Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-07-26
If onr oan Goyon,ncn,, and by your own con.

lions relative To the Mississippi ana INC Noiei
boundary have you never advcfie' u '''c accom-
given ~ that ndclaiigahe soldier, ie'd.Nc ~ ~.
British trading establishments on 'h'' N.Y. ', VI
have vou confined Your researches non, " ~,
Atlantic coast, without once ueisnin5 vi -.
your attention To the rights, 'ilc ~ ,''s
honor nj tho marion on this side OF The Allegheny
Mountains? ON ,h> point, IL appears 10 u, yoV
are in = dilcm,ro Either you have never tahel
the trouble to inform Yourself relative 10 The "rea
national Western interests which have been com
United 10 Your charge, or You nav hii9ie "a.
81 and concealed facts. a You knew them to exist
/, will bnadm;,,ed n, all. that Your acknowledged
habi,s Of Industry and research, lcaTe lille room
for von 10 cover vogr errors on 'his Poiht VIII
the mantle OF ignorance ,.s.
"What saws Lieut. Pike lie iouna nv ':s'
than five British trading houses on ',e Missssp
nj and lis waters within he Immediate sicliii'l
If tbe river ;,Scf He found British traders ma
vioatino the river. to and fro, almost IRON ..
Iopis n lis source. He found numerous bfhiSf
medals anono the Indians, distributed Dv ihes'
readers with The express object OF obtaining Ill
unboundcd influence ever their savage niilios;.
He saw The British flag floating over British Is
,ahl;sbments an the waters OF this very river II,
estimated the du,ies ON The British soods yehae,
on the Mississippi station. not one ooi'ai ~ "'''.'
was ever paid 1t thirteen thousand dotlaiS PEI
exaggerated. is proved hy the following passages
extracted from Pixies Journal
The same letter thus conch'es; ,..r-,,
~, was na-nral tor Mr. Clay 10 think different
H. and feel differently from what You pretend 10
think and actually felt in relation 10 aoiill'tn9
tb, british 10 the navigation Of The MISSISSIPPI
~. coud mo, conceal from himself the fact, tha
lhe existence and use OF this right had been one
of the causes which LEI! 10 The disaster, OF ou'
arms on he Northwestern frontiers, and the eN-
nosure Of all our back settlements TO the relentless
roy,oes ot n savage foe. He could not forget The
CONSEQUENT, murders in Missouri, Illinois, lndi-
ana and Ohio catalogue oi cnorEiiies al Whch
tho heart >;ckens Remembering all TINS, NJ
could not but wish-nay, with his ardent ana &C.
nerous nature he could not bn, urge, VIA hiuc''
carne>,ncss. the policy and justice oi excluding
the instigaoys OF crimes SO horrible, from every
avenue OF access 10 their willing Instruments
| Nor could h bui feel diIiercntly from ron. IN
consequence oi the unlimited access ot brits'.
emissariss To our Indians through he MISSISSIPPI
AMI oiherchannelS more oil kenluckv precious
blood was split than could he purchased win
nvcrr fish that swims in British waters. Many
dea- friends, and one near connection OF Mt. Gay.
had fallen victims 10 The Indian tomahawk, made
on British anvil> When he departed FOR Europe,
he leA social circle, and even t.mily, eio'hed
in ,,ourniug for these victims OF British influence
over savage minds. Passing from The midst OF
The ,nourncrs and The manned, how could lie l'cl
as you did who, FL distant from your olecdia3
country. encros>ei with the events OF another ne
misphere. and aimring the THUS ol MS age
scarcely heard the thunder OF war rolling o'cf
! The heads Of vour countrymen, below The Wesi,
ern horizon. II was surely natural that he and
Won should feel differently Youougltr, therefore,
| TO have excused Mr.. CLAWS zeal against once
more admitting the British traders among o',r In
iians. and haaarding the renewal OF The hloody
scenes of the Pigeon Roo>,: the River Haisln and
| For NeieS. He could not calculate 50 coolly as
;ou. If, in the excitement caused by recent a n
alo.Indian murders, he preferred the lives oil his
tellow-ciiizens 10 all the fish which might, per-
chance. be caught within three miles OF the Brl-
fish coast. You ough; 20 have considered that his
mind was no. in condition, coolly 10 weigh dol
lars against blood; and surely you would rather
have excused him a. generous enthusiast, ltah
cenSurei him for compromising the interests oi
his country. Now, al least, ought YOU 10 excuse
him when Won have adopted his own course.
