The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-04-20

freedom without compensation But Lord Ashburton
seemed not to understand this principle for he had
promised that ocous interference should take place
Tor The future beyond what was necessary fer the
ton OF the municipal law by which promise he meant
either to give to Mr. Webster the desired or
to amuse him by a bubble. The negroes were human
beings and just as much entitled hospitality in Bri-
tsh port as the persons who had dealt in them.
a those dealers concerned the was the
as their psperSy had oundsred at sea- only with this
satisfactory difference that the lives OF this human
were preserved We had been assured that this tire
was to establish permanent harmony between the tvs
countries How had that assurance been fulfilled WHY
at one of the farewell dinners given to Lord Ashbuton
the Americans who cheered him in token triumph
over his diplomacy warned him to remember that there
were other unsettled questions with England which, il
harmony was to be maintained must be arranged in the
same spirit in which the boundary had been adjusted
Again. since that time an attempt had been
made in America to introduce bill on the analo.
gous question of the Oregon, which bill, if it
had been passed, would have amounted to de-
claraton Of war. Nor could he refrain from OBJ
serving upon Lord Ashburton alluson at one of
dinners to Boston the cradle of liberty He believed
that England, in the war against American indePen-
and this might be good argument for an Englishman
warning his own countrym against the repetition OF
such errors but did not think that the injustice
the weakness of England At subjects OF allusion
for an English Minister standing among the of these
men mo had brought his country defeat and discred
There spoke the American citizen rather than tn Bril-
fish Ambassador He sincerely hoped he might be mis-
taken in his apprehension that the goodwill betw
the two countries would be but shorilived and conc
SIR ROBERT PEEL inquired with Indignation how the
noble Lord member OF a government which, for ten
years had been unable to settle this great question: could
reconcile it to himself to make motion like hs-eva
ding the real question: which whether Lord Ashour
ton deserved to be censured and substituting requsion
for papers which he had already been informed must
refused upon grounds wholly independent of the merits
oil Lord Ashburton The manly would have been
to move censure on Lord Ashburton which would have
been to move censure Lord Ashburton, which would
have enabled the government to substitute an amend
ment aff rmng Lord Ashburtons right to the approba-
ton Of his country. Lord Palmerston had acclaimed
against the treaty with reference to the slave trade
America had been induced to agree in this treaty the
right OF visitation on the coast Of Africa which, far
from being retrograde step he subject of the slave
trade was a step in direct advance and which Lord
Palmerson in his ten years administration the Foreign
efce, had never been able to accomplish. The Frenc
government had undoubtedly refused to raty the treaty
but was that owing, Lord Pamerston had alleged,
to General Cass No. but to the noble lord him.
against England Lord Ashburton was now attacked
fer having promised prevent ocous interference with
the slave trade but this had reference only to III pre-
venon OF unustfable attempts upon slave prop Ity
coasts of countries not subject to the British municipal
law On the subject of the slaves imported in the Gre.
