mum
RALEIGH. N. 0. THURSDAY, JANTJAIV2" 20, 103tf
VOL 22CV1I. NO G.
4
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, TIIO.tfAS J. I.EMt A V, - '
ttPRIKT3R AXD PCBtlSIIEtt.
TKKNS.
hrem itnltnrt fee wwuim i
lnnO fci? t remain in seeesrs
ihtH ne w,',tiH'nrMiMTrnI Mhnul tl
Si i(, bi H4jr desire to Keeo
eom .iiiti it,r,
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ill he r(iitl reniijceil l
m mnt of lhTr' ulerlp lion in lvan,
AsvitsvisrsssT. sit eieeeninc nfteen line,,
i J4 ihr ttM. fr e HoiiV, t fta -
Mus-tiAt, mmfaMt&m&zrr-r
JXUA'&MlSUSiM CI' , -
5
Twenty-fourth Congress.
DEBATE IN THE SENATE.
" " " ' - Thtrrnday, Jan. 1 4. -The
Senate, having resumed the
consideration of the resolution moved
by Mr. Benton, f r setting apart the
surplus revenue for the defence of the
countrythi debate thereon was con- the charge of it will pay special atten
tinned, as follows: tion to their principal duty-fMrf it
y Mr.' EWINO, of O';io, addressed the 'fuMu and effectually spend much
Chair as follows: Mr. President, the
resolutions which ave rise to the dis-
rusinn a dav or two aince, and which
t Dee avmot wii ty iot ; sigu t oi, th ;
the debate has turned upon matters
relating hi mem out incuientaii v.
TWse.jners,I,slwl.
tbeTOmarkswhich I. prot
to the Senate; but I will irv tS first
place give my viws of the resolutions
themselves, or rather of the resolution;
for I deem the first only of impor
tance. anirshairTonsni
This resolution proposes to act apart
th S'triJus revenne mtw on hand, and,
as i ontiei S'anti n -ior ir is not very matrons.
definite in. its language the accruins " 1 have said that I a nr prepared to
surplus for. the future to be applied go very far, as far as may be within
to the purposes of national ilefence. any reasonable bounds, in voting np
Now. before I vote for this resolution, propriations for our fortifications and
I wosW to-hae:.a..JefinU-ei4eiif
mratijngtwt a rajncT-cnniused and necessary, there is a limit, which
notionof "sointhing about it that may - it is iojHrio-to-the- very -object to
or may not he Mel I enouchjbut I must pass. If there be an attempt to applv
understand it, especially the impor- too much money to these objects, and",
tant words which are, the substance hasten them over much, you nrces
the very body and soul, of the reso- sarily entrust their execution, in pai U
I u t ion iJUatv-ia-Aa-r rerenwc r-torincompetr nt : eTiguieers or . su peri n
J. "w harts It?"
It certainly is hot aftTlhiRg that is
Wanted for the purpose of Govern
meotrwhirirare, rT)VdTeve7gnrralTv7
the civil littt, foreign intercourse, mili
tary seiviip, i-cloding the building
and arming fortresses, &c. and the
naral service, including tl.e gradual
improvement of the navy. Tnese, if
not all, are srvne of the ordinary ex
penditures of the Governioent; and so
long as any mohcy is wanting lor these,
I here cutl be mi urplut revemtrt and
jc ii'j murium irvcHccri nnn
if an extraordinary occasion should
arise when it was necessary to sum- over it. and there it would remain for
mon and concentrate all our energies ! years; the unexpended balances in the
upon any nf theism- objects of expendUTnands ofthe Exec utiveris'mg from
tore, there cmild le ho "surplus rc-" elghi mU flon f tiha' present amount irt
enue" nntil that necessity was met i hand, to twenty, thirty, or fo-ty mil-
and satisnrd. I his, then, seems to
I me .a be the interpretation of the re-
- - oltionAfti,r.Avehave expended,
all the money that it is neressary to
expend, or which can be- expended
j uxin our fortifications and our navy,
we will set apart an me resioue oi
our available means, to be applied to
the same objects. , .
. '.Mr President, I am in favor of
making as perfeci as possibleTiur naR
tional defences, and will go as far as
any gentleman to eflett that object;
-.tut. 1 must go aooui ii, ii at an, in tne
fmtfaiym
v lation. I am not disposed to consider
that a thing to be done only when we
hift1Mthittjt!ae'tor.d
- sreid monev on, inKteaiL-otanecessa
rv nuty to ue pennrmeo. t wouiii
r . . - r ,
-p)ropriativiutu t.o.Cihe
but out of the revenue of the nation.
'.. much as is necewiry, and as can be
apiitied ni expended dvantageonsly,
from year to year, upon these objects;
' but, having doiie all that was necessa
'" ry, I would not by resolution deter-
".mine to expend or to set. apart jill 'the
r rt'MdlfeW o
oojects. However important, alter they
have been fully ansered."TNdr am I
disposed, in tliis matter of "public de
fence, to thrust the Senate in advance
of the Executive, or to lend my aid in
enalding Congress to" unrp- this im
portant function of the Chief Magis
trate of the Union.
The President is . commander in
cMef of the armies and navies of the
United States; as such, it is his duty
to see that they arejiialjrinie jrell
appointed, ae'd in a situation to jier
form the sen ires which the exigencies
of the times msy reqa re ol them.'. If
tnony is necessary" to ; finish or to
repair oar forts, to arm, to man them
or fo erect new ones, it is from him
that this information sho Id come to
us, and we cannot proper'y act upon
it coming from any other source.
Nay, the Constitution enjoins on him
the'dttty of communicating such mat
ter ! Congress.
