The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-08-30
INCIDENTAL DEBATE ON THE TREATY.

Mn. CUSHING said The present was an exciting
moment What had happened TO make II so and
under what circumstances il that the gentleman
from Pennsylvania MIR lngersolD had thrown OUT
remarks of the character the House had now wit
messed There had Just been happily concluded
treaty by the two nations, which, with its adjuncts,
settled and queted nearly all pending subjects OF con
tention between them-a treaty which had not only
been negotiated in the requisite forms of the Consti
tuition, but which, if rumor was TO be relied on, had
received the sanction of the Senate, and that with
unparalleled unanmity, considering the magnitude
and delicate nature of Of the questions involved
and the immense scope of the whole arrangement.
What were the provisions of this treaty. Was this
bill, as the gentle nan had more than asserted
part of them The gentleman from Pennsy lvania
had assumed variety of things in relation to the con
tents of the treaty and the correspondence accompa
nying IT, and so MIR. c. presumed he might be permit
ted to do the same.
Mr.. INGERSOLL here interposed, and asked if
Mr.. G. would tell the House all he knew on the sub
ject'
Mr. CUSHING said he did not profess to have
particular knowledge of The matter referred to- He
spoke respecting the contents of the treaty on the
same premises of knowledge with that of the gentle
man from Pennsylvania
MIR. INGERSOLL. No more CA laugh,)
Mr. CUSHING said that, whether with more or
less knowledge of the facts he had the right to
give his views as to the matters in the instrument
with the gentleman from Pennsylvania The world
believed that the first among the various points set
tied by this treaty was that relating To the northern
boundary of the United States-a boundary stretch
ing in its whole extent, from the Atlantic ocean 10
the Lake of the Woods, distance of some two thou
sand miles. Did the gentleman from Pennsyv
complain Of the mode IN which that question had
b, en- settled
Mr.. INGERSOLL | do.
Mr.. CUSHING. The gentleman does. Does he
know what the arrangement Isl
Mr.. INGERSOLL. do.
Mr.. CUSHING. He says he does. We proceed
together then. present the decisive fact that il is
arrangement made with the express know ledge
and consent of the States more immediately interest
ed. Had these States laid any complaints before
Congress Of the terms of the arrangement While
both Maine and Massachusetts were parties in max
ing the treaty, and the Senate, representing all the
States had, by large majority, confirmed IT, where
were the States which complained of the boundary
! ne agreed upon From what State did the objec-
ton Gomez From Pennsy lvania State which had
no direct or peculiar interest in the question beyond
that OF any other State of the Conlederacy. Those
States which were Immediately and deeply interested
made no compliant; not word heard from
Maine, from Massachusetts, from New York from
Vermont, from Ohio, from Michigan-al Of them
States directly interested in the arrangements concu-
ded for the northern frontier but the objection came
from Pennsy lvana, State not touched by the new
line OF the treaty The gentleman said that nothing
had been given in the treaty to Pennsylvania and
was that the real ground of complaints But it was
the question of the Union alone, and entire
that our Government stood upon in this transaction
and not any particular State, how deeply soever she
might be interested in the result And had the Uni.
ted States such, any thing to complain of If So
what was it Let gentlemen put their finger upon it,
The presumption fairly was that there was none :;
that 1t there were any concessions those concessions
mutual, and we had equivalents for every thing
we conceded for the Senate, that body charged by
the Constitution with the duty of revising treaties
entered into by the Executive, had, by great major
ity, confirmed the treaty The gentleman from
Pennsylvania had not touched the question
There must, then, be some other ground of com
plant and what was it The gentleman had spec-
fed some of the grounds on which he relied and
what were they One that the Secretary of
State instead of agreeing that the right of impress
ment should be renquished by Great Britain, ought
to have said " Touch one of men at your peril ,
We have gone to war once on that question, and we
are more ready for you now, and we ready to go
at II again on the same ground But what had the
Secretary actually said Nothing there was not
word on the subject to be found in the treaty. To
what, them did the gentleman refer
Mr.. INGERSOLL explained, and was understood
by the Reporter to state that his reference was to
correspondence of Mr.. Webster with Lord Ashbur-
ton, by which it appeared that on the 9th of August
on the very day that the treaty went before the Sc
nate for confirmation, letter written by the Sc
cretary of State, and to this it that he had au-
ded To him If appeared very much like a tub to the
whale.
Mr.. CUSHING resumed The gentleman had no
right to charge any such thing on the Secretary ne
Their was the gentleman justified in condemning the
treaty for thing it was admitted was not in IT, Mr.
G. would assume this, however: he would suppose
that collateral questions had been raised by the Pre-
sdent and Secretary with Lord Ashburton which
were not introduced into the treaty at ALL but were
disposed OF by the correspondence, and among these
the question OF lmpressment On that subject there
was no provision of treaty. Instead of entering into
negotiation QuestIOn like that | ord AL
burton had said that he had power TO treat on that
point and suppose the Secretary of State had re-
piled that we had once gone to that Question:
and wished him to understand that the United States
won never again tolerate single act of impress
ment So that England is now formally warned that
If, at any future time, England should advance the
right OF Impressment, and act upon 1t, the very in
slant British officer should set his foot on the deck
of an American vessel for the purpose of mpressinc
man from on board of her, we should consider the
fact itself equivalent to declaration of war He
would suppose that and he would inquire whether
tins was surrendering our national dignity
Mr.. lNGERSOLL interposed again, and said that
If he understood the correspondence had been arrang
ed by friendly personal intercourse, he supposed 1t
could not put the treaty in very great jeopardy
Mr.. CUSHING resumed The gentleman suppo,-
ed there might have been an understanding on the
subject And If 1t should turn out that there was IT
would only make the case stronger. If the Secreta-
ny OF State had had such correspondence as the
Sehtitlnan TeleITeu TO- tne case he repeated It,
but made the stronger for then it would be seen not
only that England had been distinctly warned that we
would hear of no such thing a right of Impress
ment, but that she had taken the warning and II now
stood upon her own assent Mr.. C.. said he should
like to see the question actually tried he would like
to see whether If England should be involved again
in war with France and would dare, in face of the
notice given, to set her foot the deck of an Ameri-
can ship for impressment England well understood
on the ground long continued and unequvocal no
tice, that the moment the foot of officer of hers
touched that deck to impress the humbest citizen of
the United States the batteries OF the United States
would be opened upon her ships and her cities and
actual war would iiom that time exist Would she,
Tor the poor contemplate boon of obtaining a few
sailors for her ships of war; arrange the United
states on the side OF her enemes' In company with
France, for example, against herself, Were il in the
power of his Xolce TO reach the Nlnna af Eual.. ~.