OLE Lord Ashburton had stated broadly and decidedly
the principles of general law had affirmed the right Of
the slaves to their liberty and had denied the claim Of
the owners to compensation 1t said that the Oregon
question remained unsettled No doubt Lord Ashburton
had not settled every question:; and allowance mus
be made for the circumstances of a Government like
that America open to so many popular Influences bnt
he had not settled every question: he had settled that
one which for SO many years. had been the main cause
OF bitterness and irritation among the Americans against
England, the question Of the Maine boundary In 60
years you had not only made progress in ascertanng
the limits assigned by the treaty Of 1885, but you had
seen in each succeeding twelve month the angry een
After the United States had declined accept the decision
OF the King of the Netherlands, Lord Palmerston for
three years went pressing those states to
agree to that award, which would have advanced the
American boundary to the crest of the very hills over
looking the ST. Lawrence. For those three years he
han taken military opinions upon this boundary, and
forward a
adjustment as dangerous to the British frontier
Lord Ashburton, it was said, had no technical skill in
diplomacy; to be sure, he was not used to frame
protocols, but compare what he had done with the
late Ministers in their ten years power when
they guided by the ernnd of the noble lord had
the full opportunity of employing Sir C. Vaughan-yes
and Lord Heytesbury too they had not suffered him
and govern India In 1888 they had proposed to divide
the disputed terrory that the principle which they
then said was the most simple and JUST and that the
very principle which Lord Ashburton had acted
That offer having been accepted noble lord tried
to work out the question by means an exploratory
mission; there projects and contemporaries but the at
tempt had SUGGEST and in ls4 just he quitting
office he wrote despatch to MI Fox, full of disagree
msnts, dssents and reusals but proposing new com
mission OF three scientific to be recommended by
Prussia, one by SARDINIA and one by saAeny; 10 wnlch
Mr. Fox answered. "Whaever you do, don't have profess
sors settle by three kings you can't trust one; but
philosophers" And Mr. Featherstonhaugh, the man of
science, consulted by the noble lord himself
"such commission may occupy ten years, and at last
perhaps you may have decision ag ains you" Mr. Web
ster into office when he had had time to look into
by compromise, and it not Incumbent the Bril-
Ssh Government to take that offer without deay7 There
of population that tide which knows no ebb, goes
pressing pressing and that territory which is dspu
table to-day becomes in FIVE years occupied by masses
whom you displace He then read passages from
various dispatches of Lord sydenham and other Govern
showing the daily progress of excitement in Maine
Sir W. Coebrooke had written in terms especially urging
the necessity Of arrangement which should concliae
and speedily the good dispositions Of the United States
thd IN
vide for such Cancellation Lord Ashburton had been
selected the test man. from his knowledge his abi
ty and his character for this dcut service which
thing but desire to serve his country would have in
duced him to accept and thu who had press
ed that service upon him. and who but for his own pre-
ference for retirement would have gladly included him
in its cabinet, claimed the full responsibility which
belonged to entire appreciation OF the adjustment he
had made but Lord A. had taken any basis except that
OF the Dutch award his mission would have been utterly
nugatory The Government had consulted all the most
military suthortes-sir H. Douglas, Sir J.
Kempt Lord Seaon, Sir g. Murray and they had the aid
of the Duke of Wellington The Dutch award gave about
S56Oths America and IS to England the Ashburton
adjustment was less advantageous only by this slight diff
ference that gave 80 6Ohs to America and "a to Eng
land Meanwhile America had senators who thought the
treaty discredabe and dsadvantageous to her the
noble lord thought to England But the general feeling
America favorable to It; and he begged the house
to consider that arrangement could have been perma
nent which had not been generally acceptable to the
United States. The object was not mere ADJUST
nent, nut Cancellation and satisfaction. To this
country possessing the vast extent Of territory
to her, few thousands, nay lew mllions
Of acres nothing in comparison OF friendship with
America. Not that he would have made any conces-
,isn Of dishonorable kind such concessions only en-
couraged further demands. But without dishonor,
England had secured adjustment satisfactory to
the people of the provinces in the neighborhood of the
disputed territory. Mr.. Webster had been attacked for
not disclosing red.line map in his possession, which
supposed establish the English claim of boundary
He knew not why Mr. Webster, in affair Of diplomacy
should be assaulted for not revealing to his antagonist the
weak points Of his But maps after all, were
little relied evidence in matters Of this descrp
ton. Two contemporary maps, published in England,
Of them by Faden the Kings geographer gave the
line exactly as the Americans claimed it. And so did
Mtchels map, which was marked the American
line of which the noble lord had been in possession but
which yet he presumed the noble lord had not commun
cated to the government of America but line any
such map proved anything for this purpose, unless
it could be shown to have been the line
adopted by the official negociators With re-
spect to the production Of these papers, he should
decidedly object to it. particularly respected the
idential communications between the Government aud
Lord Ashburton. If the noble Lord should press this
unot finn 4 cOud bp oply pif viaU "a imply mat