The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-06-16

Ia
eAIih and her sraspng inevery direction. IL but
few years that she took possession II Alden and
no~ she has taken the island of Perm La defiance Of
the wishes OF the civilized world her ministry have
declared determined and peIsevering opposition
20 the construction of canal the Isthmus Of
sunx not bnse IL would b. tins beneft of the
world bat boAuse she fears that her monopoly OF power
IN the East might be disturbed Scarcely had taken
California before she seized upon the Bay Islands In de
nance Of hsr treaty obligations Nov. this night of Wis
itaton carnot be yslded to any nation without placing
IN her hands dangerous power and least Of all
yield it 20 such nation Great Britain IL is admit
ted by all writer's international law beligerent
right only After what had been said he hoped the
Senate would not adjourn without the adoption these
resolutions declaration Of the opinion Of the Senate
this subject would have sautary effect ony upon
the other side Of the water but upon he would
say that he thought there had been that energy
in the prosecution Of nights against foreign nations
that had right to expect from the Executive from
the tone Of his inaugural mess~ge. He that
the attention Of the President had been almost exclusive
ly occupied with questions Of domestic policy but be
thought that at the present time leisure might be afforded
TO the Executive for the assertion Of rights with
energy which would DO acceptable to the people Of
the United States than amount of that diplomacy and
negotiation, under the of which rights have
hitherto been euded by the government Of Great Britain
Let us give that government innaton that this ques
ton will longer be made subject Of negotiation but
that want her TO give notice when she is going
exercise this pretended right upon vessels and
shall regard that notice notice "a prepare for
Nh. CIINGMAN remarked that the only excuse which
seemed to he made for these sets on the part Of the Brit
sh officers that they anxious to stop the slave
trade and therefore they stop vessels IL they
not slaveIs- Now it seemed quite probable him
that proceedings which have occurred in neigh
boring country, and which have been discussed 10
extent ia Congress, might account for these
Not long ago; Commodore Pauding one of the officers
of navy, went into foreign country in open viola
ton OF the Sovereignty of her territory and seized some
people and brought them away 1t was not alleged
that this act not msiemeanor but it excused
the ground that Commodore Paulding motives were
good and the President himself put it upon that ground
So did the Committee Foreign Relations they made
argument in his defence that ground while t.iey
admitted that he had clearly violated the laws nations
and the Constitution did not justify his doing any act Of
that But then they say, he aciuated by good
motives, and so excusahle.
Now, the British government visiting and search
ing ships Why Because they want put stop
10 the slave trade They admit that they violate our
jurisdiction but their motives good Suppose we
make complaint 10 the British government would
they not be very likely to To that here OF
officers who violated the jurisdiction of neigh
boring power, and far from furnishing him for it, the
President commended him. and senators argue that
he ought have medal for his conduct on that occa
song There would be equal propTiety in giving
medal to the commander OF the Styx, il good motives are
to justify papsbe violation OF the laws OF nations
When this took place i'm Central America Mr.
c. said he expected Great Britain would follow our exam
pie aud seize that territory but he did expect that
they would put the cup to lips. Now he hoped
doubted whether anything that had ever been attempted
by the British government exceeded that act to which lac
had referred
Mr. DOOLITTLE did not expect to be drawn into this
discussion in regard to foreign relations by
to the conduct OF Com Paulding in arrcsng Walker
upon the sand beach at Nicaragua but he felt bound
reply to the remarks of the senator from North Carolina
He had hoped that the session would not have closed
without the government Of the United States taking the
responsibility of sanctioning the committed by Com
Paulding When he told that that officer violated
constitution and laws Of the United States he would
ask what part OF the constitution of the United
what Law of nations did he violate?
Mr.. CILNGMAN. i will answer the senator. He
violated that clause of the constitution Of the United
States which gays that Congress alone shall have power
to make war, and which says that power shall be ex-
ercised except those which granted In the second
place he committed act of disobedence to the neu
tality laws and in the last place he violated the
laws OF nations by invading the territory OF friendly
power. BE-
Mr. DooLITTLE said he would not now go into a
lengthy arg that subject but be took with
the Senator and could demonstrate any court that
in respect did Commodore Panldng violate the laws
of the United States the laws Of nations the in
sta actions which he received from the depa, .mcnt
Washington The President authorized by statut. to
the land and nsvrl forces Of the United St.tss
prevent the yjng of expeors from the shores of
the UntsI States against neutral i.iendly power
The Committee Foreign Relations in their report
tain the view that the President he right to rrrest
this expedition and prevent its going against Nicaragua
modorc Panleng simply this whether he had right
to land the sand beach to prevent it, Mr. D. would
undertake to say that it violation of the laws of
nations Nicaragua by her minister long before the
was made asked the of the United States to
make it, and to prevent Walker from landing the shores
Of Nicaragua; and the thanks Of that government were
afterwards rendered to the United States for having
him away. Mr.. ID. proceeded to remark, that such a
camor had been raised account of this that the
administration shrunk from assuming the responsibility
Of it, and suffered Commodore Pauldjng be sued and
actions Of tespass against him pending in New
York and elsewhere He to he prosecuted and suffered
to be utterly runed simply because he did his duty
good faith to preveft Gen. Walker from levyng war
upon friendly power This the act of all Others
which gave him the most modification it seemed like
psillanmity IT. instead of Selling Walker Commodore
Pauldng had stood and looked on he would have been
accessory TO the decd and the government of the United
States would have been accessory also
Mr.. CLINaMAN thought it would he easy to show
that risaIr had authority to justify this invasion of
Nicaragua by Paulding. His argument was that the
government, far from condemning Paulng conduct
had excused ii the ground that his motives were
good while the senator from Wisconsin assumed that
the government hal not sustained him. 90
Mr. MALLORY expressed the opinion that so far the
resolutions had reference To negotiations with Great Brit
ain the Palding affair entirely irrelevant
These instructions under which the British officers
acting issued i'm 1876 and have been moli-
fed extended; IL only that they had rccenty
been exercised with unusual ZEAL and great number of
occurring within short time had attracted public
attention TO the matter He proceeded to read extracts
from despatch of Mr. Marcy, while Secretary OF State in
1855 TO tho Spanish minister In reference 10 the of the