The Tiffin tribune. [volume] (Tiffin, Ohio) 1848-1859, 1858-01-15
CoNenEssIoNAL.


mtttee OF the Whole or tnc STATE ot tne
Union. on the Presidents Message.
Mr.. Sickles wished to pus ON record
his dissent from some Of the positions
assumed by gentlemen yesterday in de- |
bate. II members had been ia a House /
of Representatives convened by Gen.
Waller in Nicaragua, they could not
have listened 10 sentiments more in uni
son with the latter's theory Of government.
and more at war with our own. than they
we're compelled to liston to in this hall
They were told that the Neutrality Acl
Of 1918 was unconstitutional. and against
The principles Of our people; but, rs he
had read the history Of his country, he
found that the policy o; that ACT was
! handed down from the days Of Washing
Ton. aud embodied in our statues from
hat to the present time, and II has never
been dissenled from by any Adunis;Ta
tion or party. Had gentlemen forgotten
that Mr. Cramptou WAS dismissed because
be committed acts VI ilatiye Of the neu-
ralitv laws. He had supposed that the
whole country sustained the wisdom and
lirmness OF the executive in the enforce
meGt Of the traditional policy Of the
Government not to permit our own Uili-
zens or the representatives Of any foreign
power. great or small, 10 compromise the
neutrality Of the United States with re-
gard to nations with whom We are al
peace We have made treaties withRa
rious Powers, in which we have entered
into supulations based on this very satute,
one recently with New Granada. and an
o.her also. ~ rumor has IL. with Nicara-
qua Ilo was surprised 10 hear it asserted
that Naval officers have not right to %
out upon the high seas to capture viola
tors 9f our laws. Had gentlemen forgot
en- that our Government is in treaty
,tipulalions to maintain a Naval force foj
he purpose Of exercising a police over
,ll the seas. and to suppress the infamous
slave traffic? This policy has been re-
c,gnized by all Administrations and all
parties. and he never heard il questioned
before. Connected with every such ex-
Ipedli6n was the question Of inteat. It
would be an oiiense against tho good
sense OF the House TO aud anything IT,
the argument, So significant. that the ex.
prdilOn fitted out by Walker was to make
war aud take life and property within the
limits OF Nicaragua, with whom we had
Lust made n treaty Of amity aud friend.
ship. lnstAntaneou,ly on the landing ol
The expedition acts Of hostility were per
ipetmted-men were shot down aud prop
r. yseized. Every writer ON international
IVY calls such conduct robbery and muir.
8, No man would go farther than
himself to recognize he right Of Ameri.
Wn Ciizens to emigrate to foreign bands
II they wished peacefully to go to Cen
ttal America, le. them go. lie desired
o sec the lsthmus Amaricanized. Bur
such expeditions as that Of Walker, and
uuh conduct, are not calculated to pro.
/ mJte the interests Of our people, so far q,
hey are connect 4 with the interests a.
Central America. II the expedition wa,
| peaceful, as Walker Informed Secretary
Cass Il woIld be, their ploughshares wer,
turned into swords, and pruning hook,
! into spears with such quickness as /,
throw SuSpicion-on tho sincerity of thei
professions The presumption alway,
was in favor Of she conduct Of the officer
in the performance of duty at remote
point. but this rule has been reversed
and all the charges against Commodore
( Pmlding are asked 10 be admitted a,
truths. lie did not want Paulding's ao
o be regarded as a precedent. There il
- no question but that in technical poin
Of view his act was illegal, and that h,
xreedsd his Instructions. But he un,
doub,cdly acted in accordance with wha
ne believes was the spirit Of his inslruc,
ions, hayiby a reasonable belief that th,
Governmentr regarded Walkers expedition
as unlawful.
Gentlemen must not forget that Gen
Jackson passed into Spanish Territory
aud arrested certain persons, and hung
them upon tho nearest tree; but he WAS
not recalled in disgrace. The President
was fully alive To the interests OF our
people with Central American Republics,
and the lsthmus. The highway of a large
portion of the commerce of the world
tie has shown every disposition 10 further
these interests by the cultiva ion of kind
aud (r,ternal relations with these Govern
menls, with view TO Americaniza them
rs far as he can, and TO secure our people
all the advantages possible Under these
circumstances, was it anything but trea.
son for men TO organize hwess exped.
tons, and going there to make war on
republics with whom we are at peace.
Mr.. Bliss of Ohio sand he WISHED to
call attention TO another subject, which
had deep interest ia the hearts of hi,
countrymen. lie did not mean the froth
aud on laws Of cities, but the masses who
are interested in the perpetualion Of our
institutions. He meant to speak Of what
Is commonly known as the "Dred Scott
decision, which the President has endors-
ed, and TO which the official action Of th,
Government has been Uonformed Thal
decision. haargued. was in utter disregard
Of the rights Of man scd the truth, OF
history, Wh,n he ref cted that the mos
absolute tyranIs were fem supporters OF
law, he could feel no reverence for The
judges who descended from their high
positions to crush liberty under the color
OF the Constitution, Therein the doubl,.
IreNohery exists. Without show ot
reason, anil in the face Of ~ the authori-
/ ties, that sectional. irresponsible and pr.i-