The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-27
RPIOINDFR

REJoINDER.
Our friend "A. b." Of the N. Intelligeneer COM
plains that we substituted the charge Of British orr
gin for reply to his argument upon the Spanish
title. He is mistaken, and attributes to us, no
doubt from inadverenee the that he has taken
himself In his former article he began by quoting
our proposition that the title We derive from Spain
is good upto $40 40; but instead OF replying to any
thing contained in the four columns by which we
attempted to sustain this position he proceeded to
argue that the President and the Secretary of State
do not hold the same opinion, and that ''our own
native, untarnished title is far better than the Span
ish one"
All this, were II even true, is obviously no reply
to our article. Nevertheless, in order 10 aecommo-
date "a. b." we did reply to his argument in its
three points, having shown suecinctly, but, we
trust, satisfactorily, that the President is in IA
yor Of our title to SO 40-that Mr.. Buchanan
is in favor OF our title to SO 4V-snd that
our Spanish title is better than " our native,
untarnished Yankee" one, by difference of 50
IO, 10000 square miles, in the beet part Of the
territory.
Having thus met "a. b." on his own ground,
we now invite him to meet W. on ours. We at.
tempted to show at some length, that the Spanish
title is not as Messrs Gallatin and Riyes maintain,
an "absurd and ridiculous pretension," resting
entirely papa bull, but that il is supported by
allthe grounds usually relied upon in such eases-
viz: discovery, conquest, occupation, and congui-
ty. VIII "a. b." have the goodness to point out
whs, he suppoSes to be the defects in this argu.
mentl
"A. B." says, that by maintaining the validity Of
the Spanish title, we virtually deprecise the charac-
ers OF our distinguished statesmen from Monroe
to Polk, who have successiyey proposed TO Great
Britain the 18th parallel. On the contrary, we
stated expressly that in 1918, when the offer was
6rst made, We did not possess the Spanish title;
that after the offer had been once made, the govern
men felt themselves in some degree committed to il;
and that in the spirit Of forbearsnce which has uni
formly characterized foreign policy, our sue
eessive Presidents had continued TO renew this offer
up to July last. Is il treating them with dis.
respect TO commend them for their moderation in
being willing to yield something Of what they sup
posed to be our rights for the sake Of peace,
We did, il is true, intimate that "a. B'sn article
was probably Of British origin. This was, perhaps,
f,reign to the argument; but "a. b. must recollect
that made the remark expressly as an offset to
his own not very polite insinuson, that we do not
write our own editorials. Gentlemen who take up
their residences in glasshouses should either abstain
from throwing stones, not be so very sensitive If
their transparent, coverings happen to get a little
cracked. ... t IL
In the same paper which contains "a. BIS" reply.
we find the following paragraph, extracted from an
English journal, (the London Spectator with a
favorable editorial introduction, in which the jour.
nal quoted is spoken Of as lone of the best and
rbes, if not the best and ables,, of the Independent,
journals Of England"
England should protest in the face of the world
against the babarism Of .9meriea, and, at the same
ri,ne, treat that country one with whom no rsla
lions trhaterer could be held. Without interfering
with tie private intercourse of the individuals OF
both nations, she could refuse to receive an Ameri-
minister at her COURT and this pacific but deter
mined step would, by rendering persons unwilling
10 settle in country ,rhich had thus been put out of
hs pale Of intercourse with the leading nations Of the
Earth, now convey lesson leading to a wiser
course"
ga. B." finally ntmates that, if we mean to main
tain the validity of the Spanish title, we ought to So
licit one or two "leaders" upon that subject from
the pen of Mr.. Adams. When the writer in the In
teigenoer shall have succeeded in pointing out any
defects in our own argument, he may, with better
grace, advise to strengthen it by aid from other
sources. In the mean time, we will only add, that
while the Intellgencer shall continue to publish,
with marked appreciation, such extracts from Eng
Iish journals as the just quoted, we shall con-
slider that paper the most effective auxiliary that
we could possibly have, without excepting even the
powerful pen of the venerable ex-President.