The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-05-04
TIL E REPU BLIC.
SPEECH OF HON. EDWARD EvERE TT,
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SPEECH OF HON. EDWARD EvERE TT,
| OF MASSACHUSETTS, -
On TIE affairs of Central America, delivered in the
Senate Of the United Stafes, March 81, 1853.
The Senate having the subject of the affairs OF
Central America under confederation
Mr.. EVERETT said:
Mr.. PaEsDsSr: Il has not beer my intention,
as had the honor to state to the Senate on Thurs
day last, to engage in the debate which has been
conducted with 30 much ability in this place, dur
ing the last eight or ten days.
II was quite natural. in fact it was unavoidable,
that the Senator from Delaware. (Mr. CLAYroS)
after returning to the Senate of which for twenty
four years he had been one OF the brightest orna
ments, should be desirous Of avaing himself OF
the first opportunity of vindicatng the negotiation
OF the treaty Of the 10Th of April 1850, which was
conducted by him under the direction OF Pres-
! dent Taylor. 1t was not less a matter of course
that the chairman of the Committee on Foreign
Relations, MIR Mason, ) and that the Senator from
| lllinoisy Mr.. DoUaLAs,) who had taken part in
the debates OF the last session, should reply to
toe statements OF the Senator from Delaware. But,
| for my own part, my humble connection With the
sffairs of Contra; America ia much more recent and
slight. Entirely stranger to the negotiation
of the treaty, and not less a stranger to the debate
which took place in this chamber in the early part
OF the last session, should have considered it rather
obtrusive to throw myself into the discussion of the
general subjects which have been controverted
| with 80 much ability by the gentlemen to whom /
1
say, that when took my place upon this door
about three weeks ago-and / consider ii the high
| est honor OF my public life that have been per-
mitted to have seat here-I came here in such a
| state OF complete exhaustion, bodily and mental,
after the fatigues Of the last winter in another
| capacity, that felt myself altogether ndsposed
| to any considerable mental exertion.
But the discussion that has taken place in re-
ference to the history of past events has connected
itself with the present condition of affairs in Cen
trail America, toward which my attention has been
| recently called. communication was made to
the Department of State in the early part of Feb
| ruary by the Minister of the British government
| At Washington, with the express intimation of a
wish that the purport of that communication should
| In some proper public form come before the Gov
eminent of the United States This was done
| through the medium OF report from the Depart
ment of State TO the President, Of the 10Th of Feb
| rusry, which was by him sent to the two Houses
| on the 18th Of the same month. That communi
cation seemed to me to afford opportunity of
making new effort, with considerable prospect
of success, to bring all the difficult controyerted
matters In that quarter TO an amicabe and desira-
bic issue. 1t seemed to me particularly to suggest
the proprlcty OF putting our diplomatic relations
with Central America upon a better and more eff
cent footing than they have stood upon for some
time past. This suggestion made BY me to
the President; 1T was approved by him; was by
him submitted to Congress, and has been honored
by their sanction, the two Houses having made
the requisite appropriation for full minister to
be sent by this Government to the States Of Cen.
tails of those States, respectively he may think
expedient, and thus to be able exert all the in.
huence OF his character and station in recopciinp
the difficulties which exst between those Republics
| and bringing the questions at issue between them
and US to AMIGA bic settlement.
There are other circumstances which led me to
| suppose that this was propitious moment for
making this effort; and it does seem to me- from
the character Of the recent debate. that if it should
now finally terminate without any illusion to those
circumstances, 1t would, as | stated last Thurs.
day. leave upon the public mind, not onl y an in.
| correct, but a somewhat painful impression as to
the real state of affairs in that part of the world
and our connection with them; that the country
would be alarmed with the idea that the state of
affairs is more critical in that quarter than it really
is TO rectify this impression is the main object
OF my addressing the Senate at this time
Before do this, wish to make my acknow-
ledgmen to the distin guished Senator from Illinois
(Mr. DoUeLAs,) whom do not at this moment
see In his place, for the very complimentary notice
be was pleased to take Of the letter addressed by
me on the LIST of December to the ministers OF
France and England the subject of the tri
partite convention relating to Cuba. If could
think that he did not, in the warmth of the argu-
ment in which be was engaged, overstate the mer-
its OF that letter. should certainly feel that with
the favorable notice taken of il by SO distinguished
a Judge, my highest ambition as a public man
ought to be satisfied. 1t was subject OF great
difhculty, Importance, and delicacy, dividing to
some extent the opinions of the people and il was
my desire, in that matter. to find out if possible
and to assert n line of principle md of policy which
would be generally approved by the country;
| which woudshow that it was possible TO reconc;Ie
the progressive spirit and tendency of the country
and of the age with the preservation of the public
faith, with the sanctity of the public honor, and
with the dictates OF an enlightened and liberal
| conservatism. This the object which had in
view and if | shall be thought in any degree to
have attained 1t, my utmost ambition will be sat
| isfei
Allow me TO say one other word, as | have al
luded TO this topic, of personal nature. Called
asI was, in the month of November last, without
days preparation, after retirement CT seven
years from all active participation in political life
to occupy-but alas! sir, how far from filing
the place of one OF the foremost statesmen of the
| age; called upon within three or four weeks the
greater part OF which time passed in the bus.
tie Of an inn, without book to refer to- or leisure
moment for research inquiry, to Ike I'D such
| important questions as the Lobos Islands, the
Crescent City affair, the difficulty about the ishe
ries, and then this last great subject of riparite
convention; to dispose of all these questions under
the daily pressure of the routine of the Department
enough ofitsel TO put 10 the test the soutest capa-
city of labor and endurance, did feel that this was
task of no ordinary magnitude, and one that
should enutle person to some charitable consde-
| ration Tor any imperfection defect in the Der.
iormance of his duty. And, sir, if in the State
papers which was obliged, in very rapid success
sion, to produce, II should be found, under the
severe scrutiny to which they must of necessity be
subjected, that some things-as / understand ia
alleged to be the case-are omitted which had
petter oeen sald mat some things put for I'd
which mad better been reserved for other opportu
mites, and some things stated, absractIy true but
without sufficient qualification and guards: if
any thing of this sha be found, | trust that due
allowance will be made; as also confidently trust
II VIII still be found that there is nothing in them
committing the honor or the interest of the country
The honorable Senator from Illinois cited some
sentences from my letter of the LIST of December
1909, which ne thought were in direct contradic-
! uon, on the ground of constitutional principle
win some OF the provisions of the treaty which
was ne gotiated by my friend from Delaware Now,
SIT, think that If a due allowance is made for the
entire difference in the nature of the contacts and
Oh the relations OF the contracting parties to the
subject matter, the total dissimilarty in the geo.
| graphical and historical circumstances that give
| their character to the two conventions il will be
allowed that the constitutional doubt which
| expressed-for 1t was but a doubt-and which
| applied in The one case, does not apply in the
other. Sir, the compacs totally different One
| OF them, the Cuban convention, would not have
| received am sure, single vote in the Senate Il
! the Executive had been ill advised enough 10 send
it here. The other was confirmed by majority
largely exceeding that which is required by the
| Coz tuition The Senator from Delaware bas
said that be in the principles of the letter
of the lat Of December, and he has shown YOU that
the policy pursued by him towards Cuba was pre.
cisey the same as that pursued by the late Admin.
istration. Ii there is the difference which the
Senator from Illinois thinks between some of the
l 4. N,,ln I>tt.