which has lei 10 the sccurement OF the fisheries,
ana total exclusion Of British traders, not only
from the Mississippi. but from all American ter
ri,ory on this side Of the Stony Mountains"
The third Letter thus commences:
"Your declarations relative 10 the extent OF the
fisheries which were contested al Client, are no
less inconsistent with facts than vour assertions
relative 10 the Use and value Of The British right
10 navisatc the Mississippi. In following vou
through the lnazcs OF your wonderful publication,
we have been struck with establishment at the
contradiction and misrepresentation with which
il abounds relative 10 the portion OF this great ma
tonal interest which was really contested by the
British Government, al Ghen and in the suisse
qucn, negotiation. In Your replies TO Mr.. Rus
sell YOU have labored 10 prove, that the British
notifications given al that place. and their sntSc-
queni claims. extended 10 a total exclusion oi the
people Of the United States from The whole fish
cries; while it is proved by TIE language OF your
own private letters from Client, and from the
documents relative 10 the subsequent negotiation,
that their claims extended only 10 an exclusion OF
our fishermen from lhat portion OF the fisheries
situated within three miles of their shores; which
is the utmost extent Ia which they possess, orevcn
claim exclusive Jurisdiction"
Aier strong argument on the subject, the
fourth letter comes 10 the following conclusion:
"By facts hy the rights Of your country, and
b. Your own assertions, we have proved, that al
the time oil the negotiation at Ghen, the British
Government possessed NJ territory on the Missis-
sippi and that, consequently, that river was with
in the exclusive jurisdiction Of the United States
In supporting and Voting for MIR. Gallatin'> pro-
position YOU therefore committed q violation Of
the very letter of your instructions; and your de-
clarationS al The time, as well as subsequently, to
the British Government, prove that You did 1t
knowingly"
The fifth letter contains the following
"iou charge Mr. Clay with pursuing Secion-
al course with being willing to sacrifice one inn
porant Eastern, 10 t!iing Western interest,"
Was not your own course wholly sectional? For
whose immediate benefit are the fisheries For
4 ,o,, II tha h, tbo TIL n,
the British King for their security? The people
OF the West. You proposed 10 tax the West for
the benefit OF the East not indeed 10 purchase any
new right or advantage for the enjoyment OF our
Eastern brethren, but To buy OF pirate who
threatened 10 capture and conii>cale then ships.
II would have been more equitable 10 have bought
security at the cxpen>e Of the fishermen if il must
be bought at all. What would they have said,
had YOU offered stipulation that their security in
the enjoyment OF an undouated right should b.
purchased by giving 10 the British Kin" one hall
of The fish caught by them within his jurisdiction
| Think YOU. they would have applaudcd YOU and
made Won presents OF Goldfish, for your wisdom
and patriotism in thus securing the fisheries =
/. Yet this, although IN outrage on The fishermen
and their country, would he more equitable than
the proposition for which YOU voted New Eng
/ land could not suffer more, and she could dread
! less, b. paving as a tribute 10 the British King,
| one halt the fish caught within his jurisdiction,
than would the Western country by The unrc-
strained navigation of the Mississippi by British
/ subjects. Hence, You would nor only sacrifice
a Western TO an Eastern interest, bu; even make
the Western people pay an exclusive tax OF RI
val>hip, war, and blood for the secariiy OF those
| fishermen who frequent British waters"
The seventh letter thus commences:
throughout your publication il IS curious 10
observe how You shift yoar ground and vary your
premises in such manner as 10 arrive with GER
! taintv at any given conclusion. Give You the
point to be proved, aud Your fertile mind i sure
moi to lack Tor evidence. II the facts do not siiil
Your purpose, YOU can manufacture others. Ii
an asserted principle is not adapted 10 the end
YOU can assert its opposite. II il be necessary 10
/ your purpose, that an important right he proved
worthless, b. the waving Of your goose quill, i, is
reduced to a mere phantom HI I've wanted III
negotiation as an equivalent for another import.
! rt,rbt in II mo- nj