The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-03-25

States while engaged in such important and un-
certain contests in another portion OF the word
No sensible man in this country doubts
and we believe Englishmen feel, were
a Treaty of Boundary now TO be made
when England is disembarrasssd OF Akoai
Khan and Commissioner Lin, that map
OF no map. or maps with or without " strong req
lines" OF with red lines traced beyond the Inn
It's Of our EXTREMIST clam, aud known anu pro
ven TO have been The basis OF former negoua
lions, il would be made, il at all, only by inns
Government relinquishing some portion Oh us
well founded claims
All the noise which English journals or ora
tors can make about the Sparks map will con
vince no one, nos even themselves, that there Is
any real ground Of complaint against The Amer
can negotialor on this point, or that the map was
material 10 ,he question. or would have had an
influence on the terms Of the compromise.
IL the map had presented the "strong red
line" drawn according TO our claim, would Grea'
Britain have regarded it as conclusive against
her pretensions, and have abandoned the wholef
Do English orators or writers pretend Tins
Had the British Government, instead OF the
American, been in possession ofthe map, would
il have been produced2 We imagine not. fos
we know that, in fact, the British Government
now have, and for long time have had, map
on which the same "strong red line" Is drawn
in the same manner on the "Sparks' map"
but which was thought OF SO little consequence
that, though much better authenticated as hav-
ing been connected with, and referred TO, in
former negotiations, it was not thought worth
while TO produce.
But our main object was TO show the utter
| folly and absurdity of the charges against Mr..
Webster for not exhibiting 'he Sparks map"
even though it had contained very strong evil
dence against the justice Of our claim, which IL
does not. Even if such conduct were demand
ed in plain case, where the evidence would be
at once conclusive, how is it when that evidence
| is only one part Of the whole, not an important
part, no, conclusive, and, at most, calculated on
| ly to raise new doubts
| We would like TO know when, and where, on
what occasion, and in what Ethiopia, it has been
customary for diplomatists to aid in making out
cases against their own Government? In what
negotiation have they made il a point of diplo-
matte punctilio to show themselves in the wrong
and 10 lend their endeavors 10 defeat their own
ends 2
| We may admit that had the American Gov
eminent undeniable proof, satisfactory to itself
that its claim was unjust, it would have been its
duty, not TO have exhibited the proof, but to
have quietly abandoned the claim.
But the proof must have been of character
to leave no room for the smallest doubt. II mus,
| have been full, clear, irresistible, all-convinc-
ing sufficient to justify 10 the country and the
world such a course, or wo TO the negotiation
or the Government which should have taken it
| Let us suppose that, having possession OF
this map, which in the minds of people on lhi,
side of the water, settles nothing, and which the
English commentators have not ventured &c
pronounce conclusive, but which tends only ic
throw a shade of doubt a disputed ques
Ashburton and the public-had said that il Ger
tainly did go far TO prove our claim unjust, ant
that his own convictions were very much sha
ken by it-which by the way nobody pretends-
what would not have been said by the English
journalists
To say nothing of the storm of excavation
and reproach which would have overwhelmed
him at home-of the grounds which ii would
have afforded for an impeachment against him
as having grossly betrayed and abandoned hi,
trust-where would have been the end of rdi
cule, laughter, and csricaiure in England p
How John Bull would have gambolled ant
roared over such glorious blunder What fuI
for the London Punch What capital for lib
Paris wits and politicians would have forgotten
the Notifications" and the troubles of th
Soult- Guizot ministry, TO have revealed in cpl
gram and bon mot upon Washington diplomacy
The just reproaches and indignant outcries o
his countymen at nome, would have beef
sweed BY the jeers aud laughter Of ever
body abroad.
The universal sense OF the world, with on
voice, would have been clear and loud agains
such an act of faulty aud folly, If not Of wick
edness aud treason.
Let not our English friends, then, think L
, humbug any one by their talk of deception,
and "over-rcaching" and English honesty,
aud ''un-English" conduct Let them SHOW
that II was the duty Of the American negotiate
TO injure bis own cause and prejudice his coun
i. try's claim, by exhibiting unsatisfactory and IN
I certain evidence against it let them, moreover
n show us precedent for such conduct, approve
= in their own or any other history, and then W
shall feel called upon to take up a dscussio
with them upon the propuety Of snch conduct.
What we have written above, and what W
n may write further on this subject, we beg Nj
}. Benton to attribute to the editor Of the paper
i who writes without consultation with any one
and NOT TO Mr. Wcbster