The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-05-07

4
| citrou bark al SOS.
Our Foreign Reiations-Does Mr Cnngman
| Speak by Authority.
| Mr.. Clingman, Chairman of the House Com
mittee on Foreign Affairs, has delivered him.
self of speech in that capacity, embracing
| his views upon the Walker filibusters, Central
American affairs, st. Domingo, Cuba, the o.
tend manifesto, the African slave trade, the
English traffic in Aiatic coolies, and the new
French trade in African apprentices. This is a
| comprehensive field to be covered in a gle
| speech under the one,hour rule, but 1t appears
that Mr.. Clingman found no difficulty in &C.
| complishing the feat The degree of impor
ever, depends very much upon the character
which he played in their delivery. If We may
consider him in this case as the official repre-
sentative Of the administration, or of the com
mittee his views are Of the highest moment;
but if he simply uttered the opinions of Mr.
Clingman, as radical Southern democratic
politician, they are of comparatively little con.
sequence, one way or the other.
What says this learned chairman on foreign
affairs upon the several subjects indicat-
ed? He contends that the seizure Of the
Walker flibusters by Commodore Paulding
was an illegal proceeding; but he pro-
poses to let that matter drop, upon the prin-
ciple, we suppose, that it is one of those things
which, being done, cannot be undone. This is
sufficiently near the special message Of the Pre-
sident upon the subject to answer the purpose,
| although we should have preferred something
more explicit from Mr.. Clipgman concerning
| the impregnable views Of the President on fill
| clustering, as measured by the rules of inter-
national good faith and public morality.
Upon the Cass- Yrisarri treaty Mr.. Clingman,
we apprehend, speaks rather the sympathies of
Southern propaganda Of the Gen. Walker
school than the views Of the administration.
He holds that we ought TO exercise eur influence
over Nicaragua to secure the right of way, and
he hopes that the treaty making power Of the
United States will not allow any regulation to
be made by which our interests will be damaged.
| Of New York has, under the late arrangements
| entered into, secured the sole right to carry
passengers by the Nicaragua Transit route and
| that Yrisarri has issued a proclamation that
| Transit passengers shall travel by no other
| line. And then Mr. Clingman asks, somewhat
Indignantly, Can any such restrictions be placed
| on American citizens? and are they to submit
TO an enormous monopoly, granted by the gov
| eminent Of a country containing not more than
half million Of people, end they mostly ne
| groes and Indians"
Now these we think, are very silly questions
| especially when put forward by the Chairman Of
| the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. We can
hardly account for the apparent ignorance Of
| Mr. Clingrnan on this subject Considering bis
| official position on this committee-usually &C.
| celted on all hands as the official exponent OF
tn, &C rinstration-itw was his duty. If he wished
| to &c lderstood as representing the admins
traticl. TO hold preliminary talk or two with
| tn, secretary Of State upon this Yrsarri trea.
| ty Had be done 30, we have no doubt tina,
| General Cas- would have informed him that the
| treaty was made with Senior Ytisarr q.
| the recognized representative at Washing.
ton of a sovereign and independent State
| and that, in thus recognizing the indepen-
dence and sovereignty Of Nicaragua, our gov.
ernment could not assume any powers
| Of jurisdiction over those local matters
which are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction
| Of the local government Of Nicaragua. Thus
| informed we presume that Mr.. Clingman would
| have discovered that the limitations Of interna
tional law in this case are very clear, and tha,
the large proportion Of Indians and negroes
entering into the population Of Nicaragua
have no more TO do with the merits of the
question than Billy Bowlegs OF the negroes OF
North Carolina.
| Thus, on the subject Of the Cass-Yrsarri
treaty We may safely assert that Mr.. Clingman
has spoken neither fer the administration nor
in accordance with the first principles of dplo
macy or common sense. His views and objec
tons are simply those Of political sympa
thizer with the Nicaraguan flibusters and their
lobby confederates, and arc wholly incompati
bic with his position as Chairman Of the House
| Committee on Foreign Affairs II is position
| which should never be degraded to the flibus
| tging and factious notions Of the mere indi
| vidual politician. But throughout this remark
able speech of the gentleman from North Caro-
lima the same flibustering proclivities, more OF
less sharply defined, may be detected.
Reduced TO full and precise explanation
the foreign policy of Mr.. Clingman would pro
badly turn out to be some such manifest desti
Dy" programme as this;-The re-estsblishuent