Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1841-07-27
MR.. BENTON's SPEECH.
(CONcLUDED !

CONCLUDED
l now proceed, Mr.. President, to the
main inquiry of the case, the correctness
and prOpriety of the answer giUen by our
Secretary Of State to Mr.. Foe, and its
compatibility Dith the honor, dignity, and
future tOeLfdre Of this Republic:
I look upon the ''inStructiOnS" which
were given to Mr. Crittenden and a copy
of which was sent to Mr.. Fox, as being
"the answer" to that Minister; and deem
the letter entitled an answer, and dated
forty days afterwards, as being mere
afterpece--an article for home consump-
tion-a speech for Buncombe, as we say
of our addresses TO ouI constituents
pleading intended for US, and not for the
English, and wholly designed TO excuse
and defend the zeal answer so long before
and so promptly given. | will give some
attention to this, so called, letter, before !
quit the case; but for the present my bus
mess is with the ''instructionS," a copy Of
which being delivered to Mr.. Fox, was
THE ANSWER TO his DEMANDS and as
such was transmitted 10 the British Gov
ernment, and quoted in the House oiCOm-
mons as being entirely satisfactory. This
quotation took place on the 9th day Of
NAV, several days before the, so called.
letter Of the Oath of April could possibly
have reached London. Lord John Rus
sell, in answer TO a question from Mr..
Hume, referred TO these instructions
as being satisfactory, and silenced all
further inquiry about the affair by showing
that they had all they wanted.
| hold these instructions to have been
erroneous, in point of national law,derog-
atory to us in point of national character,
and tending to the future degradation and
injury TO this Republic.
That the Secretary has mistaken the
law of the case in consenting TO the re
lease of Mcleod is persuasjvely shown
by referring TO the opinisns of the two
Houses of Congress in January last.-
Their opinions we're then unanimous in
favor of Mr.. Forsyth's answer; and that
answer was peremptory refusal either
10 admit that Mcleod ought 10 be releas
ed. or TO interfere in his behalf with the
courts ofNew York. The reasons urged
by Mr.. Fox in his letter to Mr.. Fosyth
for making the demand, were precisely
The same with those subsequently, given
in ;he letter to Mr.. Webster. The only
difference in the two demands was in the
formalty of the letter, being under in
structions from his Government and In
the threat which it contained. In otheI
rsspecls the two demands were the same
so that, Vt the outset of this inquiry, W.
have the opinions ofthe secretary OF State
the Attorney General, and the body o
their friends in the two Houses Of Con
press TO plead against themselves.
next refer to the arguments which
have been used by my friends who have
preceded me, especially the opening
speech ofthe Senator from Pennsylvania
TMr. Buchanan,l and his pertinent an
conclusive quotation from Vattel. In
whole argument was close and p9inte
and the quotation was absolutely lrresl'
tible. Ii was in these words:
"FFowever, as it is impossible for III
best regulated State, or for the most Vlg
liant and absolute sovereign TO model
his pleasure all the actions Of his subject
and 10 confine them on every occasc
10 the most exact obedience, it would
unjust to impute to the nation or the so
ereign every fault committed by the CT
zen. We ought not, then, to say''n GO
.ersl, thai we have received an injury ITO
"a nation, because we have received
from oneof its members.
"Bui If aHnation or its chief aPproV
and rali6es The act Of the individual,
then becomes public caucern, and
injured party is then to consider the
-.tion as the real author Of the INJURY
which The citizen was, perhaps, only
instrument.
TMe offended State has !" her pt
-ey the individual DhO hGs done the tIjU
she may. without scrWple, bring him
Sasicc, and punish him. If he has
capped, and relurned to his own coun
she ought to apply to his sovereign
have justice done in the case"
This is the case before 10, The n