Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1857-09-12
From the Richmond Enquirer.
Letter from Elk President Tyler,

dt w asnlIgtOn, yet IL seems 10 me 10 DC not
only proper, but in some measure required
of Inc to viudcate an act OF my administra-
ton, for which posterity will hold me &C.
countable against public attack made upon
it. Such an occasion has occurred in the
published debates of the recent Commercial
Convention at Knoxville, wherein o men,
Der is stated to have declared the provision
in the Treaty of Washington, stipulating on
the part of the United States for tue main.
tainance of feet of eighty guns for the
suppression of the slave trade under the
American flag, was an act of discourtesy
and insult to the South, as q reason for its
abrogation. Che declaration thus msae
seems to have met with the countenance of
large majority of the Convention in the
final vote upon the subject. propose to
do no more, Messrs Editors, than revive
with the public recollection of the incidents
which led to the Incorporation of that pro-
vision in the Treaty, and, having done so, l
shall be content to leave the matter to the
arbitrament of the proper tribunal. shall,
however, be permitted to observe, that the
remarks reported to have fallen from mem
hers of the Convention, in debating the
main subject, are so entirely variant from
the popular sentiment entertained through
ont the Southern States, as [ believe, in
1912, as to occasion me no little surprise.
Who. il 1912, even dreamed that there
would be, as early as 1857, 4 proposition
seriously made to revive the slave trade2
certainly entertained no such idea, nor did,
! am quite sure, any enc of the able and
patriotic statesmen who were my consttu-
tional advisers. really thought and often
declared that the Southern States were more
opposed to the slave trade than any other
portion of our people They had voted with
singular unanimi;y for the act of Congress
which declared that ell citizens Of the Unit
ed States engaging IN that trade should be
regarded, and, if convicted, punished as
pirates. glow it happens, then, that pro-
Tla,sn introduced into treaty to enforce a
law, for which the South had voted, can be
righttuiiy regarded as an insult TO the South,
must say passes my comprehension. Ger
talniy such an idea never entered into my
head or heart
My principal desire, however, is, to call
the attention of the country, IN brief, to the
facts as they existed Immediately antecedent
to the treaty Of Washington. 4he British
/ Government had insisted upon the right, in
virtue Of various treaties With other nations,
TO visit ships on the coast of Africa, sailing
under the American flag, for the purpose Of
ascertaining the true nationality of the, ships
England had even ventared to put its claim
into practice This called forth strong re-
nlonstrances from Mr.. Stevenson, who was
T
able argument in pamphlet form appeared
soon after, from the pen of Gen. Cass, who
was our minister at Paris The conduct Of
our representatives at London and Paris in
this particular, was fully approved by the
administration, and, il my annual message
to Congress, j took decided ground against
the claim preferred by Great Britain, and
made it the occasion to say, that as the
United States Government was the first to
declare the slave trade to be piracy so far
as the citizens Of the United States were
concerned, 50 it was fully able to enforce its
own laws without the aid Of British cruis-
ers.
Thus, tic two governments remained for
tue antagonzed on the question. Great
Britain urged that she meant no insults to
the American flag, bat that it was impossi-
bic, without a visit to the ship, to ascertain
whether she belonged to the nation whose
flag she bore, or had assua.ed thai flag,
merely to deceive, thus seeking immunity
under the American flag, when the vessel,
officers and crew might be French, Portu
suese or Spanish, or Of s3.ae other nation,
intent on the slave trade, whose treaty en-
f-oe he bol os,,r -.
right ef,s visit and search. Great Britain
also urged on our government, as a consjd
Grafton Cor quiescence on our part in the
matter, that if the vessel, visited should turn
out. to be truly American, bound on a peace
full mercantile voyage, she would indemnify
all loss, aud every damage sustained, as had
been honorably done in all preceding eases.
Lord Ashburton was possessed of full power
to negotiate on this, as on other subjects
and upon conference reiterate my deelaea-
ton made in my annual message, that the
United States Government was able to en-
force its own laws, and that should see to
their enforcement. treaty or no treaty under
the obligations of paramount. duty. | then
suggested, by way Of discharging this duty
On my part, that we should keep upon the
African coast naval armament sufficiently
great to visit all ships that might hoist the
United States flag, and fall under suspicion;
but that We could not permit another nation
to do SO. Upon this basis the stipulation
in the treaty has, in my mind, always rest
cd. Certain it is, that Cor the aftertine of
my service, no visit, much. less search, Of
an American. vessel, occurred on tie part
If a British cruiser What has taken place
since, | Will not-undertalse to say / have
nothing TO do, with what the Government of
this country may deem it proper to do in
regard to that stipulation, but this l will
venture to say, that repeal when it pleases
that provision of the treaty, it will still find
it necessary for the enforcement of the laws
of the United States, as we'll as for the pro-
lection of the traffic of merchant vessels on
that caast-za traffic every year increasing
in value, and destined, in the end, &c be of
vast magntude--to maintainsa feet Of at
least eighty guns on the coast of Africa. 1t
might be worthy Of consideration. by the
next Commercial Convention whether, be-
fore they advise the cancelling of the provi-
sionin question, and denounce it as an in
suit TO the South, they should not first re-
peal the law relative to piracy in regard to
the slave trade Very respectfully, your
obedleht servant, JOHN TYLER.