Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-01-23

whole American people were united as one man on u.
merits Of this great question: and in according the rSh
over The DISPUTED territory to the State OF Name r
ardentlv desired that this unanimity might be DIS
turbcd By nothing even doubtful or ambiguous; ana
This resolution were doubtful in It's character ne thought
:. ounht 10 br so modified to remove ali ambiguity
| Mr. BUCHANAN said he would cautiously AVOID
IN this OCCASION any debate on the general SUBJECT
His opinions were sufficiently well known TO rehaer
this unnecessary There were three resolutions oeoe
the Senate for considerations two OF them when ne
thought entirely proper called on .ne oi an
the correspondence between the British Minister ana
| the Governor of Maine, the British Government ana
our own Government the subject OF the Northeast
ern boundary which have not heretofore peeh coinu
nicated provided lis publication may moi DC deeeu m
co,np,,ible with the public interest we have just
bord almost this instant that British troops have oc-
cup;ed portion of the disputed territory. lhe eeha-
TOR iron, Maine mir. Williams ever true 10 ms trust
offers resolution, calling upon inc fresideht ior an ti,
information in his possession Tue puDicatoi' VI Which
he might not deem improper All TINS was very pro-
na bn, what did the resolution of the other Senator
FMr Ruugcsl propose: Why that [reads the rcsolu-
| ton ,-,,or r ~; raso,,,;, ,
Ill make n single remark Suppose the President had
,abI;shed military posts in the disputed territory, as
tbs resolution ntiuatcs he ought to nave done, would
It not have been direct violation o tne agreement
concluded between General Scott and Or John liar-
vev: Had the President acted in tins manner, he
,d b,va violated the spirit, as the British -four late
lrnotion should prove 10 be correct, had done both
the letter and shirt Of this agTcemcnt The agreement
had n,ocurcd MS peace on the border and III my OPT
Mon should not nave been lightly disturbed. The
President is asked what nc has done under The act OF
March, 1880 when the President has expressly inform
ed us that he has done nothing because the contingency
contemplated that act had occurred at the date
ofhis message The negotiation was then proceeding
,micoblv. as the President had informed u.s. and he
hoped it might progress IN the same splrt until II
reached peaceful termination
| Mr. CLAY of Kentucky, said 1t always gave him
oreat Measure to concur when he could in the views
of the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Rcla-
| t;ons Rul he must now differ from him so far Us 10
think that there not the slightest putaton on the
President in this resolution; and the senator himself
seemed 10 adait much when he said he should make
no objection lis adoption And further, the mover
of the resolution had himself declared that nc had no
purpose whatever of ccusurc That Senator was deep
~ Interested in this matter and even iaudaby de-
sirous 10 know all that could be known about
tent with the public interest. And to what had we
come if the President TO be asked no question III
REGARD to his official duties And there rotng to
be allowed to State whose rights had beer so long
withheld: Sir, (sald MIR CO while we guard the Pre-:
sident let us not be nsensibc 10 the feelings and Just
rights of member of this Conicderacy. On this sub
ect he saw no occasion TO the President, but
God knows he is sufficiently amena5c TO ccnsun with
out going ont of the way to find IT, Sir think there
is no nputaton in the resolution, and hope 1t will be
allowed TO he passed.
Mr. BUCHANAN said that he felt so much conf.
lcncc in the Senator's ability to consrue the meaning
of language correctly, and was so much pleased with
the appreciation he had expressed of the President
conduct in regard to the Maine boundary controversy,
that he was willing to forcgo his opinion of the
character of this resolution II true that this APP
probation had been accompanied by protestatCn that
The President sufficiently ccnsurabe on other qucs
tons As TO the Senator'S ''God knows, DC. when
he brings forward his bill of particulars Mr. b. trusted
that the friends of the President would be able to de-
fend him triumphantly. At present Mr.. B. was con-
tent with the admission in favor of the President con-
duct respecting the :: Inc controversy and he would
how vote with more .,er(ulncss for the resolution
Mr. DAVIS said he had listened yesterday and TO-
day to the idea that this resolution implied c"nsG-e
the President but it had entered his mind at all,
and as 10 adopting the resolution, Or an equivalent,
there could be doubt. The sentiment throughout
Congress and the country was unanimous in favor OF
the right of Maine; and what the President III his late
message had said was, we all felt deeply TO be true,
that the controversy had continued too long 1t was
full time cor il to be brought 10 close. And who
knew what might be the present state OF acta: Al the
last session, such tho excitement IN the pubic
mind that when the British about to take posses
sion of this territory there great Indignation mani
tested here and generally. Maine thought il her duty
to repel that invasion And how the difficulty ad
iuscd2 By the mediation OF General Scott, sent by
this Government, between Maine and New Bruins
wick. There now intelligence, very nearly oiclG
that the territory IN the occEp1tion OF British
troops, rcn1n there though the winter and there
was even an admission by the Governcror 1ev gr,lis
wick that the agreement then entered into had been
violated And what the explanation Of the Go
vernon: That il had been DONE not by his authority
bu, by one sill higher, viz that Of the Governor &C.
neral of Canada Mr.. d. thought there was every rra
son 10 be on the alert this subject, and though nc
would violate no delicacy, he would not on the other
hand fobear till forbearance mig ht well and justly be
construed into tame submission. Very near, If not
quite to this point had already gone and ne thought
there was danger that the British Government might
so cons;rue it, and act accordingly. Mr. D. therefore
insisted that this resolution, something like it, ought
10 pass.
Mr. WILLIAMS said when he offered his resoln-
ton, he supposed it would bring al the correspond
cncc which the amendment proposed calling for and
he saw no objection 10 The resolution, and hoped IT
would be adopted.
Mr. ALLEN said he entirely satisfied with the
disclaimers of the mover, and other gentlemen OF the
Opposition, Of any intended ccnsurc. With these DIS
clamers he had objection TO the passage of the re-
solution.
The resolutions then adopted.