Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-03-13
TwENTY-sIxTm coNGREss---ad SESSION
SPEECH OF MIR. CoLEs,-[CoscLuDEn.]

by i-1dVisea measures lainper not WIN IL, ny hastl-
ly flying 10 untred experiments Add not taxes d.
rectly affecting al home, in the vain hope Of re-
moving the indirect effects of burdens on those WIN
consume our product abroad.
Mr.. COLES said, that his friend from Maryland
Mr.. Jenlicr, had thought proper to anImndvert on
n letter, giving account oil his course IN the
tobacco convention, and informed US, that it was
published in all the AntAmercan papers from BAL
tlmore 10 Georgia. MIR. Jeniier here nerposed and
said that he had alluded the other articles which
he commented MIR. Cnes resumed and sad, that
since he was mistaken and as the articles referred To-
were not; As far he knew, published III any paper
friendly to him, he would omit 10 say what he intended
Mr.. Coles said that he unwilling TO ohrudc .
letter Of his or his previous any subject be-
fore the Committee, hut they had been thought OF sui
icicnt consequence to have been brought up by ano
ther and It might b. proper here TO give brle hsto
~ Of this tobacco question, and ms connection with it
Mr. Coles SAID, that early after he became member
of Congress, memorial from the Legislature Of Mary
land, and one from the first convention Of tobacco
planters presented TO Congress, and referred 10
special committee on the tobacco trade The gentle
man and hImiclf placed that committee, aud
had conjunction similar committees raised al each
SION since. They had co.opeTaed in all that I'd been
done in those committees except in thing, and tha,
divides them now The gentleman Will recoect, that
in the first report made by the tobacco committee,
clause lntmatng ultimate resort to retaliation was
stricken out nj hs instance For which scrupu-
iousness, as tie gentleman considered il, lie has ire
qncntly laughed al him since. In pursuance Of the
commentator OF this committee, several measures
were adopted, among thr rest resolution requesting
the Executive To instruct ministers and diplomatic
agents abroad to bestow special attention the tobac-
co trade How this duty has been performed, the
voumiDous correspondence submitted from the State
Department will testify.
During the last spring. chiefly at the instance Of his
friend Mr. Jcner, he had written letter for publlca.
ton, urging the usual reason why the approaching 10.
bacco convention should liz attended; aud as further
reason, '',hat If any lacked faith in the advantages 10
be gained, il nigh, be important that mischief should
III prevented. believing that the tobacco convention
would he meeting of gentlemen from different parts
81 the country whose purpose Il would be 10 nvesti-
gate the condition al home and abroad, OF common
interest that they would exhibit 10 our own Govern.
mcnt, and to the world the Importance of the tobacco
trade. the burdens aud restrictions under which II sui
irred and the advantages 10 ali parties concerned, Of
adopting the best modes Of relieving them. But know
nr The opinions of favor Of rcallatorv dutIPs,
H. had them alluded 10 them as mischief to he
prevented. The anticipated convention was held, but
he not member n H. and the gentleman was ms
taken in surprising that hc had been twice member.
lie, for the frs! tne attended tobacco convcnton
which met in tins city on the 10Th oil January last. Ex
raordlnary resolutions, proposing among other tngs
system Of counervang duties were presented to that
convention. lie considered II hls duty 10 warn the
convention against the danger and lmpoIicy OF such
course. Nevertheless, the resolutions were adopted
wlih but two the negative the gentleman from MIS-
sour, Mir. Jameson, and himself. These resolutions
we're extensively published and have since been pre-
scented to bu h Houses OF Congress. 10 protect hun
self al home against the imputaton OF having been IN
srrmrn,a in passing resolutions 90 contrary to his
Uniform and frequently expressed opinions, lie wrote
the letter alluded 10, referring to the mischief he had
before suggested and giving an account OF his course
N the convention THIS is the letter the gentleman
from Maryland has thought proper 10 comment on.
THIS is The which he has had stronger aud
stronger reasons adhere to- and has the fullest con-
ilcncc, will be approved by the great body Of the to-
| haccu planters IN The L. ,.
