South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1835-01-24

shall assume this attitude. France has
never appeared TO regard the question
in this serious light.
Ii has been asked what the Ameri-
can Congress would do placed in SIM
liar circumstances. WosId they ap.
| propriate money with menace i'm.
pending over their heads | answer,
no, never. But should never consd-
er it a menace, if, aft'~ refusing TO vote
an appropriation TO carry treaty into
! effect, a foreign Government in the
spirit Of candor, in language mild and
courteous, such as that used by the
President, were to inform US they could
not abandon their rights, and, howev-
er painful it might be, they should be
compelled, by sense Of duty, to as
sert them by force.
MIR. LEIGH, said the question sub
mitted TO US, then, was this-shalI we
consent to adopt, or to authorize, con-
tingently, measures Of hostile nature
towards France, in the present con-
juncture of affairs, for the purpose of
getting payment from her of the jndem.
nifty stipulated by the treaty, and as
the means best calculated 10 accom-
plish that purposes Or, shall we, for
the present, still continue to rely on
the sense Of right and justice OF France
herself, and evince by our conduct a
perfect confidence that she will (and
that at no distant day see that her own
interest and her own honor alike re-
quire her to pay US this comparatively
small sum of money SO justly due TO US :
We have been told (said Mr.. L. by
the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr.
BucHANAN) that the best (nay, indeed,
the only means Of obtaining justice
from France, is to let her understand,
that, in case her Legislature shall ad-
journ without making an appropriation
at its present session to pay this money
to US, we shall resort to hostile mea.
sures of some kind or other-that he
does not believe that the money will
ever be paid, unless we give her such
an intimation of our intentions TO en-.
force redress--& that this frankness on
our part ought not to be, and probably
will not be, offensive to France. Have
understood the gentleman rightlyf
Mr.. BUCHANAN replied. that his OPP
| Mon was this tina. there was point
in the negotiations between all coun-
tries, at which negotiations must cease
and other measures Of a hostile, or par
italy hostile character must be resorted
to by the injured party.
Mr.. LEIGH understood the gentle
man TO be Of opinion, that the time had
arrived, the point was presented, in
the state of our relations with France
in regard to this subject, at which all
pacific measures have become hope.
less, and resort must be had to mea.
sures of hostile nature of some kind
or other, or an indication of such mea.
sures being intended, and that this was
likely TO prove efficient. From these
opinions of the gentleman from Penn
sylvania, MIR. l.. said, he dissented,
entirely and absolutely. He knew no
trait 10 the character of France, no cir-
cumstance in her present situation and
| relative strength, no fact in her whole
history, which induced him to believe,
that an intimation to her of hostile
measures to enforce right if she should
withhold it, would have tendency to
quicken her sense Of justice, and stimu-
late her to render what she would not
voluntarily render to our just and ami.
cable demands. Between nations, who
have constant intercourse, he said,
there was no medium between friendly
and hostile relations at least, such a
state could not long endure. 1t hos.
tile measures should become necessa.
ry, it would be best to resort to war at
once, for war would almost certainly
ensue from any measures of partial hos
til.y. If war was not Intended, and
much more, if war was not anticipated,
the wiser and more polite, as well as the
more magnanimous & honorable course,
was to place entire reliance upon, to
express an undoubting confidence in,
the Justice, the magnanimity, the good
faith OF France. No member of the
Senate, MIR. L. believed, was now will
ing to adopt the measure recommended
by the President: the policy indicated
by the Committee of Foreign Relations
was, therefore, the only alternative {;
and in adopting it, it should be our
care 10 eyince, in The strongest manner
possible, our confidence in the manifest
| Justice of our claim on France; our
confidence, that a wise and magnani-
| ,xon.,e o,t;,o will cnOn disrarn ITO inc