Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1836-02-06

that die acts Of our own Executive
were the cause of its insertion.
This, said Mr.. c., brings US to the
present stage Of this unhappy con-
troversy. | shall not offer an opinion
ON the message and accompanying
documents which have just been read,
till have had time to read them at
leisure. and more fully comprehend
their character and bearing. The
Senator from Pennsylvania has prob
ably had the advantage ofme in know
ing their contents. Here Mr.. Buc-
hannah signified his dissent. | will,
said Mr.. c., make the remarks that |
intended, but am not satisfied with
much that have heard in the reading
of the message and the documents
arm, in particular, very far from be-
ing satisfied with the reasons assigned
BY the Secretary of State why he did
not accept the copy Of the letter from
the Duke de Broglie to the French
Charge d'Affairs here, which the lat
ter offered to pat in his possession
l regret exceedingly that we have not
that document. 1t might have shed
much light on the present state OF
this unhappy controversy. Much
mystery hangs over the subject.
J., There Is :::; - po III: -a'd Mr.: G.;
which requires explanation. There
is certainly some hope that the mes
sage at the opening of the session may
be favorably received in France
The President has in it expressly a.
dopted the explanation offered by
MIR. Livingston, which affords some
hope, at least, that it may prove sat-
isfactory to the French Government.
Why, then, send this message at this
time! Why recommend preparations
and non-intercourse until we have
heard how the message has been re-
ceived IN France! Suppose its re-
ception should be favorable, in the
absence Of a representative of our
Government at the Frenchtcourt, moth
ing could be done til; the message we
have just received shall have passed
the Atlantic and reached Paris. How
unfortunate would be the consequence
What new entanglements and diff
ficulties would be caused in the re-
lations Of the two countries! Why all
this! Who can explain! Will any
friend of the administration rise in his
place and tell us what is intended!
might ask, said Mr.. c., for like
Explanation, why our Charge was re-
called from Paris at the time he was.
Why not wait till the annual message
was received? Whom have we there
to represent us on its reception, to
explain any difficulty which might
remain to be explained! All these
things may have a satisfactory ex-
plantation. cannot, however, per-
ceive it. There may be some deep
mystery in the whole affair, which
those only who are initiated can un-
derstand.
fear, said Mr.. c., that with the
message which we have this day re-
ceived, the last hope ofpreserving the
peace Of the country has vanished
This compels me to look Forward
The first thing that strikes me, in cas-
ting my eyes to the future, is the ut
ter impossibility that war, should
there unfortunat ely be one, can have
an honorable termination. We shall
90 into war to exact the payment Of
five millions Of dollars. The first can
non discharged on our part would be
Il receipt in full for the whole amount.
To expect to obtain payment by a
treaty of peace would be. worse than
idle. If our honor would be involved
in such a termination of the contest,
the honor Of France would be equally
involved in the opposite. The strug-
gle then would be, who should hold
out longest in this improbable, and,
were it not tor the seriousness Of the
occasion, ridiculous contest. To de-
termine this point, we must inquire
which can inflict on the other the grea-
ter injury, and to which the war must
be most expensive. To both a rea-l
dy answer may given. The capaci-
tv Of France to inflict injury upon US
is ten times greater than ours to in-
flict injuries upon her; while the cost
of the war. proportion to hermeans,
would be in nearly the same proper
ton to her means. She has relatively a
small commerce to be DESTROYED,
while we have the largest in the world,
in proportion to our capital and pop
ulation. She may threaten and har-
ass our coast. while her own is safe
from assault. Look over the whole