The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-06-30
T H E r E ? u B L / C.
WASH N GTON:
SATURDAY MORNING. JUNE 80, ls49
THE POLICY OF NEUTRALITY AND
PEACE.

The course pursued by the present Ad-
ministration in reference to the steamer
United States, recently purchased by the
Prussian Government, and which was fit
ting out in the port of New York as
vessel Of war, continues to excite the ami
madversions of the Union. 1t could hardly
be otherwise. That course is exactly the
reverse, and founded upon views of the
obligations and duties of the nation, an
tagonistic to those of their immediate
predecessors. General TAYLOR and his
predecessor cannot both have been right;
one or the other is manifestly wrong.
1t was not therefore to be expected that
a paper which, throughout the entire course
of the late Administration, claimed for it
not merely the negative praise Of never
doing wrong even by accident, but the
affirmative eulogium of never having as
sumed position or advanced doctrine
which could only be denied to be right
by personal malignity or blind partisan
prejudices, should confess its obvious in
fraction of law in the case Of the war
steamer United States.
The conduct of General TAYLOR, and
the views taken of the case by Mr.. Secre-
tary CLAYTON, and Mr.. Attorney General
JOHNSON, are not merely asserted to be
without any proper foundation in law, but
the motives which induced them are de-
nounced as dishonorable and disgraceful
in the extreme, and as manifesting de-
sire on the part of these distinguished
gentlemen to aid the combinat ion of Eu-
ropean despots against the friends of libe-
raj and free governments.
What is the precise extent of the obi
cations imposed upon neutral nation,
has been subject of much interest, and
involving great discussion almost from the
origin of our Government. During the adj
ministration of General WASHINGTON, the
war which existed between France and
Great Britain forced upon the United
States the necessity for determining, with
great elaboration and caution, the princi-
piles by which we were to be governed
The peculiar provisions of the treaty then
subsisting with France, and the circum-
stances under which that treaty had been
negotiated, superadded new difficulties
and complications to those which necessa-
rily belonged to the subject. That treaty
had been framed during most critical
period of our Revolutionary war. Itsecured
to us, on the one hand, the powerful aid
of that great nation in the struggle then
going on for the establishment of our indie
pendence; and, on the other, it stipulated
on our side for allowing to France certain
privileges of very specific character,
which il became exceedingly difficult to
reconcile with our neutral obligations in
future years.
Under these circumstances, the Presi.
dent convened his Cabinet, and PROFOUND
ed to its members series of interrogato.
ries, which, after a discussion which
elected considerable difference of opinion
on some points, and a very gratifying con-
currence on others, he requested them to
answer in writing. The opinions of these
gentlemen have never been published
Some years since, an oItunity was
afforded TO US of examining these papers,
as they were respectively presented to the
President, and they certainly warrant the
opinion Of them expressed by the late dis
tinguisbed Chief Justice MARSHALL. He
says, that "they attest the labor and reflect
honor on the talents of those by whom
they were formed, not less than they
evince the equal sincerity and zeal with
which the opinions on each side were adj
vanced." That Cabinet was composed of
JEFFERSON and HAMILTON, of RANDOLPH
and KNOX Points in which such men
deliberately concurred will not hastily be
questioned by the sober-minded people of
this country.
Resulting from this deliberation was
the proclamation of neutrality which, hav-
ing been prepared by Mr.. RANDOLPH, the
Attorney General, was unanimously APP
proved by all his official colleagues, and
published to the nation by General WASH
rSGToN. To carry out the views of that
celebrated document, instructions were
prepared by the Secretary of tie Trea-
sury, directed to the collector of the Gus
toms, appended TO which were certain
general rules prescribed for their govern
ment. This paper also received the I'M