Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1853-04-07

warmth Of the argument in which he was
engaged, oyerstated the merits of that letter.
] should certainly feel that, IN the favorable
notice taken of it by so discriminating
Judge, my highest ambition as public man
ought to be satisfied II was subject of
great difficulty, great Importance, great del
icacy, dividing to some extent the opinions
Of the country; and ii was my desire in
that letter to find out, if possible, and to
present that line Of principle aud of policy
which would be generally approved by the
country-wblch would show that it was
possible to reconcile the progressive spirit
aud tendency Of the country and the age
with the preservation Of the public faith,
with the sanctity of the public honor, and
with the dictates of a liberal Conservatism.
This was the object which | had view, aud
If | should be though, ia any degree to have
attaIued Ii, my utmost ambitioi. mig be
satisfied.
And in connection with that topic, allow
me to say one word further, of personal
nature. Called as | was in the month of
November, without days preparation and
after retirement Of seven years from all
active participation in political life, to oc-
cupy-bul alas how far from 6lling-the
place of one of the foremost statesmen Of
the age called upon within three or four
weeks, the greater part Of which was pas
sed IN the hustle of public house, without
book to refer to, without a leisure mo-
meni for research or inquiry, TO take up
and dispose of such difficult questions as
the Lobos Islands, the Crescent City affair,
the difficulty about The Fisheries, and then
this last great subject of the tripartite con-
venuon-cailed upon To take up all these
questions under the daily pressure Of the
routine Of the Department, (enough of IL
self to put To the test the stoutest capacity
of labor and endurance, } did leel that this
was task OF no ordinary magnitude, and
one that should eulule a person To some
charitable consideration for any imperec-
ton or defect 10 the performance Of the du-
~. And If 10 the State papers which |
was obliged, IN This state of things TO pro-
duce IL very rapid succession. under the Sc
we're scrutiny TO which they must of ueccs-
siiy be subjected It >hOuld be found which.
| believe, has been alleged to be the case
that some thugs are omitted which 1T had
better have been said that some things are
brought forward wIch had better have
been reserved for other opportunities that
some Things are stated ia The abstract with
ont sufficient qualification and guard, hope
that while some allowance i, made for these
faults, q vii still be found that there is
nothing committing the honor or the inter-
esis of the country.
The gentleman from Illinois. Mr. Doug
las) cited some passages from my letter of
the 1T OF December, which he thought were
in direct contradiction, on the ground of
constitutional principles, with some provis-
ions of The treaty that was negotiated by
my friend from Delaware, (Mr Clayton }
Now, sir, think If due allowance Is made
for the entire difference IN the nature OF
these compacts, ia the relations of the two
contracting parties to the subject matters,
and the total dlssmiiari,y Of The geographic
cal, of the historical circumstances that
gave character to the two cQmpacts, | think
It Will be allowed that the constitutional
doubt which eNpressed-ior II was but a
doubt-uhich applied IN the one case does
not apply ia tie other. The compaclS were
totally different. One of them, the Cuban
Convention, would not have received, | am
sure, single vote ia this Senate, If the EX.
ecutNe had been iIi-idvised enough to have
sent It here. The other was approved
as we all know, by majority largely eX
ceeding that which IS required by the Con
s,ituuon.
The Senator from Delaware has said thai
he concurs ia the principle OF that letter O
the lsl of December, and has shown You
that the policy pursued by himself towards
Cuba, was positively the same as that pursu
ed 10y the late administration. Ii indeed
there was this difference, which the Senator
from Illinois SAYS, between the doctrines @
the Cuban letter and the principles of th'
treaty, should feel that It behooged m,
quite as much to look after my letter, as !
does my friend from Delaware TO look ate
his treaty. Instead of attacking him,
should think II much wiser for me to lool
round To see how could best lorlly myself
In facI, the Senator from Delaware Is one @
the last men with whom | should wish L
engage IN parliamentary warfare, even viz
the advantage Of an alliance with leader $
vigorous aud SO skIllu as the disllnguIshe
Senator from Illinois. should fear tina
that alliance would pToye an enianglIn
alliance" to me, which, If not exactly uu
constitutional, would be very unadgIsed 10
me'io enter into.
But enough ufthis; il is time that Shout
proceed 70 the exposition winch desire L
make, aud which, must iorwarn you, Nj
President, Ia the outset, IS a PLAIN, bushes
like exposition, which It would be idle &
seek 10 lnyes, with any rhetorical attraction
Our relations with Central America hav
for some time formed one of the most lmpoi
tant portions of our foreign relations. tn
= Importance has been entirely ont of proPol
, ton either to the population OF lhose'stale'
totheir political weight, or TO ANY CONNER
} clal relations which we either have, or eve
r can expect to have, with them Why, su
these live States of Guatemala, San Salyl
, dor, Honduras, Nicaragua, aud Costa Rec
I altogether, do not contain populate
! greater than .he single State OF Ono; au
e that population instead of being compat
a aud homogeneous, is divided Into five state
. with capitals remote from each other, wit
# very inadequate means of Communication
/; and ia other respects wholly disabled fro
d making themselves felt in their relation