, 1841-07-03

was IN the next place TO he aSsailed, in or
der to accomplish the same purpose. Mr.
Crittenden was informed that he would "be
furnished with a copy Of this instruction, 70,
the use of the Executive of New York anc
the Attorney General of that State."-
"Whether," says the Secretary. in this case
athe Governor of New York have that pow.
er, or, if he have, whether he would feel il
his duty to exercise, it are points upon which
we are not informed"
But the Governor OF New York proved
10 be a very FESTIVE subject. He felt no IN
clination whatever TO enter note prosequi
against Mcleod. have seen, somewhere.
a correspondence between that officer and
the President, but | cannot now find it,
The tone Of this correspondence OF the part
of the Governor evinced a spirit of deter
mined resistance to the suggestion ofthe Sec
rotary. The Governor complained that the
District Attorney of the United States was
acting as the counsel o. Mcleod. This,
however, according 10 the explanation Of
abe President, happened by mere accident;
the Attorney having been retained as coun-
sci some time before his appointment. The
correspondence, at all events, is sufficient 10
show that Governor Seward did not partici-
pate in the views and feelings of the Sec
rotary of State towards Mcleod, and We
know that he did not approve Of entering a
molle prOsequi in his case.
But the Attorney General Of the United
States was armed with instructions, for the
Secretary Of State, 10 meet every contingent
cy. If Mcleod could not be discharged by
a noNe prOsequi; if he must be tried, then
Mr.. Crittenden was TO consult with Nc
Leod's counsel. and furnish them the evil
dence material to this defence, and he was
even ':to see that he have ski!lful and emf
nent counsel, such be not already retained"
1t is no wonder that it appeared very strange
to Governor Seward 10 find the authorities
OF the United thus atively and ardenily en-
gagged in defending Mcleod, whilst the au-
thorities OF New York were enlisted with
equal vigor in his prosecution.
The defence OF this man, who had no claim
10 peculiar favor, what arose from an earn
est desire 10 please and satisfy the British
Government, became the object of the Sec
retary's pccunliar solicitude, and this, too, in
the face of a plain, palpab!e menace from
that Government.
The next thing we might hear would be
a bill of cost and counsel fees against this
Government fer the defence of Mcleod; it
having been imposed as a duty or our Attor-
ney General to see that she had skiIlful and
eminent COUNSEL
Now these are features in this transaction
any thing but credible 10 our national char
acter. | think that sufficient decision and
firmDess have not been displayed by the
American Secretary Of State. II will ever
prove a miserable policy to attempt TO con.
ciliate the British Government by conces-
sion. 1t was the maxim of General Jack
son that, in our foreign relations, we shoulp
ask only what was right, and submit 10 moth
ing that was wrong; and, in my judgement.
the observance Of that maxim is the very
best mode of preserving peace. When a
nation submits TO one aggression, another
will soon follow. 1t is with nations as it is
with individuals. Manly and prompt re.
~sistance will secure you from a repetition of
insult. If you yield once, you will be ex-
pected to yield again, and then again, till al
length there is no end to submission. / do
not pretend that Mr.. Webster has done
wrong Intentionally; all | mean TO saw is,
that, in my judgment, lie has not, in this in
stance, displayed & proper and becoming
American sprit. If he had waited a little
longer before he prepared his instructions to
the Attorney General; if it had taken time
for reflection before he despatched that Off
Ger crusading TO New York, his conduct
would probably have been different. Accor-
ding to the practice of diplomacy, a copy
OF these instructions was doubtless at once
sent to Mr.. Fox. 1t is certain that they
were known to the British Government be.
fore the 9Th Of May. because on that day
they referred &c by Lord John Russell on
the floor of the House Of Commons as a doc.
nment in possession of the British Cabinet.
Ito be continued nert aneek.
PLAN OF A FISCAL AGENT.
Mr.. Walker then sent To the Chair the fol