The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-07-01
CONGRESSIONAL.
I II + CASE OF MCLEOD.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,,

June 2i 1911.
The resolution offered by Mr.. FLOYD, of N. "
with the amendment of MIR. lngersoh, of Pennsyl.
yania, being under consideration
Mr. CUSHING addressed the House as follows
Mr. Speaker IL is customary to make public from
time to time, the negotiations between own and
other Governments and those negotiai IONS become
The subject OF pubic debate Ia the Two Houses of Con-
gress This publicity OF all the acts OF our Govern
ineni is one among It's fundamental principles and s
greatest blessings God forbid that should on tins
any other OCCASION to prevent examination Of
national measures, whether they relate the domestic
affairs TO the foreign relations Of the country But
while this feature OF institutions is OF their very
essence, while Is Indispensable TO national liber
ties 1t of necessity involves inconvenience and
state il as an Inconvenience merely, and which il is
our duty frankly TO accept, and 10 accommodate our
selves 10, but slight draw back in the blessings of
public liberty which characterize the United States.
allude 10 the mponc introduction into debate OF mat
tiers which, consulting the public interest only would
have been better to omit such have to-day
in this House, and Of which improper course of pro
ceeding the speech of the gentleman from Pennsylva-
MIA MIR. lngersoll) affords an illustration.
What is the attitude which that gentleman assumesi
Whilst dsclaimlng party purposes, and claiming, as he
does to love peace Tor ITSELF and protesting as he does
that peace is for the best interests OF country at
what time and in what manner does he raise this dis
cusslon before the House !
Ia a domestic point OF view, look il the first place.
at the fact that these grave questions are thrown into
the arena Of this House to be made the loot ball of
party conclusion here, when, at this moment, they
under the Amusement OF the of the State OF
New York. Yes these the gravest judicial ques-
TONS perhaps ever discussed adjudged in this
try, now beng weighed in the breasts OF those
Judges who shortly 10 give their decision in the
premises, and yet at such moment they to be de-
bated here matter OF fault finding with the adj
ministraton of our Government.
Look in the second place, at the immense Importance
of the subject not in It's domestic cniy but also in its
foreign relations. Is this question OF diplomacy
tied Is il not pending question A nd is there not
probability that what Is said in this House may dis
turb and obstruc the proper settlement of il The
gentleman from Pennsy lvana avows and admits that
protracted and bloody may result from the pre-
state OF things and that II elimination and
elimination To be INDUCED in il would have the Ell
feet OF flaming the popular mind, and thus end in
shedding the blood Of the kindred nations of Britain
and America. Notwithstanding which view of things,
the gentleman from Penn, ylvania has delivered not
sudden mIu but by generalization and study,
elaborate speech OF complaint against the foreign
policy of The Government
And could not but marvel to perceive that he is
not content To question the principles of law inerna-
tional municipal, received by the Secretary Of
State. He has MOI deemed II enough TO argue that the
course of the Government Impolltic and UNIV Sc.
He not satisfied with Questioning, by insnuation at
least, the patriotism of the Secretary of State, and
placing William Henry Harrison aud John Tyler on
sde and Daniel Webster on the other, In this
matter. But he condescends 10 crtcise in the style
of literary review the language of the Secretary 5
despatch. And what is the fault found with that Ian,
guage} Why, forsooth, il is 10 be condemned be-
cause of its alleged eoquence. That is to say, the
very matchless power OF language brought To the de-
fence of the nited States by the Secretary, per-
yerscly seized upon to be the subject of reproach
put it TO the candor OF the gentleman from Penn
sylyana to say whether this kind of criticism be not
dslngenuous. am aware that there is established
language OF diplomacy -jgnied, exact, formal some
hat general and reserved IN It's style and alien TO
rhetorical ornament IT, in speaking of the beauty of
language of this DESPATCH of its tropcs md figures the
gentleman means to say there is any thing undiplo-
matte, any thing OF unmanly or eheminate elegance,
/ totally deny the justice of his criticism. Nothing in
that letter exceed the precision and strength of
the language, drawn from the purest wells of unde
filed English -nuthing can exceed the manly vigor
of its tone and dction, except the beauty of thought
and patriotism OF principle which kinde in every
tence. How could the gentleman from Pennsy lvana
shut his eyes to this How could he deadcn himse II
to all perception of the spirit OF patriotism which runs
through every line of that desJ atchl How, stopping
to complain of the excellence of the language, could
he keep himself insenslbe to the noheness OF the
| thought of those passages of the despatch which,
though criticised by him, have been received with the
most enthusiastic applause by almost the universal
people OF the United States
Whatever might be said of the precise, narrow,
naked question, whether the instructions to Mr.. Crit.
tenden should or should not have been written what.
might be said Of the equally questions OF
international law involved in the demand Tor the
lease of Mcleod the last thing dreamed TO hear in
the Congress OF the United States was this elaboration
of minute criticism the language of that despatch,
and OF such criticism redeemed by recognition of
the patriotism of principle which distinguishes il. Is
not this uni usiabe as well extraordinary
But | have dwet longer than had intended on this
point and would not have touched 1t at ALL hut ioi
the Indication 1t affords of the spirit Of fault finding
which characerzes the remarks OF the gentleman from
Pennsylvania
1t is easy to find fault with public despatch-o
take IT, paragraph by paragraph and say this that
idea might have been expressed otherwise that Mr..
! Madison or Mr. Monroe, similar occasion, might
have used different language It's easy for an acute,
ingenious pracsed lawyer to find tau with the Ian
guage, the law, and the diplomacy of the despatch
but it is novel to complain of one because OF the pre-
eminent merit of its composition.
There is another remarkable thing which appears
on the very surface of the speech OF the gentleman
from Pennsylvania. The point from which he starts
and at which he closes, the idea " hch he again and
again presents the mind is that in this despatch
contained The seeds Of war between the Unlled States
and Great Britain. Now, for one, deprecate wal
between the United States and any Government, and
most Of all between the United States and England
but in deptecoting this declare, as have again and
again done before, that would cavil with England to
the thousandth division of hair, on any question OF
the rights honor of the United States. And
would do only because she competitor the
seas not only because she has colonies contermnous
with country but for the very that she is
great strong and powerful and the worthier to be the
antagonist OF the United States and for these
would meet her with the spirit, and zeal, and feel
ings which become the descendants OF the of the
Revolution.
/ When look around me to inquire from what quar-.
ter these remarks come cing in question the patriot
ism and spirit of the foreign policy OF the present adj
mnstration, am astonshed to see that they proce ed
from friend Of the last administration and oppo-
ncn of the present.
mir INGgRs III was here understood to intimate
soue dissent from the latter part OF the proposition
/ Mr.. CusHING continued. Well, the present adm-
nistraton deserves the support of every good man IN