Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-02-09
The DipIomatic Service.

In the New York Assembly, Jan. 18th, Mr..
j. 7. Headley introduced a resolution, re-
questing the United States Government to ex-
clude foreign-born citizens from the Di ploma-
tic service Of this country We give por-
ton Of his remarks
The Importance of the subject designed to
be carried out by this resolution, increases
in magnitude every day. At this moment
nearly one third of our foreign representa-
tion is composed of foreigners. One who, II
few weeks ago, had, in New York, the Aus
trian eagle over his door, the symbol of his
office, now, in Europe, rejoices as n Charge
d'Afaires under the American eagle. Aus
tria sends us q Consul--we turn him into
Minister and send him back. This lie inter-
national courtesy with n vengeance!
But, sir, not only has the experience of the
past year shown the necessity Of such meas
ure as this resolution proposes. but the de-
mand for it is based on the soundest logic
In the first place, a man educated in a for
eign land cannot truly represent US. Does
any one suppose that because he might be-
come the subject Of Austria, or Russia, that
| he could properly represent those States
amonp the Governments Of Europe' Much
| less can .Loy represent US who differ so wide
~, so totally, from all other people. A man
must grow up amid our institutions, become
| phIt VI US, db Inb tree OF In6 SOIL out oil
which it grows, to comprehend our true
character, or convey an impression of it to
other nations This is not mere matter of
theory, but is a fact which finds striking H.
| lustrations in our Observation-Disclosures fur
nished seemingly for our special benefit, but
| which. somehow, have been strangely over
looked. The Secretary of the Treasury, un-
der Jefferson, and who completely controlled
his cabinet and afterwards that of Madison,
was one of the purcst, most upright and ac-
complished men that ever held place in any
cabinet He loved this country well, and
sought her welfare with untiring self-devo-
ton. He had but one fault, he was for
eigner and yet it was thought this could
scarcely be fault, for he was from foreign
| Republlc-nursed in freedom, and had been
! rocked in the cradle nf iiho-ty- ys., od"o"
ted under different influences, he could not
understand US. For this he was not to blame.
1t was want neither intellect nor study
could supply. His counsels rendered Jcfer-
| eor's on"~sn timnrnns, and hence provoked
constant and renewed aggressions Having
the same influence in Madisun's cabinet, he
caused the same vacillating policy to be pur-
sued. lie opposed the war throughout, and
when 1t was declared predicted utter failure.
controlling the cabinet, he prevailed on it to
adopt the tated resolution Of shutting up the
navy in port in short, turning our ships-of-
TINS most disastrous decision was prevented
only by two men, Captains Bainbridge and
Sewart, whom we should hold in everlas sting
remembrance. Hearing of it, they remOn-
strated with the President, telling him that
II the navy was laid up in war no one would
support it in peace They endeavored to en-
courage him, declaring that American can.
talns could take care Of their own ships
Nay, they startled him by promising victo-
ries, Very likely they said, we shall at last
be overcome by superior force but the Amer
lean nag shall never he struck with dishonor.
The President, with the Secretary of the Ma
Wy, was swept away by the noble enthusiasm
and earnest appeals of these brave command
ers, ana Cabinet meeting was called to re-
CO lsider the decision which it had come to-
But here, the Secretary of the Treasury (no-
BILE and true as he was) again threw his
mighty influence in the scale against this ap-
peal OF Captains Bainbridge and Stewart.
and the decision to lay up the feet was re-
afhrmed Apparently the thing was now set
tied, and here would pause, and ask every
member within hearing of my voice, what
would have been the result if that decision
had been persevered in. The victories at sea
counteracted the defeats on land-the shouts
rolling In from the seabord, met the curses
ana lamentations from our northern and west
ern frontiers. Every tyro IN history knows
that with our feet laid up in the harbor. the
war would have had an ignominious close
and that we should have been compelled to
pass through another war before the doctrine
of"Free Trade and Sailors Rights could
have been established. Who can estimate the
evil that would have resulted from such a
policy and yet that policy was t,oice decided
upon through the influence ofa foreigner, and
that of no less person than Albert Gallatin.
But the commanders were not to be thus put
on. When the decision was made known to
them, instead of retiring disheartened, they
sat up nearly all night, drawing up remon-
STRANGE to the President, in which were no
well.rounded periods, but in direct and stern
language, they charged on him, and him
alone, the terrible responsibility of keeping
the navy from its legitimate field of action ,
nay, told him the people would hold him to
strict and stern account for it in the end
When the remonstrance was placed before the
Secretary of the Navy, he refused, at first, to
hand it to the President, till its language was
modified. But they would not strike out a
single word, and it went TO the President
Instead of being offended at its bold tone,
he, for once, refused to call into his councils
the Secretary of the Treasury, tut took upon
himself the responsibility of sending the fleet
to sea , and what was the result In few
weeks the thunder of the guns of the old
Constitution was booming over the deep, ut
tering the first stern challenge to the foe, and
asserting and making good the claim to equal
dominion on the sea. Acting from the high
est and purest motives, Mr.. Gallatin came
near wrecking us in that war.
The English commander and the Secretary
were equally honest, and looked at things
from the same stand point. remember that
a captain of an American merchantmen, who
had been taken prisoner by the Guerriere, a
few days before the action with Constitution,
once said to me, that as he was sitting on
deck, just after the latter vessel hove sight
the English commander looked at it, long and
carefully, through his glass. lie then turn
ed ana asked the American captain If no
could make the stranger out. "She is an
American frigate," replied the latter. alt
is not possible" replied the Englishman, "as
he would not stand on so boldly" So thought
the Secretary of the Treasury. But we all
know the old frigate did stand on boldly, re-
ceiving the enemy's broadsides but returning
none, She kept on her terrible way silent
and stern as death, till her bows began to lap
the Englishman's quarters, when suddenly
she was afame with her own broadsides, and
moving on in blaze Of FIRE, soon left her enc
my helpless wreck on the water, proclaim
ing 70 the world how little foreign mem
Der Of an American Cabinet knew OF Ameri-
can character. If one of the purest and best
men we ever had, and best skilled in the sci
ence of Government, could peril US SO by ig-
norance of our character, how careful we
should be to trust foreigners, possessing less
integrity, with our interests, especially when
those interests come in collision with foreign
nations and policy.