The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-03-11

Minister to England, nung nIe IoE lohB
time, some fifty days, when the nomina'
ton was rejected. That measure had a
large influence on the future politics OF
the Republic, and, more than that, it de-
stroyed Mr.. Calhoun's prospects for the
Presidency, and gave that coveted office
to Van Buren,.
The regaining of the West India trade
under the Administration of General
Jackson, under the circumstances, was
sore SPOT to the enemies of Old Hickory.
Before the Revolution the colonies en-
loved this trade to the fullest extent,
After the Treaty Of Peace, which recog,
nized the several colonies as free and
independent States" the trade was lost.
The United States we're then aliens to
Great Britain, and that Power was always
Jealous of alien trade with her colonies.
Under the Administration of Washing
ton, the President was exceedingly anx'
ious to regain it. 1t was almost the first
act of his administration. AS early as
October, 1889, but six months after his
inauguration, in a letter to Governor
Morris, written with his own hand, he
requested Morris, then in Europe, to
sound the British Government ON the
subject of commercial treaty giving to
the United States the privilege of this
trade. "Let it be strongly impressed on
your mind that the privilege of carrying
our own productions in our own vessels
to these islands and bringing in return
the productions of these islands to our
own ports and markets is regarded here
as of the utmost Importance" was the
language Washington used. In 1874
clause was inserted in jays treaty giving
the United States the privilege OF this
trade during the time France and Eng
land should be at war, and for two years
after. The Senate refused to ratify this
clause because the privilege was not to
be permanent. Five different attempts
were subsequently made, all ending in
temporary or unsatisfactory arrange
ments. The most important of these at
tempts was made in 1922 and 1923.
United States Senator General Smith, of
Maryland, says that in 1922 Congress
was informed that an act was pending in
the British Parliament to open these CO.
lonial ports to the commerce of the
United States. In consequence, Con-
gress passed law authorizing the Pres
ident in case the act of Parliament was
satisfactory to open the ports of the
United States to British vessels on recip-
roCal terms. This was done, but by
blunder a Treasury circular was Issued
to Collectors TO charge British vessels
entering our ports with discriminating
duties on their tonnage. The British
Ministry demonstrated most strongly
against the great wrong. In 1923, a bill
drafted bv Mr.. Adams, then Secretary of
State, was passed by Congress to remedy
the wrong, but single word in the law,
not noticed by members at the time of
its passage, destroyed it. 1t assumed as
right that which all other Admins
trations have asked as a privilege. Just
as if England had not the right to say
what nations should trade with her and
her colonies, The right OF trade was
denied to the United States, which gave
to the American produce the right of
entry free of dutry. In 1925 law of
Parliament opened the colonial ports of
Great Britain to all nations, with clause
limiting the time in which each nation
was to accept the privilege or lose it for.
ever All the Governments having de-
cided to trade with the British West In.
dies accepted the terms, and gave notice
accordingly. The United States alone
refused, and attempted to negotiate for
better terms, but failed, and lost all. Mr..
Clay was then Secretary of State, under
John Quincy Adams, and Albert Gallatin
Minister to England. The instructions
to Gallatin were TO insist upon it as a
right that American produce be admit.
ed to the British West Indies on the
same footing that British goods were ad-
mitted. This right being refused, Mr..
Gsllatin was instructed to waive the
right and accept the privilege which
England gave to other nations under her
law of 1926. Gallatin was informed that
he was too late, and in July, 1926, the
entire trade was thus lost to the United
States, except shipped by circuitous
route and in foreign vessels. 1t was
trade in which our citizens were deeply
interested, ship-owners as we'll as. trad
ers. The United States furnished most
of the Northern produce consumed on
the West India Islands, and received
therefroln it's rich tropical fruits and
other produce. Their proximity to the
United States made these islands good
customers for our surplus produce, and
the loss of that trade was deeply felt in
the seaboard States and in the Western
States. The Administration of General
Jackson, the most successful of any that
preceded it, in its diplomatic relations
determined to regain this trade.
Ao Goo~ako~yy nf Gkokn M Va
gave his instructions to Mr.. Louis Nc.
Lane on the subject, and the trade was
regained, to the great joy of our people.
In the instructions to Mr.. McLane, Mr..
Van Buren, said that the claims set up
in former negotiations, which "Caused
theinterruption of the trade in question,
have been explicitly abandoned by those
who first asserted them, and are not re.
vived by their successors. If Great
Britain deems it adverse to her interests
to allow US to participate in the trade
the extension of it to others to induce
her to apply the same rule to us, she
will, we hope, be sensible of the propri.
ETY. of placing her refusal on those
grounds. To set up the acts of the late
administration as the cause of forfeiture
of privileges which would otherwise be
extended to the people of the United
States, would, under existing circum.
stances, be unjust in itself, and could not
fail to excite the deepest sensibility."-
This sentence was much harped on in
the Senate, and was the great reason as.
signed for the rejection of Van Buren, as
Minister to England" All dispatches to
Foreign Ministers read, 81 am instructed
by the President to say" &C., and
the paragraph so much harped upon by
the Senate, General Jackson said was
dictated by himself.
There was time wRen the rejection
of Van Buren, was a debatable question
among the chiefs Of the opposition to the
administration as to its effects on the fu.
ture of Van Buren's aspirations. Colo.
N