standing we were enjoying such eminent adranta
ges, the lute administration, in spite of the
taunt, directed MIR. Gallatin to try again
TO procure what is now disparaged, by opening the
door Of negotiation after it had been shut in his
face. lie again rcpulscd. But this humilia-
ton not enough; MIR. Barbour sent to Lon.
don, and no too had Instructions, and won't
cap in hand, knocking at the closed door for no.
collation. Sir, ho knocked at the door of the British
Ministry, under circumstances humatng in the
cxtromc. III gentleman should so a second time
tn house, the proprietor Of which, speaking from
his window, had directed his porter to deny him
10 the visitor, his visit would havo been some.
what like Mr.. Barbours second call. Yes, Sir;
yet the humiliation was vain--tho second as fruit
less rs the first.
Such was the condition Of this question when
Gen. Jackson was p aced at the head of the coun-
try. One of the first objects of his adminis,ra-
ton was tho recovery of the British West India
trade, an arrangement of it upon terms of lust
reciprocity, satisfactory to both parties md there
lore, promising to be permanent. Mr.. McLane
was selected to go to England, and these much
cbnsed instructions prepared by tho late Secretary
ut State. Let it DO remembered sir, these arc
instructions from tho President of tho United
States, to the American Minister, never intended
for the eye of the British Government, and which
in no other country but ours, would over have
the light.
Tho opening Of this negotiation the chief
difficulty. To remove it, two grounds taken.
IL Will be remembered that refusal to acecde
10 the terms of the act of parliament was made
the ground of refusing TO treat with Mr.. Galiatin
and Mr. Barbour, both of whom went prepared
to offer an arrangement by reciprocal legislation
taking the act of parliament the British lcgis
iaton. To obvatc the difficulty, after 4 fair and
full history of the transaction, these suggestions
are presented to Mr.. M'Lano TO he pressed Al far
as ne hn'ght deem IT useful and proper to do. If
the British persist in refusing hear you on this
subject, remind them of tho circumstances that
have occurred; of the difference of opinion among
ourselves on it; of the abandonment by the admi-
nlstr0ton of those prctcnces that had prevented
an adjustment of it; that they arc not to be again
brought forward; that the past administration
was not amenabe To the British Government nor
to any other, than the people of the United States
who had passed upon all their acts. Say to the
British, if it makes the prctcnSions formerly ad
yanced, the pretext for still declining TO negotiate
the sensibility of the American people will be
deeply awakened.-That the tone of public feel
ing, by course so unwise and untenable, will be
aggravated by the known fact that Great Britain
had opened her colonial ports to Russia and Franco,
Notwithstanding similar omission on tin cir parts
to occede in time to the terms offered by the act
OF Parliament. And this, sir, is represented as
the language of entreaty the begging of
boon. This menace of the public Indignation;
this declaration that the late administration was
neither to be censurcd praised by foreign ma
tons; was amcnablo for their conduct 10 no
earthly tribunal but tho people of the United
States, is tortured into a claim Of privileges on
party grounds, for party purposes, and dis
graceful attempt to shower upon previous admin
stratlon unmcritod disgrace for the sake of curry
ing favor with foreign power, and that power, of
all others, Great Britain.
Great Britain could not resist this frank and
open and manly appeal. Committed by their con-
cesson in favour eff France and Russia and the
Ministry, distinctly told by Mr.. McLane that he
would not remain if they declined negotiation or
placed their refusal npon any other ground than
an open declaration, that their interest could not
permit them to enter into a reciprocal cnoace
mcnt with the United States, the English Cabinet
reluctantly yielded, and then came the most obi
Gus feature in this transaction, that which has
sharpcncd the intellect of the opposition to disco
vcr dishonour, in truth, and want of dignity, in
frank exposition of facts, its crOwning success
Mr.. McLane and Mr.. Van Buron, under General
Jackson, succeeded in effecting an object of public
soIicitudc, that Mr.. Adams, and Mr.. Clay, Mr.
HaIlatIn and MIR. Barbour could not obtain The
country Inundated by the preceding
administration without success; hence the
charge against Mr.. Van Buren,; hence the
overwhelming anxiety TO prove, that tho
success of the late negotiation has been purchased
by humiliation. The British Cabinet desired n OF
to make the arrangement, it interfered with great
local interests, and if they could, without mani
fest and unjust distinction to our prejudice, thew
would have declined admitting the United States
to the privileges granted to other maritime now
ers. Not satisfied with his condemnation Of Mr.
Van Buren's instructions, the Senator from Ken
lucky attempts to show us~by referring to another
letter of instructions, how this affair should have
been conducted consistently with his ideas Of ma
tlona! honour and dignity-The letter from which
he has read, to the Senate, extracts, is, think.
signed III. Clay Will the Senator tell us who is
responsible for it, If he is, then he exhibits him
self in the singular position Of man triumphant
Iy contrasting the work of his own hand with
that of a rival author. The Senator knows that
there were two other Instructions written by him
sell, OF subsequent date, one to Mr.. Galatin af
ter Congress failed to cgisatc, and another to Go
vernon Barbour, neither Of which is before us and
therefore not to be contrasted with Mr. Van Bu
rcn's work am content TO abide by the result
oil contrast of the instructions he has condemn
cd, With those he has quoted
Let us see how the gontlcman's letter will stand
the test of examination Mr. Gaatin he soys
tpd 10 nj, nd ri,