The native American., 1838-06-09
these newspaper communications were then on

i Mr. RUSStLlI Siiu tiitt, iiier presenting
memorial praying for revision of our natnraIiza
ton laws, he had offered resolution calling on
the Secretary of State for such information as was
| in that Department respecting the introduction
! of foreign paupers into our cities Tn answer Ia
this call, the Secretary of State informed tho
House that he had not the means of obtaining the
Information sought. He, however, stated that
there were certain communications which had
passed between the agents of This Government
and tho agents of foreign nations touching the
emigration of certain classes to this country; but
as all such correspondence was under the immc-
diate direction Of the President, he was not an,
thoriZed to send it.
! Mr.. X. had then drawn up a resolution, care
! fully guarded, requesting this information, and
linquiring what steps had been taken to prevent
the introduction Of that class of foreign emigrants
who were complained OF as becoming SO burden
some to our community. He had no knowledge
whatever of the existence of such documents as
had been sent till he found them upon his table.
| Mr.. CUSHMAN read the instruction of the
Senate in 1896, and expressed great regret that
any ccnsurc should have been cast on the Sccre-
tary. Gentlemen were all aware of the extreme
pressure on the Department, and the impractical
bility of the Sccretary's examining every paper
sent for by Congress. He must, of necessity,
lcdgcd, with the utmost candor, the mistake which
had occurred. So had the Secretary. Then
why this attempt to heap ccnsurc upon him? He
hoped that gentlemen would exhibit a more chari-
table temper, and would be governed by the gol-
den maxim Of doing as they would be done by.
| MIR. HOFFMAN regretted to trespass on the
time of the House, but felt it was his duty to re-
| ply to the remarks which had fallen from the two
gentlemen from New Hampshire, (Mr. ATHER-
TON and Mr.. CUsHMAN.) The former of these
gentlemen had commenced his speech with a
eulogy upon the Secretary; with all that Mr.. H.
was not disposed to find fault. He had the au-
thority Of Shakespeare for saying that "1F was a
most benefcent peace-maker." If the honorable
Secretary was distinguished for any thing, it was
for his great industry. The gentleman had asked
why Mr.. II. had distinguished between the cases
Of the President and his Secretary. The Presi-
dent was in the habit of transmitting to the House
documents officially submitted to him by his
Heads Of Departments. They were submitted
in a mass, and SO sent to the House; but the gen
tleman from New Hampshire must remember
that these newspaper slips had each been sent,
singly and by itself, from some confidential friend
and correspondent. 1t could scarce be but that
the Secretary must have found leisure, during
some interval in the morning, or at noon, or in
were then ordered to be placed on file; but why!
How could he direct that such documents should
be placed on the files Of his Department.
Mr.. ATHERToN replied that it was the custom
Of the Department to file all documents received.
Indeed? Was every newspaper sent to the
Department, however irrelevant to the public
business, and however teeming with tissue Of
libels against respectable people, placed on file
amongst the papers Of the Department! II Mr..
Fl. should send the Secretary, tomorrow, news
papers full of party abuse, would they be placed,
without reading or consideration, among the pub
lie archives? If this was the established rule,
the Government would soon want another Trea-
sury building. The new one would not be large
enough to hold the lbels that would be poured
into it. If was to become receptacle Of mat
ter Of this description, the burning of the Trcasu-
ry ought to be hailed as blessing, and not q
misfortune; and it was well suggested by a gen
tleman near him that it would not be surprising
| if documents like these should produce sponta-
ncous combustion. .4laagh.
The other gentleman from New Hampshire
| (Mr. CUsHMAN) is greatly surprised and grieved
that | should have dealt in harsh epithets in re-
gard to so meritorious a public officer as the
honorable Secretary. Now Mr.. II. would appea
to the House-nay, to the gentleman himself
to say whether he had indulgcd in any harsh OF
opprobrious eptles towards the Secretary? Wha
he had said, he had said Of his conduct in this
affair. Mr.. HIS business was not with the man,
but with the thing. He cared not for the Secretary
i'll this matter, but for his acts; and could he not
hold up to public reprobaon an official act, with
out being charged with using injurious cpithets
concerning the man who was guilty Of it! This
charge reminded him Of one which was brought
in the House Of Bnrgcsscs in Virginia against
Vrginia's orator and statesman, Patrick Henry.
The words Of power which fell from that unpa-
rallced debaer on that occasion had first been
read by Mr.. III. in his youth, and they had ever
since lived in his mind. Patrick Henry had been
ccnsured for ani,nadverting with some freedom
on the conduct of high officer of State. His
answer was, ssYes; even from that great man,
whose valor and prudence gave MS our inde-
pendence, would demand the reasons for his
public acts The very independence he gave me
teaches me that ought TO demand them." Could
the gentleman from New Hampshire believe that
a representative on that floor, whose constituents
had been grossly and insulingly assailed in a
public document sent to the House from an Exc
cutive Department, dare not speak of such an act
as it deserved, lest he should be accused OF dis
respectful epithets toward the Secretary Of the
I'rreasury? 'The gentleman was too pure a patrlo