The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1851-02-05
From the Baltimore Sun.
ALLEGED NATIONAL INSyTLT.

ALLEGED NATIONAL INSULT.
\ The New York Courier and Enquirer
speaks Of the correspondence between Mr..
Mathew and the Governor Of South Caro-.
lima, as an objectionable offence on the
part of the British Consul, for which the
President ought at once to withdraw his
Exequatur and close his official career.
| We quote:- 5.s,.t
"Ile has committed the objectionable
offence; and any course, short of the
Withdrawing OF his Ereqi1atur, will, in our
Judgment, be the gravest species Of outrage
upon the Constitution by the General Gov
ernment, and merit the severest rebuke
from the people as loaning itself to seces-
sion, treason, and disunion. This is a
question which at once brings the value Of
secession to test. If this correspondence
is to be overlooked, then, so far as Mr..
Fillmore and his administration are con-
cerned, secession is a constitutional reme-
dy-our Union is dissolved England
has right to hold diplomatic intercourse
with South Carolina as an independent
sovereignty--a sovereign nation-a sepa.
rate government de facto; and may, at
any moment, recognise her independence
and enter into treaties with her."
The Courier, at great length, comments
upon the insult, and urges redress by re.
moving the author Of it. We quote again:
"What right has Great Britain to enter.
tain or express such respect or considera.
ton for any particular member Of our Con-
lederacy? We are known to her only
| through our General Government. Her
Minister and Consuls come accredited on.
ly to it; and when they presume to address
themselves to any one of the States in the
manner in which Mr.. Consul Mathew has
done, they give far greater cause for Of
fence than Genet did, when he was so
promptly divested of his authority by
Washington"
The N. Y. Commercial takes similar
ground on this subject, but holds that the
opening of this correspondence by Great
Britain with an individual State of the
Union, and treating with it as sovereign,
independent power, is somewhat the fault
of our own government. The CONNER.
cial says: .... .....
"There is the correspondence; unusual,
unprecedented as between friendly powers,
highly improper any way, and dangerous
in its tendencies, if allowed TO pass into a
precedent, subversive of all International
comities and International responsibilities
But how came that correspondence into
existence? Why did Mr.. Mathews Gov
eminent instruct him to apply to the Gov.
ernor of an individual state for redress,
when the subject of complaint was an al
legged violation of treaty? We can find no
other answer than that we gave on Satur-
day-the late Cabinet unwarily REFEREED
virtually referred-the British Government
10 that State for redress, and that, too, af.
ter the subject matter Of complaint had
been twice, or ofener, brought before the
Federal Government, with all friendliness
and according to established diplomatic
usages. The cabinet at Washington ought
to have asserted and maintained the doc.
trine, tersely put by contemporary, that
"there is but one sovereign power in this
confederacy," and thus have shut up every
other channel for the diplomatic discussion
Of rights under treaties, which of right and
usage can be discussed only by sovereign.
ties or nations-and it ought simul,ane.
ously, assuming Great Britain to be in the
right, to have compelled South Carolina
to abandon the Imprisonment of British
subjects.
at is unfortunate that this was not
done. An advantage has been given to
the English Cabinet which surely could
not have been foreseen, but Of which, in
the game of diplomacy, it has the naked
right, we suppose, to take advantage. Had
Great Britain first made her application to
South Carolina-had she contumeliously
passed by the Federal Government, the
sovereign power, to diplomatize with a
State-she would have committed high
national misdemeanor which would have
required the amplest apology before friend
ly intercourse could have been restored
between the two nations. But now, re-
monstrance being made from Washington,
as we conceive it will be, that Cabinet will
plead the having twice failed 10 obtain re.
dress, and having been virtually referred
to the individual State, and feeling that the
popular sentiment in England will not al
low of inaction in the matter complained
Of, she has but made respectful request
to the very party to whom she was referred
by the correspondence with the Federal
Government. Looking at the matter, with
all its antecedents, and in the spirit Of
candor and fairness to both parties, this
seems to us to be the actual present posi-.
ton Of the question"
So, it seems probable, that we shall have
some further diplomacy on this subject be-
tween the two national governments, The
subject is one of importance, surely.
THE WORLDS EXHIBITION.
The London Times solemnly, and sea.