Tie gentleman from Maryland says that !, in this
letter admitted the grievance, and stated that there
were iwo remedies va negotiation and rctaation
adding himself Mai tie first hartng taded, he asked
WILL refuse 10 take the second. II, SIR, instead OF
playing upon a mixture my words and his, he had
adhered H. the letter he would have that denied
that the first had been fully tried, and that consider
ed the second, If remedy at all, even worse than the
disease.
lie further asked if from 1883 to $50 not long
enough for negotiation. Now, Sir, let me ask him II
from 1883 10 l-i- IS not nearly as long, and why II
was that at the latter PERIOD he was Jealous IN
pressing erotaton. Had not negotiation then failed:
Here Mr. Jenfcr said that he did not know, nj that
time, what negotiations had taken place u was not
until tie correspondence was submitted, nj The last
session, that he vas Of the state Of The ncgoa-
/ ton
I yrry we'll the gentleman will find that this will not
bear HIM out lie contends, that negotiations on the
subject of tobacco have been srcnuousy prosecuted
Gown 10 l-i0.
llrre ar Triplett Of Kentucky affirmed that It was
50
The gentlemen are mistaken, hold in my hand The
corpspondcncc 10 which they have referred me, as The
ONLY source Of their informa;ion IN winch not one word
appears in regard to England, Austria Germany, kns
81 Span ar Portugal, until after the date OF the re-
solution ,assed by this House in lS3I and not word
m rerard 10 France from l7-6 t. le2' In The latter
wear Mr. Rivcs addressed short note 10 the French
minister not on the merits OF the monopoly, hut on
the contemplated appointment OF an agent to purchase
f,r ,hn Rrg,c crcat,nr the double monopoly, which
\ has visited since I'm 1888, Mr. Livingston took up
the subject in some earnest, bur hc indemnity was set
tied aud tobacco forgotten The negotiation was not
seriously pressed, III France, unu ''er!al Iass
o,rn.d !, again II I--, under special instructions
IN ~ -ontl.men 10 show me where and when this me-
Io,,tion has heen So zealously and unintcrrupcd!y
'eo,,;r,cd rrom ESQ 10 lciO This document cannot
he mistaken il was selected from the whole CORES
uond,nce on the subject, which was submitted 10 the
Ionse bv the Secretary Of State, al the last session oil
! cour-css The selection was made by the gentleman
from MARYLAND and if there had been any tng else oil
consequence. il would not have escaped his Keen
sish,cd vigilance. Did gentlemen expect IN 10,
when this negotiation was commenced generai'y anu
actively for The first time, that the iixed hahs anu
pr.udiccs and the long established systems Of Europe
were 10 be changed IL year or two: ~, SIR ihry
could have expected no such thing lhcy khc" liae
,i,nr was required obtain the necessary norHIa"n
10 mpart that information, aha 10 a'a'i o,Se''
or,ortu uities delendnI upon cycr-changlng crcuH-
stances They must have known that II success ever
was reached that must be hya slow and gradual pro-
cess Whence then the present lmpetnosiiy
Gentlemen say that ministers, at the courts OF
London and Paris, have written home that the nego-
,,,on was at an end and that nothing more could DC
done in that way. 1t is, in truth, IN mare promising
condition than could have been expected. FROM 'he
c,cts that have been elected, and the manner our re-
presentations have been received every where, nave
more hope Of eventual success than mad III ifs. ~
Us look INTO the correspondence referred 10: N ING
aiming of the very paragraph, in winch Cen Lass con-
cludes b. recommending rca!laory duties, you WI hnd
GOOD reasons show that his rec"mntnda''o" mas
Gen Cass saws i'll his letter t. the Secretary Of
Sa,e that, "From some observations mace last SESSION
IN N. Cha,nber Of equities, obvious that 'he Olc'
and think, in some respects, The COVER "p's
-. ;,her The extent of this trade, the peculiar
advantages which France derives from II. IN lhs
even, of the publication "i the Correspondence y
become important that the grounds OF our application
The statement oil the reasons "h'SH