Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1848-06-14
His observations upon

4 LOTNf
Invited to his house. His observations upon
! the government and people of France were
given to the public in the pa ageso Of the Den-
Iocratic Review, in an article entitled
Francois King, Court, and G Government =
which most Of our readers will probabl rec
lcollecf Among other literary papers he
published IN this country, was one upon the
/ French tribunals of justice, which contained
much information interesting to an Ameri-
can, and IN which the author expressed his
decided condem nation of the system of the
| English common law, looking upon it as !;
Icode originating in feudal and almost semi-
fbaTbarious lines, and utterl unsuited to
our oTdihon and inst tutions. his sapin-
f ion i gaining ground, and We trust the
fine is rapidly approaching when this relic
of feudal tyranny--this perfection of sense
as it is called, but this perfection of nom
sense as it in many cases is-will give way
to reason and justice. 1870
In1S4l arose the well-known question
of the quintuple treaty, in which Gen.
Cass acted prominent and an efficient
part. The British government, in its scheme
Of maritime superiority, which it never a.
bandons any more than its plans of territos
rial aggrandizemeht, projected q plan, by
which, under the pretence of abolishing
The slave trade, her ships Of war woGld
have been enabled to search and examine,
and ultimately 10 seize the vessels Of other
nations at their pleasure. This plan was
to form treaty, to which the five great
powers of Europe should be parties, by
which means new principle in the law OF
nations would be established, and our flag.
among others, prostrated at the feet of
England. This treaty was negotiated and
actually signed by the ministers Of the FIVE
powers-those Of England, France, Rus
sia, Prussia and Auslria-before the nature
of the transaction was fully understood by
the world 1t became disclosed before the
ratifcations were exchanged with the
French government. Gen. Cass published
q pamphlet which entered deeply into the
whole matter, and which was translated in
to French and German, and extensively
circulated upon the continent. Itawakened
the public nttenti, n, and created great
sensation even in England. The London
Times, in announcing said;--
SIT is q shrewd performance, written
with some spirit, much bold assertion OF
facts, and very audacieus unfuirness OF
argument, which is rather amusing, when
contracted with certain tone OF gentle.
manly candor, which is occasionally adept
ed even in the very act of performing some
of his most glariny Ferversions.'
In addition, also, to the. pamphlet, he
presented protest to the French govern.
ment against the ratification Of the treaty
In doing this, he stated that he had no in.
structions 10 pursue such course, and
adds:
81 have pursued, in the views I have
submitted to you, M. Guizot, the French
Minister of Foreign Afairs;] that ex-
press the feelings Of the American govern.
ment and people. Hin this have deceiv.
ed my sell, the responsibility will be mine.
As. soon rs can receive dispatches from
The United States in answer TO my commu-
nications, shall be enabled to declare to
you either that my conduct has been ap.
proved by the President, or that my mis-
sion is terminated. "
But he did not deceive haselC His
course was warmly applauded by the A
mercan people, who are ever alive to na-
tional interest and honor, and coldly ap.
proved by the government.
The following short extract will exhibit
the spirit which pervaded this memorable
paper:
''But the subject assumes another MS.
pect, when they (he American peoPie)
are told by one of the parties that their yes
sells are to be forcibly entered and examin.
ed, in order 70 carry into effect these stipu.
lations. Certainly the American govern
ment does not believe that these high pow
ers, contracting parties to this treaty, have
any wish to compel the United Suites, by
force, to adapt tlreir measures to its provis-
ions, or to- adopt its stipulations They have
too much confidence in their sense of jus.
tice to fear any such result; and they will
see with pleasure the prompt disavowal
made by yourself, sir, at the tribune of the
chamber Of Deputies, Of any intention ol
this nature. But were it otherwise, and
were it possible they might be deceived in
this confident expectation, that would moi
4 alter in one title their course of action.
i Their duty would be the same, and the
same would be their determinati IN to fulfil
it. They would prepare themselves, with
apprehension indeed, but without d:smay-
with regret, but with frmness-for one ol
those desperate struggles which have some
times occurred in the history of the world
/ but where just cause and the favor o
Providence have given strength to compar.
alive weakness, and enabled it to break
down the pride of power"
The success of this scheme, so long cher.
ished, and so long projected on the part OF
England, turned upon the ratification ol
France. With it she could hope to estab.
lish this new principle in maritime law,and
with that attain her darling object of mar.
time supremacy. But the opposition of two
such commercial nations as the United
States and France to this Interpolation
would have rendered hopeless its general
recognition Hence her efforts to accom-
plish this measure; and rs for more than
half century, she had not failed in any
great ob;ec. Of her policy, her pride and
j interes, were equally united in this. Her
journals, therefore were filled with the sub.
Iiiect. Ii occupied the attention Of her gov
ernment, her people, and her press; and
Il her diplomatjc agents through Europe were