Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-07-23
frfgay, .EiH l6.

alr CUSHING spoke in reply 10 remarks made by
Mr. Rh-t the day previous, III which lie INSISTED la'
that gentleman had fallen INTO great errors III relation
10 the Mcleod controversy. The chlet OF these cs'
rors was the statement that the real difficulty he
tween his Government and Great Britain on that
que stion had arisen under this Administration, ana
not that which Treceded't Mr. Cnsh,ng referred 70
AIr Foxs letter 10 Mr. Forsyth, which had been dated
three months before the last Administration went out
of power instead OF lis being but few weeks, as
stated by Mr.. r. In that letter demand had been
nade-whether perenpiory or mol IN It's tone might oe
matter of opinion and dlspute-but certainly an e1
plict demand for the liberation of Mcleod. THIS
was on the 18th Of December, while the Van Buren,
Administration had not gone out I'll the lth oil arch
The gentleman had considered this demand as eyincng
nothing serious nothing hostile the part OF the Bril-
tsh Governments but The gentleman colleague (Air
Pickens) had held different opinion, and used very
different language in his celebrated Report as Char
,aan of the Committee on Foreign Relations: in that
document il had been treated solemn matter ana
as presenting OF peace or war How lar that
report might or might not have contributed to hastenor
To produce such an ISSUE Mr. &. would not undertake.
10 say: but the question between the two Governments
was certainly serious question during the former t'o
ninistraton.
Mr.. CLIFFORD here in,erposed, and called upon
MIR CUSHING with some warmth, to affirm or deny whe
Ier he had not in committee, himself sanctioned anu
approved Of that report.
MIR CUSHING said il would not be IN order, nor
would il be delicate toward the committee 10 60 mo
MIR. CLIFFORD again called upon hm 70 aiiiF'n OF
10 DENY
Mr.. GUSHING said he did not choose to be thus
catechised; he should not enter on that question, y
was not now before this committee MI \. expressed
his b;ch qualification the patriotic and honorable tone
of the remarks of Mr. Rhett III regard TO ms readiness
10 stand by the country whenever her honor should Dc
assaed aud he regretted that the question should ever
haye been mooed as to what Administration II was IN
der which national difficulty should have ar'sen.-
Rut rs the question had been raised he desired that The
facts should be accurately stated and uaae!stooo.-
Should solemn public question grow out OF the tx
sling state Of things, he trusted the Committee on TO-
reign Relations would continue TO present, as on all
such questions had hitherto presented an undivided
front
Mr. RHETT discaimed any intention in the re-
marks he had made, to impute blame to the present
Administrations commentator 10 that which had
lately been in power, TO tins Mcleod controversy:
And under which of them the question had become so
serious matter was perfectly lmma.eral. lis only
intention in alludng TO II had been TO repei the accu-
saon made by gentleman from Ohio, (alr. Mason,l
that gentlemen attached TO the late ADMINISTRATOR ana
who were now verv violent relation TO the honor OF
the Nation as connected with that question, had former
y submitted with all patience and qnieness 10 insult
md outrage the Aa@r'can feopio II haa not oec"
his intention either Administration All he
had meant INSIST upon was, that the Mcleod case,
with lis surrounding difficulties originated, in It's pre-
sent omnous aspect unrr thus rather than unatr the
last Administrators A 10 MS iirst commencement,
indeed every body knew that II had originated lhree
wears ago Ii true that Mr. Fox letter hao oeeh
written December but IN saying It had been written
but few weeks before the late Administration went
of power, he had spoken loosely and generally but
correctly enough without aiming al eXactness. Now
the tone of that Administration as 10 TINS ques'
ton had they, MIR Fox letter was received,
taken extreme ground in regard to the demand !, con,
tanned would have been SAID that they had vaporeo
in security knowing that the results would have TO be
aud carried out by others who were to succeed
them.
Mr. Il insisted that there wide and obvious
difference between the tone of Mr. Fox when address
ing Mr. FORSYTH and his late letter TO Mr.. Webster;
aud e quoted the former letter TO show this In me
first letter he had spoken without full authority III
was '.cal the Government of the I. > TO inter
iere 10 obtain the release of Mcleod but the latter,
1.-THE dcn0nd Of the immediate liberation OF Mcleod,
made after communication and instructions re-
ceived from his Government a; home. II was TINS
letter and MIR Webster $ answer 10 II which constr
tutcd the between the Two natIons and III rea
ton to that issue II ms opinion that one OF
the two nations must recedc, else resort 10 war
seemed inevitable. Now, such an issue had not
existed unde. the last Administrations II had been
produced BY the correspondence winch had recently
passed since the present Administration had come INTO
nower Whether Mcleod should BE- hung Or acquitted,
;terc still remained demand upon Great britain Tor
satisfaction for the oil our territory and The
destruction Of the Caroline: Tor no Administration
would ever be sustained by the American people winch
showed Willingness bow at the feet Of any foreign
Power. The gentleman from Massachusetts insisted
that the question had been serious one before the late
Administration gaze up the rens and he referred To
the fact oil the printing Of has colleague (Alr Piek-
ems ~ report: but the printing ri report inferred
no sanction approval Of all Il contained: II was
mere of ordinary courtesy 10 standing committee
of the House Gentlemen continually voted 10 print
reports every line Of which they were utterly OPP
posed Mr. r. had voted 10 print The late report OF the
Secretary of the r. easury, though he believed il 10 be
stuffed with from end oi IL the other True
the report had produced some excitement III Europe but
there had been action Of Congress upon It. The ex
not from its details 10 the Caroline al
far the positions II assumed in respect 10 H. Inc
details familiar, and the same position Ind been
assumed before, IN Mr. Forsyth communication, when
our Government was first informed that Great Britain
ackn"w lodged the act To be done by her authority III
was not the Of The Caroline that created that
element; out it was the annav the report
tanned the ambition and arrogance Of Engand her
ambition in pretending To universal dominion, in push
ing Ter conqucsts into all quarters OF the world ana
her insoence in trespassng, whenever II suits her IN
terests on the rights of other nations II was tins
which was calculated To awaken all nations IN her ag
cressions-whch irrltated and enraged her People
If such suggestions make affairs 'scrous with Great
Britain, only showed that we al least as an m
dependent nation, should lie still more jealous OF our
right. Concession not the way to security with
such power.
After word or two Of explanation by Mr.. Cushing
TO Mr. Rhet-
hlr. PlCkENS SAID that he was glad that an oPpor-
tunlty had at length been presented to INN oi making
some explanations in reference to the history Of the
report 10 which aluson had been made lie had not
been present yesterday when the remarks OF the gen
tleman from Ohio, (Nr. Mason,) had been made
From tins morning report IN the intelligence, II ap
pcared that that gentleman had cvnced disposition
consider Mr. T. the author of report intended to
excite agitation both sides OF the water and to throw
the responsibility of the consequences upon the present
Administration Mr.. p should say as little as posi- |
Bile on subject delicate, as he did consider this
the proper tribunal for the discussion OF high and de-
lica,e questions of diplomatic intercourse II would
the House by the gentleman from New York, now
Chairman Of the Committee of Ways and Means, Mr. [
Fillmore at the close of the last Session, calling on
the President for the correspondence with the BRITISH
Government in relation to the burning OF The steamboat
Caroline in which the demand had been made Tor the
liberation of Mcleod and that gentleman had hun
self moved 10 print the communication received IN
answer to that CALL and refer il TO the Committee oil