Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-04-09
senator Webster.

Tain provisions ol that treaty, and TO rcpel the Ill
FURIOUS imputaiionS which have been made against
himself for the alleged surrender OF the rights o
his own country....a surrender, which, il has been
strongly inslnuatd IN some quarters, was made
under corrupt influences; while Mr.. L. j. lnGcr'
soil recently minated ON the floor of the House
of Representatives, that fear, II not corruption
"a cowardly apprehension that, 1t pacific relations
between Great Britain and the United States
should be disturbed. should be unable To wreS'
tic with our gigantic adverSary--induced Mr.
Webster 10 relinqush to Great Britain, without
an equivalent. valuable and important portions OF
our Northeastern territory.
The attack upon the treaty and upon ITS nego-
iiator was commenced by Mr.. Benton, in one OF
his most powerful speeches, as soon rs IT was
laid before the = nate. in Executive Session. for
ratification or rejection and, as Senator Hay
wood. in his excellent speech ON the Oregon
question. remarks. there has seldom since been
discussion about our territorial rights in any quar-
for. that Benton's speech on that occasion, ale
ging that we had been Ovcrreached, betrayed and
,Iisgraccd. has not been Reproduced. N'th the
Washington Globe, while that paper was in eNls-
fence. the AShburt0n Treaty was standing text,
and the corruption of the American negotlator IT'S
perpetual theme. Other Journals throughout the
country. which were in the habit OF deriving their
cdc from the central organ of the Locoioco par.
~, "touk up the wOndrous tale, ami rung II
through all lis changes. And we have more than
once recently seen, in the columns of the Globes
successor (the Unon) significant illusions 10 the
Ashburtou Treaty and its neg"iator, held up up
al. nls of It.r.
for the purpose of forcing them, on the Oregon
question 10 the extreme line OF 81 degrees 40
minutes under the threatened penalty ot being
denounced As Mr.. Webster has been, since 1872.
Us recreant to the obligations Of patriotism, under
the corruplng influence of British predictions
British god, or under the equally debhsing con
troll OF bastard tim,dty which ''betrays like trea
SON"
Ii Mr.. Webster alone were concerned in this
wholesale and bitter condemnation, we should not,
we confess, be much surprised ut the vehemence
and the pertinacIty Of the assallan,s OF the Ash
burton Treaty-for he is one OF the shining
marks" at which the poisoned arrows OF detrac-
ton are ceaselessly eveed. Had Wing Sena-
tors alone given their assent TO the ratification Of
The Treaty, We might have anticipated that
efforts would be made to disparage and discredit
it 10y our opponents, who, acting generally on the
Pharasaical maxim, that nothing good can come
ont OF Nazareth" need only be- told that a mea-
sure has originated with. or is sustained by the
Wings. TO ensure their dIsapprOval and condrm-
nation But this is not the case. The Scnlte,
by a vote Of 80 to ., ratified the treaty; and con-
sequenty, that large majority Of the constitution
nf al. al
the Locofoco Senators themselves, and some of
them the master spirits OF that party and of the
age, must share in the denunciations which are
ever and anon pointed at the Treaty and It's negO-
Iiator. If American territory was corruptly or
from fear coded To Great Britain, they who advi.
scd and consented the ratification Of the treaty
by which a sovereign State was dismembcred,
are not less guilty than the negotator who signed
IT, and the President under whose instructions he
acted. flour Government was III any manner, IN
that negotiation, cheated betrayed, an over.
whelmiug majority of the American Senate. IN
GLIDING leading members Of both parties, partci-
pate equally with the then President and Secre.
tary of State in the guilt ard nlany Of the fraud
or treason. And il we have been surprised that
hi, consideration has not been sufficiently power.
aud of is ncgotiator. we have been stil more
astonishcd that Senators, who must have felt the
'.yanom OF the shaft" which, though aimed at MIR.
Webster, struck them with equal force, have con
scented To sit, silent and with folded arms, while
the treaty Of Washington. 10 which they had
gwen their assent. held up the incarnation
of national inlamy and dishonor, aud its negota.
Tor branded with the most degrading eplthets.
We have been surprised, even II they felt no dis.
position and acknowledged no obligation to de.
fend Mr.. Wcbstcr-who, by the way, when he
thinks fit to reply TO his assaants, stands little in
need Of aid from any quarter..-that they dad not
at least exhibit that natural spirit OF indignant re-
sentiment which such injurious and unjust inpu.
fations upon themselves, uot les, injurious and I'm.
lud because they reached them through Mr.. Web.
ster's side. arc 80 we'll calculated To provoke.
Yet they hare thus submitted in srlence-.-unlil,
nj length It's opponents growing holder and bUldcr
in their charges, the necessity Of s,lEIefcncc has
imposed upon Nj. Webster himself the duty of
showing how utterly destitute tey are II all loun.
daton IN fact. That be- Will most triumpl,antly
aoqHt himself, Wy showing that the treaty 80 Of
ten ussailcd, was negotiated, by both parties, ~
tpit 81 equity and Fairness, aud HAT IN ~ term.
nation the rights aud honor Of both nations we're
strictly guarded aud maintained, We have not tie
al,aIow Of doubt. We believe ~, not alone be-
cause Of NJ. Wcb,tor's great ability, but because
10 addition to the primh Idoic evidence lurnI-he,
W the ratification Of the treaty by such over
vhelm,ng mJnryof thc American Senate, tba
We were neither oyereachcJ nor delriudcd 10y
us provisions, We have the additional and ucongl,
co,roborauvc testimony Of the same fact, in the
unpopuliuty Of the treaty with the Opposition
party IN tlr British Parliament, headed by Lord
Palm 'rston, by whom II was denounced ms n dis.
graceful surrender Of BrHish rights and honor, in
temper worthy Of the Aliens aud Hannegans d
our own Senate JUDGED, ~ England that treaty
Is as lamilatIy known ia the Opposition yocaLu.
lazy, a, "he h'hJu,ion CoppaIa,,oa,' as It is IN
the United States 10y either Of tlc numberlcss de.
,..,,ta,,, ,p,thet. ly line usc ur ,,li,I a.. 800,