The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-10-30

the bitter fruits OF the substitution OF expedleney
for principle the penalty OF the attempt TO eyade the
duty of the general government by the transfer Of
Its trust TO irresponsible hands The ailacy oil the doc
trne Familiarity called squater sovereignty had run its
course sooner than he anticipated Tor though he
had doubted its entire failure and inevitable aban-
donment whenever Il should be applied TO foreign Terri
tories the acquisition Of which contemplated, he had
thought il might answer in Territories OF the United
States settled by citizens migrating from the States OF the
Union In relation TO that to all other OF the ques-
tons presented by the OF 1885, and decided by
the people OF Mississippi in 1851 he had desired TO see
the experiment fairly made for though he had received
the decree in sorrow he gave TO it sulen submission
and his pledge of obedience contained mental
tons In that state of public affairs he had entered the
cabinet of President Pierce Had he pursued his incl
nation and been governed by his interests he should
have followed out his original intention and have declined
cabinet appointment He had desired to the end of
the controversy of which he had been part to rergue
before the people of the State in 1883 those questions
which, he believed by false presentation, ajudgment had
been obtained which they would not deliberately confirm
After his arrival at Washington the argument which
had been used at homethat to decline might be inJu-
rious to the Staerighs party of the Souhwas renewed
and prevailed the personal pride and personal inter
est which prompted him TO seek another and airer con-
test the field which had been lost With President
Pierce he said he had enjoyed many years of personal
confidence and friendship he honored him for his steady
adherence to the constitution he had marked his manly
conduct when, senator in 1878, he gave support
more decided and consistent than that rendered by many
senators of the South to the efforts of Mr. Calhoun, by
ueciafaory RESOLUTIONS, TO guard our Secton against inc
aggression which the prophetic eye of that statesman
in the future he knew and admired his generous inn
pulses and feared nothing from his administration in all
that the constitutional rights of section guaranteed
He had offered such to the people of Mississippi
when the received of Mr. Perces nomination,
and he thought he could confidently refer the record Of
his administration for the fulment of the assurances
then given BY appropriations for works of international
improvement Congress had made with him an issue in
which seinterest stood arrayed against principle The
benefits of the policy ramed it was SO as to enter
nearly every congressional district of the United States,
left little to expect that Executive who opposed
his single voice to that of majority of both houses of
Congress could escape the bitter assaults of all who
foed in the hope of grapng the public treasure for To-
cal advantage and all who, having departed from the
path of democracy, stood rebuked by the integrity of
who adhered to his faith regardless of consequences
himself The democracy of the United States in gen
era conventions have time and again denied the power
of the general government to take charge of the subject
OF internal improvements and have repeated our time
honoed doctrine of strict construction Of the grants in
the constitution and how the Senate with democratic
majority, overruled by majority Of twohirds the Exec
utye vetoes Of bills for internal improvements and eee
mosynay purposes, presented inquiry curious
and suggestive than it likely TO be satisfactory. He
proceeded to show the unequal operation of system
which gathered taxes from the great body of the people
to be disbused for the Improvement of favored localities
and to point out in addition to the constitutional obec
tons to such legislation that for asyums for the indi
gent insane the feature in the which would have
made the old States landed proprieors in the new for
The veto messages with which the President returned
those bills met the questions directly and fully he of
fered no side argument in exenuaton, no apology or
pallating but, asserting the principle of his
action and stating the for his conclusions, left
the case to be decided its merits His argument,
like truth will be found applicable to all future
however the circumstances may change On these
other occasions President Pierce fixing his eye the
constitution and disregardng all selfish considerations,
had performed his duty in defiance of the clamor which
he foresaw would pursue him he had executed the laws
of the land bravely encountcrng local prejudice and
tanatcal excitement had drawn upon himself the Bit
ter hostility of aboonsm which still with unmitigated
hate pursued him in his retirement to private life had
gone down with the constitution of his country in his
hand and the flag of the Union flying him,
dear to his friends in the hour of defeatan example
more worthy of imitation and admiration than any de-
gree of attained by different could have
made him. The policy and the hope of his public
forcibly indicated in speech made at Faneuil
Hall since the close of his administration. There, it
were boarding the lion in his den he announced that it
gave him pleasure in that place to tell them that the
Union could only be preserved by full and cordial not
partial and reluctant recognition of all the obligations
and performance of all the duties enjoned by the
pact of Union between the States Such was the advice
and prophetic warning which Calhoun sent from his
death-bed to be read in the Senate of the United States
bright example of that unity which exists between the
true democrats of every section of wide republic
There were two questions of foreign policy in which
the people of Mississippi had manifested special interest
and in relation to which the late administration had been
pursued in relation to each and would first speak
of Cuba. 1t would be remembered he said, that under
the administration of Mr. Fillmore several expeditions
had been organized in the United States, and had
sailed against the island of Cuba The then admin
istration assumed the power to keep the police of
the seas and to arrest expeditions which had, in vi
citation of neutrality laws, left the coast of the
United States and passed beyond its jurisdiction
and at the same time, though it a law unto it
SELF declared such expeditions to be piratica The
suton gave Congress the power to define piracy; the
Executive presumed to add offence to the list and
though he Col d. had doubt such was not the pur-
pose, the effect the execution of gallant band of
Americans, captured and slain without the trial which
by treaty, secured to all American citizens. That
act followed by many acts of annoyance, and by
riOus embarrassments to the of the United
States. Under these circumstances the policy of adding
that island to the territory of the United States acquired
more than its ordinary importance. On the advent of
Mr. Pierce to the presidency he selected for minister to
Madrid Mr. Soule of Louisiana than whom the country
did not contain better qualified to secure the acqu
stion of Cuba he spoke Spanish uently extensively
acquainted with leading men in Spain, and well informed
of European diplomacy he tried and true friend of
the South and known to ardenty DESTROYS of add
ing Cuba to territory Mr. Buchanan also desired the
acquisition of that valuable island he selected
than Madrid in the execution Of any plan for the pcacea
BILE transfer of Cuba from the jurisdiction of Spain to that
Of America The cordial cooperation of these great
offered the best prospect for Negotiations
early commenced and progressed satisfactorily nowith
standing the European intrigues by which they
barrassed until the detention of the Back Warrior in
the port of Havana occurred On hearing of that event
President Pierce sent special message to Congress- and
instructed Mr. Soule to make peremptory demand for