The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-04-15


the political rights OF France in particular. on
the interests Of general liberty, and on the acts,
proc amatoDs, and decisions Of the President OF
the United States, relative to objects which re-
quire, from their nature, the sanction Of the
Legislative body However, informed that the
gentlemen who have been painted to me SO
often as aristocrats, partisans Of monarchy, par
tisans Of England, Of her constitution, and
consequently, enemies Of the principles, which
all good Frenchmen have embraced with reli-
gious enthusiasm; alarmed at The popularity
which was reflected on the minister Of France
by the affection of the American people for the
French republic, and for the glorious cause
which it defends alarmed, equally at my un-
shaken and incorruptible attachment to the Sc
we're maxims of Democracy, were laboring TO
ruin me in my country, after having reunited all
their efforts to calumnate me in the view of
their ielow-citizens | was going to begin TO
collect the affecting materials, and was taking
measures TO transmit them to France, with my
reports; when the denunciation which those
same men have excited the President TO exhibit
against me, through Mr.. Morris. came to my
hands"
The Senator from Louisiana, in order to show
that General Washington himself was not in
disposed to part from the neutral policy main
taned in his proclamation, has referred to ex-
pressions which he used in the instructions
given TO Mr.. Monroe when he was sent as min
ster to France, to show that President Wash
ington retained some idea of an obligation on
the part of his government, to interfere between
France and the enemies of France.
In the instructions to Mr.. Monroe, then min
lister to France, the Secretary Of State, speaking
for the President, says, under date June 10th,
1894:
He has been an early ard decided friend Of
the French revolution; and whatever reason
there may have been, under our ignorance of
facts and policy, to suspend opinion upon some
of its important transactions yet is he immuta.
BILE in his wishes for its accomplishment inca.
pable of asserting to the right to any foreign
prince to NEEDLE with its interior arrangements
and persuaded that success will attend their Of.
forts, and particularly, that union among them
selves is an impregnable barrier against external
assaults"
Mr.. Monroe had been kindly recei ed by the
French government then "the convention" and
in the instructions, he was authorized to say that
the President was incapable of asserting" to
the right of any foreign prince to NEEDLE with
the interior arrangements of France. At that
time there were five powers of Europe in ALI
ance to put down the revelation in France, and
this EXPIRE ssion Of the President seems appealed
to, to evince, that he considered there was resi-
dent In this country, right to interfere be
tween that alliance and the people of France
The expression il, "the President was incapable
OF asSenting;" the word is clearly not to be
taken in its literal sense because literally, the
President could neither assent, nor descent to an
act of independent power If not received lit
eraly, then its meaning is to be gathered from
the context, and that clearly imports only, that
the President was incapable of admitting or
avoiding the right And YET, this seems to be
appealed to by the honorable Senstor, to show,
that President Washington thereby implied some
consciousness of duty, on his part, to inter-
fere between France, and the enemies of the
liberties of France.
The Senator has also adverted to the nstruc-
tons given to Mr. Jay, as minister to England,
in 1884, to show that the President had it in
to form alliances with the neu
trails of Europe. Mr. Jay had been sent as
minister to England for the purpose Of negocat.
ing, if he could, such a treaty with her, as
would relieve us from the embarrassments in
which we were placed by hostile demonstra-
tons on the part of that country. In his in
structions, the President had reference to the
existing state of things. The United States
was then almost like the grain of wheat, be-
tween the upper and the neither milestone
They were neutral, whilst nearly all the rest of
the world was at war. Spoiations, without
number, were committed on her commerce by
the beIligerent maritime powers DEGREES were
passed by the convention" of France, and by
the government Of England, as measures of
on each other but the tendency of
which must ultimately be, to force this country
from, ifo IF ttu In hats of Of
things Mr.. Jay was sent to England General
Washington and those around him were respon-
sbe for the safety of the country. They knew
that it was the duty of statesmen to
anticipate every emergency to which the coun-
try might be brought, in providing for that safe
ty. Mr.. Jay was accordingly instructed, first,
to make a treaty upon certain basis with Eng
land if he could, and if he could not, then to
apply, without attracting observation, to the
representatives at London of those powers in
Europe, who were not engaged in war, to see if
some concerted measures could be taken, which
would enable them to preserve their neutrality
The instructions were az follows:
"You will have no difficulty in gaining access
to the ministers of Russia, Denmark, and
Sweden, at the court of London. The prnci-
Piles of the armed neutrality would abundantly
cover our neutral rights If, therefore, the stu
alton of things with respect to great Britain
should dictate the necessity of taking the pre-
caution Of foreign cooperation upon this head
if no PROJECT of accommodation should be
thwarted by the danger of such measure
being known to the British court and if an en-
tire view of all our political relations shall, in
your judgment, permit the step, You will sound
these ministers upon the probability of an al.
lance with their nations to support those prnci-
pies"
The proposition, then, was simply this The
minister was sent to England to negotiate
treaty, if he could, upon certain basis, which
would relieve the country from the difficulties
then existing and he was instructed, if he found
he could not negotiate such treaty, then eau
tiously to approach the representatives of the
neutral powers, in England, to see if they would
enter upon some concerted measures of armed
what purpose? For the purpose
Of preserving their neutraty--for the purpose of
preserving their respective governments from
the nece 'sty of embarkng in the war. What
war! The war in which the larger powers Of
the continent of Europe were in league, to put
down the revolt in France auainst the Uovarn |