Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1856-03-21
The CIayton-BuIyyer Treaty.--mr. FfiImore's
Administration.

|
Administration.
We commend the following article from the Nor
folk News to the attention of our readers IN general
but more especially of those who delight in talking
of Mr. Fillmore's as the model administration The
facts stated by our cotemporary cannot be called in
oues,ion nor the conclusions drawn from them be
REGARDED as other than sound and legitimate. The
real difficulty wirh England is the Clayton Bulwer
treaty, negotiated by General faylors administra-
tion and the British construction of which was acit-
" acouiesced in by Mr. Fllmore's, for nearly three
years. thus encouraging British pretension, and throw
ing upon Mr. Pierce the task of indicating the hon
or and interests of the country, jeopadized by the
bad management and dilatory timd course of his
predecessors And yet there are those who would
throw the blame upon the present administration -
From the Norfolk News.
Whether war will ensue from the existing msun-
Outstanding between the United States and England,
in relation to the Clayton Bulwer treaty, it is yet
exceedingly difficult to determine. But certain 1t is,
that there is every evidence OF active preparation on
the part of Great Britain. We told by Amer
lean lately writing from London that - she has such
a fleet nation ever had before in actual commits
sOn--prepared to proceed at days notice to Amerl
can watersn 1t is minated, too, in the English pa
pers, that strong military force will be
! centrated in Canada. There is an omnous meaning
in these movemens-a startling significance that
should stir the American BLOOD from Maine to Flor
i'd
Our old enemy is awake, and, it may be, about to
engage in another trial of his strength with
In the Crimea, England has lost thousands of men
and millions of money; the prestige of her proves
has been broken France has won the need OF rrase
AgncOurt has been enacted, and the fortunes OF
Wellington at Waterloo have been reversed, And
now England is sore in her national pride and sens
tive in her national honor The old lion is wounded
but his spirit is exasperated rather than tanned The
people of England are unequivocally in favor of pre-
serving peace with the United States, but Palmer
ston the Premier seems secretly to burn for arar.-
The Clayton-Bulwer treaty-the great bone of con-
tenton-it is to be feared, will prove a problem of
difficult solution. England still stubbornly refuses
to accede to the American construction and this
country will, OF course, pertnaClously adhere TO
the terms of the treaty understood by Mr. Clay
ton. What will be the result The entire treaty
must be annued there must be concession one
side or the other, war must inevitably ensue.-
And appropos of this veXed question, it is probably
not known to every body, that this misapprehenson
of the Clay Bulwer treaty, owes its origin, in
great measure, to the tmid, tempozing policy of the
I Fillmore administration. The notifications of the
treaty exchanged on the same day that General
Taylor was borne to the chamber of death. Willard
Fillmore Immediately succeeded to the Presidency
and bis administration making 10 demand of an en-
forcement of the terms of the treaty the part OF
England, that government OF course construed ST.
lence into assent, and very reasonably adopted Mr.
Bulwers construction as that understood and endors
ed by the United States. It, therefore, remained fol
the Pierce administration TO open the eyes of the
English ministry to the fact, that the British govern
ment bad not acted up to its stipulatOns Had the
Fillmore administration not allowed the question tC
sleep so long, there would probably have been bu
little difficulty in adjusting it, AS ii is, it is not i'm
probable that the God of Battles will decide it.
Is our country in condition to repel such a navy
and such army as England can transport to ou
coast in a few days! Are we prepared for the wa
ger of battle! Is every city upon the sea-coast SAFE
against the enemy? These are grave questions anC
they can but be answered in the negative. Their
are those, however, who, in the of enthusiasm
cry out, let the avelin by let be declared will
d England, and in a twinkling Of an eye would b.
O ready to receive the shock To some extent this i
true but let it be remembered that time and distanc
are almost virtually annihated now, and in tina
e same twnkling of an eye the Baltic fleet of England
might be riding in Hampton Roads Our Who'll
standing army would be but barely sufficient to gar
r rison Fortress Monroe efectualy and recruit
l. would make but poor engineers We are invincible
it is true, but we are not invulnerable And in tn
event Of with England at this coniuncture, GU
e sea-coast would sorely suffer. While the contest il
= the Crmea has crippled England in point 0
k view, it has strengthened her in another. She ha
d lost men and money; but her troops have the advan
q tages of experience and practice, and thirst TO
fame and blood withal. The army of England ha
; been upon daily drill upon The field of battle 70
20 two years past, while have been amateur specta
rs tors of the must be remembered therefore
p that SHE is prepared while not she takes ain
- while we are making ready. There is more unit
8 of action, more promptude and CELEBRITY in the mil
1t itary movements of monarchial governments than il
It republics There will is the motive power her
q the people must approve.
1t is to be earnestly hoped however, that the tar
/ diness and timidy of the model (O Fillmore admin
istration, instead of preciptating the countre
d into war, which would be disastrous to both, wi
O. result in establishing fair understanding betwee
them through the agency of its present prompt an
spirited successor.
Willard Filmore's Platform against Secret socte
e Mllard Fillmore commenced his political caree
h in 1927. as an Anti Mason. In 1928 he was tn
= Anti Masonic nominee for the Assembly from Fri
county. The convention which nominated him wa