The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-01-25

sxlytwo seaalors each might find it necessary march
up the mansion OF the President OF the United States
and ask HIS thoughts views IN reference 10 all mat
lers or does The senator think all the members OF the
Committee on Foreign Relations should go as abody :
Or would the honorable senator have Us move solemn
resolution on every occasion upon which any inorma-
ton is askedl Every practical every man oi Dus
who has served here SENATOR knows t1at
would be utterly impossible for us TO obtain he IN
formation which is necessary for our action, without
constantly Iesorting 10 the information obtained IN per-
sona conferences with the chairman OF that committee
The senator understands from these remarks what
meant when said that the chairman OF The COMMITTEE
on Foreign Relations was The organ OF this body to com
municale with the President and being such, had Tue
right 10 consult him while negotiating in behalf OF the
government. All the senator's remarks about undeIa.
ting The dignity OF this body by admitting that we bad
an organ is unworthy OF any notice. do not believe
that any gentleman on this floor show instance
in which any American Secretary OF State undertook 10
conduct the negotiations of treaty here with foreign
government without communicating with the chairman
of the COMMITTEE Foreign Relations Of the Senaie
Does the senator ecolect far back in the history Of
this body the time OF the negotiation OF the Ashburton
treaty! On that occasion, precisely as in the negotia
ton OF the treaty of 1885, the Secretary OF State commn
ncaed constantly with the chairman OF the Committee
Foreign Relations Ii was impossible TO communicate
with all the other senators, although he and both fre
quenty consulted with some OF them.
The senator's OF the United States are the constitution
al advisers OF tine President No Secretary negoiator
making treaty here within the limits OF this city, while
the Senate is in session. ought ever TO be held excusabe
for nesecng to consult with the members OF the Senate
during the progress OF the negotiation.
But my situation was peculiar, and no man under.
stands it better than the senator from Michigan. was
serving as Secretary Of State under whg PresidentI
when large, may say overwhelming, majority OF
the senators OF the United States, who were his consu
honal advisers, were democratic. Could imagine by
possibility that any influence OF the Executive depart
could induce such Senate TO pass the treaty with
out the most deliberate investigation never should
have thought OF making the treaty IT had not been as
sured as was in writing beforehand BY Colonel King,
that the proposed treaty met the views oil majority OF the
Senate. desired their advice not merely Tor the pur
pose of rayng the instrument but sought The benefit
Of their counsel in nxing its terms knew their charac-
ter for wisdom. had served with many OF them Tor a
long period in this body was anxious to obtain all the
light they could give me.
In the course Of his elaborate Speech the senator from
Michigan held me responsible for statement made by
the 9Th OF March last, in reference to the reports
of his own speech OF the previous 9th OF January, in
which he made his attack upon me. 10 order that may
not be misunderstood In the reply which am about 10
make the senator upon that subject, will ask my
friend from Louisiana read The passage Of the speech
OF the honorable senator from Michigan to which pur-
Mr. BENJAMIN read as follows
..Mr President, The honorable senator has committed
great in his statement How and why he alone can
explain. He find In remarks actually made by me
upon that sion a single hioh cha fged
him with having recognised the British tide 10 Honduras
having admed that the treaty did apply any
territory Great Britain had sort of claim The
says that all the reports OF remarks which
peared and the succeeding day. viii show tba these
charges were made by This is rather loose reference
upon which found such accusation But let that pass
met with bat this know, that the Congre ssionu Globe,
ia the Unon National lneIgencer, where they
are correctly ported, syllable Is TO be found in
port OF this statement and person, in out OF the sen
ale should make SUCH assertion without turning to one,
least the journals containing authorized reports oil our
proceedings. do know other papers or letter
writers may have made say am NOT responsible for
upon any partial authority, say that all the report, OF
my remarks concurred this subject Why sr indie
pendent OF the offence which such misepresenta
on would have carried with IL, assertion like that
wholly unsapp ported by the acis and couuadced by tue
documents be ore us wond have oeen an actor oy whcn
trust atn itle likely TO commit =
Mr.. CLAYTON |, will thus be that the honor.
able senator Michigan takes me TO task Tor having
said in March last that according 10 the earlier reports o
hi be bad charged with recognising the British
title In Honduras will show the senator The injustice
which done me IN consequence oil ms speech, and
that what | said strictly true OF IT, hold In my
hand the paper which the very next morning pub
lshed The report of his speesh, as communicated by mag
neic telegraph. This is but one out OF dozen papers
in which, understand the same ielegraphc despatch
appeared very excellent reporter. who reports fol
papers abroad the author OF this report, as under
stand and he communicated II 10 the Courier and Enqu
.er the Journal OF Commerce. The Express the Herald
the Times, Tribune, National Democrat, and Sun, o
New York city, the North American aud Ledger, of Phil
adelphia and the sun and American, OF Baltimore
dozen papers, circulating the version OF The speech o.
which complain among, | am told, at least half a mil
lion OF readers and as that was The st version that ap
pesred copied into the other papers Throughout
lhe United States thus carrying TO the country The des
that had in The letter to Sir Henry Bulwer, acknov
edged the British claims to the Belize and all this, too
i before The letter itself printed by the Senate
10 show the inosee which was done me IN conse
quence OF the speech of The SENATOR will read The yer
SION OF the speech given in the North American, o
Philade phia the next morning, and hen VIII iuri
TO what he himself says is The correct version oil bus
speech The North American report represents the sen
aior as saying on the 9th OF January, 1858:
.'The Secretary Of State had enclosed n the papers
copy Of a pa per drawn up by Mr Clayton ia which tina
gentleman then Secretary OF state, acknowledge
aud concured explanation placed upon the treaty b,
the BRUSH government which all the British claims n
thai quarter fully recognised contrary to the spir
and letter Of the treaty"
Thai abatement pronounced, in March last, 10 b,
false. as now clearly appears 10 be anc, ALSO lh
which followsh:
"But Il now appeared for the fret time, that Messrs
Clayton and ulwer understood that the 'Cenra
America ia the treaty did include Cenusl America
beta part Of ~ and that TO the Of Il Great Britain hst
| all power 10 do as she thought best
thus circulated the 7,h OF January. 1885, hroughou
the United States, by half million OF newspapers OF
his alleged authority he now replies 10 me IN the words
which have been read by my friend from Louisiana.
We see, then, the passages already quoted IRON al
the reports o his remarks which appeared on that snt
the succeeding day." g. the 9th and TN JannaTy) dC
show that these cbarges were made by him,
Thus il appears the senator charged me with having
recognised the British title in Honduras, and all h'
claims she could make upon IT. Ihe senator said ~
was not responsible for any reports oil ms speeches
which were made, matter how much injustice the,
may have done me- except those which were made ant
published in this city on the occasion;
Mr. CASS. did not say so; but do not wish 10 es
inierrnptny The honorable senator 10 explain.
Mr. CLAYTON. VIII the senator tell me what he
did sayl -
Mr. CAsS | said that | not responsible for all
that newspaper reports or elier. writer's may make me
say but said further, that any gentleman IN order to
.h,t really diu saw should have looked