The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1848-02-10
NUMBER 10.

/
al ! 'h'ehd To address the SeEate on lis sub.
n J"ct'maller. II seems to me, sir. tina, this
't Government has always proceeded upon
= the assumption that, in certain Gases, II Is
Is proper t" refrain from giving publicity To
" some portions Of the public business until
t the " hole has been consuninated. [, IL
u upon that ground thai hese doors are SO
i often closed upon the pubIic. Ii is upnu
;. that ground that the Senate has so often
+ refused, almost, 10 entertain resolutions
j. calling Tor matter touching the foreign re.
d ialions oil the country before the matter
+. was consummaied. For the same reason
D part Of the appropriations Of this Gov.
5 ernmen' TO the "secrei service .a;d," IS
placed under the guaranty of tie presl-
, dents honor and he turns The kew and
closes the door upon the public with re-
gard 10 That secret service money. |
speak Of these things, sir, as evidence Of
The fact that.thus far this Government has
proceeded upon the ground that some
parts Of the public business, in some stages
OF It's transaction, ought to be withheld
from the general observation Of lie
world. Where the line should be drawn.
sir is a great and delicate question. How
much, II any, of the public business Should
be withheld from The notice Of The public,
is very serious question, and one on
which entertain opinions quite different
from those SO often expressed BY most Of
Ihe members of This body. This line
think to be this: that whenever the act
sought 10 be made public barely affects
the relations between any branch Of the
Government and its own constituency, it
ought to lie made pubic, every part and
parce! OF II; but when tie acl sought To
be disclosed affects The relations Of our
Government with a foreign Government,
then the national interests and the national
safety may require that, until all is con.
snnnmted, none should be made known.
Hence the resolution which | have sub.
mIted so often in this body, TO open tho
doors Of the Senate, and have no secret
sessions as applicable 10 nominations, con.
tanned always the exception as to treaties,
aud that exception predicatcd upon the rea.
sons which | have given.
am not prepared TO say whether
snail vote tor or against this resolution.
because have read it only this morning,
and not ten minutes ogo. desire an OBJ
portunty TO EXAMINE, the resolution. |
wish 10 ascertain whether any Of the in.
ormation there called for would. if dis.
iosed, OF whatever character il NAV be.
feJudice The interest Of The country
'efhaps, SIT, IN time of war, hen so
aFge national interests are involved. per.
'aps, III such circumstances, a great deal
more than ordinary care should be taken
. see that, IN cur anxiety 10 bring every
hing before the public, we do not infic,
guy on the public interests. But. as
i4u, VIII not 80 into this business. |
III go as far as the tagihest man here in
genera resolution, describing what part
the public business shall be kept secret,
ID what shall be made public. The sen.
men's OF the Senate in regard to the
iesiion, vary with The cases which exist
the moment, as every BODY knows: and
e same vote which closes tho doors 10.
J may open them tomorrow. We ought
have general rule applicable 10 all ca.
8 remember famous struggle which
had upon this floor, in regard 10 re.
luton which had The honor 10 submit
ling Tor certain military orders issued
President Tyler, the object of which
IS to transfer portion of the regular
ces OF the United States, near to tho
enc which was going on IN one Of the
ites of the Union, involving a question
It's constitutional Government. Well,
on that subject the Senate would not en-.
tain the proposition. They laid i, upon
table and kept il there, in defiance of
The efforts which could make TO get
up. l alleged that if rumor were cor.
I, the President was doing a thing
ich he had no righ, to do, and which
ousy per!led the public peace, and
al was more, the public rights of DOR.
n of tie citizens Of the country. The
nate, however, thought that it was not
'per TO call for the documents. | will
say that in that case the Senate wus
ons, and that was right, but speak of
$ as one of the historical "reminiscences
the past, TO which we ought sometimes
refer when VIC start propositions of this
Id, and which may reflect some light
on the case now before US. pledge
self to vote for the most ultra resolu.
n which any man can conceive, for
lch he will himself vote, laying downa
neral rule with regard 10 the descrip.
n of public business, to which this Sen.
has right, and for which they have
h, to call.
say, therefore, to the Senator from
nth Carolina, lie, him draw up general
olulion declaratory Of the rights of the
nate upon this subject, and he cannot
Try his resolutions too far; he cannot
ow open the door loo widely; he can.
lie, in too much sunlight to lose my
'port; for have been one entertaining
~ ultra ideas on this subject of making
cry thing public. But | want time to
nslder the particular resolution which he