Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1843-04-04
THE STANDARD.
GEORGETOWN, APRIL 4, ls4s.
GEN. CAsS AND MR.. WEBSTER.

GEN. CASS AND Mr.. WEBSTER.
ThOWaShingtOn papers have published a
long correspondence between Gen Cass,
as minister 10 France, and Mr.. Webster,
Secretary of State, on the subject OF the
slave trade and the late treaty between
the United States and Great BriLain.-
The great length Ofthe correspondence
will exclude it from our columns, and
detached parts would give but on impor-
feet idea Of the controversy. The lead
ing circumstances, as we understand from
a hasty perusal, are briefly these. In
February ls42, while Great Britain,
France, Austria, Prussia and Russia were
negotiating with a view TO suppress the
slave trade, and treaty for that purpose
having been submitted to these Govern
menlS for ratification, Gen. Cass, then
minister TO France, wrote letter TO M.
Guizot, French Minister Of Foreign al.
fairs, protesting against the provisions of
the treaty, as he conceived that the gov
ernment ratifying the treaty would thus
sanction and become purticiPators IN the
claim set up by Great Britain to visit and
search American merchant vessels, to
ascertain whether they were engaged in
the African slave trade or not. The ex.
ercise Of the claim, Mr.. Cass assured the
French Government, would be firmly re-
sisted by the United States by whomso-
ever It might be set up. This protest
Gen Cass considered TO be Immediately
necessary, and he therefore made ii on
his own responsibility, without waiting
for instructions from our Government
He then informed Mr.. Webster what he
had done, and desired to know whether
his conduct was approved or disapproved
BY the President; and in answer, he re-
ceiyed communication from Mr.. Web.
ster, dated April 9Th, 1912, approving Of
the protest, and thereby making It
official, which character II did not before
possess. Upon being informed Of this, and
not before, M. Guizot thought it prop
or to officially notice Gen CasS' letter of
protest; which he did, and informed Mr..
Cass that as the treaty had not been rati-
fed BY his Government, no further ex>
plantations were neces sary than such as
might be required to prev ent mIsunder'
stan ding; and he diSClaimed, on the part
of the French Government, the cOnstruc>
ton put by Great Britain upon former
trea ties on the same subject between
those two Governments, from which the
latter infsrS her right TO search American
vessels.
In September laN Gen. CasS received
news Of Of the rattle alton of the late
treaty between the United States and
Great Britain; and considering that the
ground he had assumed in his protest had
been abandoned by our government, and
that the right Of search claimed by Great
Britain had been at least taCilly admitted,
he thought that he could no longer hold
bis Office with honor 10 himself, and re.
Ouested to be recalled. He was accOr'
dinghy recalled, and lefl France in Mo-
vember. Before leaving Paris, he wrote
another letter TO MI. Webster stating at
length his objections to the treaty, and
the reasons Of desiring TO be recalled
This last official letter from Mr.. Cass is
answered by long letter from Mr.. Web
stsr, who expresses regret that Mr.. Cass
has put different construction upon the
treaty than was intended by the Presi-
dent. IL Mt. Webster'S construction Of
the treaty be correct, It would seem that
the vexing and long agitated question Of
search 10 still unsettlsd--that 1t is neither
asserted on the part the British Govern
mont, nor denied BY our Government, in
The trsaty-but that the stipulation
therein 10 augment the American