Lincoln telegraph. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1836-1846, 1841-09-30

will venture 10 say That If Christopher Hughes had
been al London, as aut minister, be never would
have written such Il letter. lie would have ka0cH
/ there was order Of the Council to authorize hos
tilities, aud there cannot be hoslites without an
order Of the rfiyy Council speak from experience
wien say that Mr.. Hughes would been informed
| of such orders m Council, had they have been IS
sued, and Of course would not have been right
ened by every newspaper explos ION OF popular wrath
into a belief that the grave and responsible Council
of the nation had resored 10 such an extremity al
such moment
There was one memorable case ofIhe g35sess Of
! Mr. Hughes in procuring documents Of the pfoloun-
dest secrecy. Mr. siralIord Canans came 10 me
one day, and said that he bad permission 10 read
to ne paper Of great importance, emanaing nom
! his Government IN their negotiations with the Euro.
pean alliance. lie read the paper accord y. and
when be had finished. asked kim If he woud Jet
me have it for half an hour that might lay il before
the President Mir Monroe, for his own perusal.-
/ lie said he was forbidden 10 let It 90 out OF his
hands; but that if desired he would 20 with me 10
the Presidents house, and read II to him. This
declined but contenled myself with making. om
memory, verbal statement Of It's contents 10 Mr..
! Monroe. and within three days after | received
copy of that same paper from Christopher Hughes
The next time Mr. Canning came TO the Depart
men said TO him that he needed not have been sn
stra ght- Iaced about that despatch which he would
not allow me to take to the President ior his perusal
for we now had copy Of it. lie was amazed.
copy Of it said he. lie capped his hands ON his
two waistcoat pockets took the key of his desk out
of one Of them, held up and said That ia the key
10 good locl,; and that paper has been nnder that
lock aud key every moment since | received it,
cent when in my own hands. | said, do not sus-
pect any about you. We are not in the habit
of purchasing secret papers from domesics
taries. We have got it from great disiaece.
| Yes | had copy of that document, perhaps the
most secret well as the most efficient ofthe dplo
matte papers which passed between the parties Of
the Holy Alliance, and it was procured with many
others by Mr. Hughes, by no improper arts and at
cost oseeret service money but by the art of max
ing friends by his social qualities wherever he goes.
mention this to show what ought 10 be the quail
ties of public minister abroad If a minister is in
the habit of friendly, social intercourse with the
other members Ofthe d plomatic corps at the same
court with an ordinary portion of sagachy, he has
the key to all their secrets. | say 1t from long
| knowledge and experience. How was it when this
panic letter was written to the commodore Of the
American squadron2 What did the American min
ister know of the system of policy, foreign or domes
tic, Of the British cabinet? The let er itself proves
that he blind 10 it as a beetle; that he
as ignorant of the first letter fther alphabet. Il
he had known any thing of it, he would not have dis.
graced himself and his country by the exposure Of
his ignorance. ! say this not from any personal
feeling TOW ards that gentleman, although have not
been admirer Of some OF his diplomatic exhibitions
heretofore, as the journals Of this House may shows
but have looked TO this transaction entirely upon
lis merits alone, and say that those letters written
to the Commodore of the squadron in the Mediterran
can, and their consequences, have been disgraceiu
to the nation; and for one, hold the response
Bile for it, and say he was not doing his duty, or that
he neglected some of the most important parts of his
! i n
erosion, and yet intimately connected with This
Mcleod question Of peace aud war; for what must
the Priv council and her Majesty Queen Victoria
hersefwho,l dare say,all woman she is,has more
fire IN her heart than to have sillan down and
written letter like that what must that pryy coua-
Gil have thought when they first h ard of it, They
would say,God grant that man this may remain here
as Jonathan's minister till the end Of time we may
be sure he never will know any thing OF our real in-
tenlons and will always have becoming reverence
for tie teuors of the beak and lightning of the eye
of the British eagle, and laundering rashness enough
to PIT out the eyes Of hs own.
To eurn to the sub Jet of this resolution, and as
to whether the British Government haze been given
to unde stand that Mcleod viii be released or sur
rendered. What ask again Is the purpose of this
inquiry For this question too, has been answered
before it was asked. Undoubtedly the ililish Gov
eminent have been given 10 understand that he will
be released or surrendered. Whether this shall be
done by the authority of the Udited States by that
Of the state of New York may he question OF CON
stItutlona power among ourselves. but is ques
ton between and Great Britain, In negotiation,
The Government of the United States is that which
the British nation have the right 10 hold and will hold
responsible for his personal safety, Undoubtedly
the British Minister has been told that 1.-THE Govern
ment the United States enteriains no doubt shat,
after this avowal of the Transaction authorized and
undertaken by the British authorities, individuals
concerned in it ought not by the principles o. public
law and the general usage Of civilized States, to be
holden personally responsible in the ordinary tribu-
mails oil law for the participation in ito
Undoubtedly the instructions given to the At
torney General, when sent to New York, and a
copy of which was communicated to Mr.. Fox, |
did aver that, "whether the process be criminal
or civil, the fact of having acted under public
authority, and IN obedience to the orders of law
tul superors, must be regarded as a valid de-
fence; otherwise. individuals would be holden re-
sponsibIe for injuries resulting from the acts Of
Government, and even from the operations Of
public war
Yes, sir, the British Government have been
given to understand that since their avoWal that
Mcleod acted under their authority, be must be
ultimately released or surrendered. And what
them Is it not so3 Why, sir, Indian sayages-
cannlbas, TO whom revenge is the first Of virtues
accept Of ransom for the blood of their relatives
slain; and is it for a Christian nation, in cold
blood, four years after defensive rregularlty of
border war, provoked by their own people, to
hold man responsible to their municipal law for
murder, because the life of a lost in a
nocturnal foray, authorized by the public authori-
ties, civil and military, of the country in whose