Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-03-25
COMMUNICATIONS.
FOR TIE E.s'QUiRER.
FOX TIE fs1DffhN
CONTINUATION OF CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN GEN
CASS AND MR. WEBSTER.
(.dr. Cas- 10 Mr. Urbsfer

OR Cas- 10 Mr.. Uc5Ster
DETROIT MARCH ., 1913
SIR: have just received your letter, dated Dec 90,
io42, and post marked Washington February %, lc43
which commences by stating that M letter of the lth
ns Ohatis my letter of Dece mber l. ISs2 had been
submitted 10 the President
mad no desire to continue the correspondence which
mas a.isen between u.s. had said all Ielt called upon
10 say IN my own defence, and had determined there
to leave the subject This determination expressed
you immediately before left Washington in January,
when you intinated TO me- that you should probably
answer my letter of December llth should not have
aeParea rom th's resolution, had not felt it due TO
myself that the actual date Of the recent of your letter
should be established have reason 10 SUPPOSE that
the correspondence between u.s. has ere this been sub
mted to Congress, and that il will thus come before
the nation Your late letter has, no doubt, made part
CT these documents, and persons reading it NAV well
suppse that II was written the Goth of December last,
and received by me, while | was yet at Washington
Inc error WILL no doubt, be readily explained at the
Department, for need hardy say | am sure it was un-
Intentional But, in the mean time, it may do me ssri-
Gus injury; for while at the scat Of Government where
this correspondence we'll known more than once
sisted, that my letter of December th was unanswer-
ed 1t is essential therefore to me- that il should be
known that this statement true and this can now
only be done by spreading The correction as widely as
the error has been spread.
| This my first and principal reason for again writing
you, and, without this reason, doubt if should have
broken the silence intended keep, though there
are passages in your letter that might we'll have in
dnced me to depar; from it. The correspondence has
already grown 10 an unreasonable length, and am very
unwilling TO proong il; but "a am compelled To write
from the circumstances diverted to, | shall without
further apology, proceed 10 examine of the topics
presented IN your last letter. and also to call your
observation some very offensive remarks contained in
your despatch Of November 18th, and, to my surprise,
repeated in the Before doing this howe YER
shull advert to one view presented in the November
letter, and that, the haste with which my reply
written, prevented me from considering
Even it ! had entertained desire, still further to
discuss the questions, which have arisen between us
out Of the treaty Of Washington, the course which
would have rendered such a measure wholly unneces
sary TOR any purpose had originally in view. All
frared and foreto!d, has TO pass The British
preenson to search ships, instead of having been
put TO rest has assumed more threatening and lmpos
ing form, by the declaration of the British Co
venmen that they intend to enforce it, As you already
know, the l7h of last September, the very day read
the treaty in New York paper, solicited my recall
STATED to you, felt that could not remain abroad
honorabiy for myself uselully for country and
That considered the omission of a stipulation that
treaty which settled the African slave trade question:
to guard against the right of search visitation by
whatever other name, 1t may please the British CO.
vernment and coun.ry to express this claim TO violate
our flag, and TO board our vessels, fatal error
considering, particularly. that this prelenson had been
first put forth and justified in connection with that
traffic. And viewing the subject, felt, that The
course had taken in France, in opposition TO the at
ication of the Quintuple Treaty, which intended
to angra this principle upon the law Of nations had not
been supported by the Government, as though, il
should have been.
In my protestto Mr. Guizot, of February 18th, l542
had saked my diplomatic situation and character upon
this support Your letter of April 9th, 1912 conveyed
the Presidents appreciation of my conduct and this
you consider in your letter of November 14h, 1872
| taking from me all further responsibility.
You sey, that "haylng delivered my letter TO Mr..
Guizot, and ha wing read the Presidents appreciation of
that proceedings IL is most manifest that you could III
degree be responsible for what should be done otter
wards and done by others You add, ccrclsry
fromithis proposition, that he PRESIDENT therefore, can
not conceive what particular or personal interes, OF
yours affected By the subsequent negotiations here
or how the treaty, the result Of that nesotaon should
put end to your usefulness public minister at
ihe Court Of France, OF in any other way affect your Of
fetal character or conduct"
The answer to this is so obvious that cannot but
express my surprise, 1t has escaped your obseva,Ion-
lomatic agent without s!rucions takes respon
sibe step, which he thinks called for by Tie honor
and the interests Of his country He states that he
acts without the knowledge of his Government, and
that if unsupported he must return home. You think,
that the approval of his cocrse, By his own Govern
ment absoYes h:m from all further responsibility, and
that, happen what may his honor and usefulness
unmpaired. My opinion is far different II his Co
vsrnnent approve his course upon paper, and abandon
in effect te he advocates, he cannot repre-.
sent his country his country ought to be represented
abroad. And may safely add, that no man, fl TO be
sent upon foreign mission, would hesitate moment
as TO the course he ought TO pursue. lie would not
en,rench himself behind his paper approval, for if he
did, he would hear words of reproach, respecting his
Government, which man Of honor could submit TO.
| In my case, you approved my proceedings; but, az
cay and believe you did not guard against this pre;en
sion of Eng nd to search ships, which occasioned
my in,erpoaton, it should have been guarded
against, and thus in fact let! me unsupported. IL 10
by this process offeelng and reasoning, that reached
the conclusion, which you censure no measured
terms and trust you will now see, show the treaty,
the result Of that negotiation, should put end to my
usefulness as public minister at the Court of France.
II put n end it, because said the American Co.
yernment would resist the RICH, Of search The Go
vernment said the thing, but unfortunately went
on 10 make treaty respecting the slave trade with
England, without saying wcrd about THIS pTetenson,
al the very time England had announced 10 the world,
thai she would search ships, order to carry into
efT.c, the treaties she had negotiated with other
TONS upon this very subject matter And, now, am
rTavey told, that might have remained, after his,
the representative Of my country, because my official
conduct and character were not affected. am not
considering which of is right, in his view o: the
proper course of the Government respecting this irea
w. lay that out ofthe question. ] contend that, IN
MY opnion not sufficiently supported, and this
bang go that ought 10 have returned. You contend,
that my opinion has nothing TO do with The matter
!
and therefore, if treaty had afterwards been ne
gocated "containng provisions in The highest degree
objectionable, however the Government might be dis
credited, the minister was free, and that his "usen
ness" could not be thereby affected.
shall not argue this point with you. LISA question
of feeling quite much Of reasoning, and he, who
would remain at foreign court, under these crcum-
Stances 10 represent "discredi,cd Government, has
no sentiments in common with me upon the SUBJECT
You state, in your letter. dated December 20h, that
hie
vessels, would have been 'no suitable to this
Treaty, than declaration against the right OF sackng
our towns in time of peace, or any other Outrage =
You enlarge upon this proposition, and IN fact, Con
siderable portion of your letter is occupied with The de-
fence Of the omission Of such udeclaratlon fcu sup
peso had advanced The idea shat something s:oud
have been offered TO England benefit but coupled
with snch declaration condition, a. that Il Sic re-
ce,ycd Tie boom il would have bees recognition ny
her of claim which make a matter OF right.
You add, that the President, satisfied OF the justice
Of the American doctrine, has 'avoIded to change this
ground and place the just right of the county upon
the assent, express or implied ofany power ha'evef
"The Government thought no shiiiuy e3.oF'ed pro
IN necessary cases. &c. All this, and