" He shaQ from time to time, give
to the Congress information of the
state of the Union, and reromend to.
their consideration such measures as he
shall judge necessary and expedient.'
: If, then, he deems it- necessary r
expedient that appropriations or pub
lic money should be made for our forti-
'; and not tell us, ihihelingusge'f
tli rewlati in, that he want aU tct
have, or all the surplus; but let him,
a all liis predecessors have done let
him tell us the amount wanted, and
which can ,be expended advantageou-
Ir upon these object? the specific ob-
""jtcts to which it, ought to ue. applied,
I!1hand--lforone-will go far, very far,
in the way of appropriation, to satisfy
ail his requisition.
, . ,l , Vi!a ...t..;nn fnr
J , . , , .
, another reason. Its prime object does
not seem to be the defence of the coun
itry but 'tfieipcriiti?ufe lif ffie lUtptat
revenue, it is not Weretf neTOtrser'-a
fort is wan ing here,- or a fleet there,
to guard our co.ist or protect our com
merce. It is because we have plenty
of money, and this is a good way to
get rid ot it. The object, then, being
cnietiy to spend money, ami but as an
j incident to build fortifications, t must
j be expected that those who shall have
money, though they uiav build but
lew ships or fortresses. But' it seems
this resolution is tiot of itelf an ap-
Ae-wlJole surJa,revefiftH.54we.nt y
millions of money now in the hands of
thcftxecutive, and the accruing sur
for this fir-
this money shall remain where it is,
in the coders of a f.-w favorite banks,
to bf us-d by them to increase their
dividends, until some ei:rht or ten
jealiTencei. VTTFXirtjinfpYititeit;
ami some tour or hve yrars thrrfarter
expended upon our navy or our forti-
lemiettt. iu haveti employ in
ferior workoien, and to use defective
materials; so that the very obtect of
our solicitude sustains injury from the
elT.irt to urge it forward too rapidly.
But if this large and sweeping appro
priation be made and the President
take the necessary time to apply "it,
what is the.i uvclr It places the whole
surplus revenue at once in Ins hands.
i fe,1
hiw, - It is out ol the ordinary
i T
ly in a situation in whicK Congress
i has not cenerallv exercised a control
tioni ot doiiurt. i ins would be c
quivalent to a law that the President
should deiMisite- the public money
where he pleased, and "the sccumuTai
ing surplus should remain, to an inde
finite period, subject to his disposition
and control.
It will not soon belorgolten that the
ordinary appropriation lor lortihca
t
of Representatives; for what reason I
shall not just now inquire. . ct.
notwithstandins' this, the balance of
old raoDrot)riatMn-was-oot all ex.
pended appropriations on haml ktat-
tions failed the last-yeai4tt the Ilsewder-of-the-Cowmittee-oo Milif arVf
cd by the Secretary of the t reasury ;mnieu, mosi exprcssiy, tnar, inougu ne
at Sr.593,574. That part of this is of. presented" the prop.s1tion, he aban-
the -anoronrlation W- fortifications: I,OT I
infer from the fact that, in the report
. - ' . - . . . ' r
War", Jie states x as
an excuse for tne"stowrogrcss - - made
in some of the - lortihraUons,
that
mechanics and laborers could
not h
noi oe
procured to perform the work. . If tee
should now appropriate the whole
surplus -revenue . ol twenty millions,
how inany, years would"-it remain ori
hand- unexpended swelling . jhe for-
tunes oi me lavorru capuauoi, nr rea
dy for use as the Convenient instru
O'ent of corruption ? "1.
But the Senator from Missouri tells
us that the seaboard is defenceless. that
our fori are unfinished or diwnantled,
1 : . j m m W
ami our navy uoni tor service, lie
ha drawn an appalling picture of the
wretched state of thescour arm of
defence, which clearly indicates
somewhere a degree of shameful neg
ligence or mismanagement; and where
does this heaey responsibility rest?2
Tlie present Chief Magistrate, and
those who act with him, have held the
control of this Government for now
almost seven full years. At the time
they received it from the hand of
their predecessors, no complaint wa
made of the state of the defence of
the country ; nor do I believe there was
then any reason for such complaint.
They were . in a state of steady and
r gular improvement, gradually be
cioning all that was necessary for the
security of the ' country. S'hi are
they now in the miserable cotuiition
described? Why have they leen for
su many year neglected by this Ad
ministration, which ha ; been all
powerful in the nation, and which has
possessed a treasury full ee-i to re
dundance?; Ha the Senate interpos
ed to prevent ppropnatton-frtftheSe;
objects? N. never never witliin nffind Us place in one of them, no, not
knowledge and recollection, in a sin- onei and the honest yeomanry of the
g'e instance. No appropriation which country who read and believe, wilt be
was asked for by the Executive forced thereby to suppose a state f things
tnese object has as lar as 1 know,
grudgingly Jy tins bdy. , Why,
.( .. , lull IIIJMIV.U .
diminished, or given
men, is tins the state of our country
at this time, if indeed it be sor Sir
here is the solution: This has been
an. Administration whose capacities
and whose powers have been fitted
anu uirecteti to puu,n down every
tHi?''-'ffAotMng.
.l.l.. I . i ii
Lffwlt-aroood-thrwasjUHBt the coon4rVi
and see if there is a single monumeoi,
a great and important monument,
raised by it, or founded by it, to rise
hereafter, and extend its beneficence
to future times. But it has been suc
cessful iu the works of destruction.
One after another the institutions of
the country have been made to fall or
totter before it: but nothing has been
built up nothing strengthened, save
oo y the. Executive, power itself.
There was no time to erect fortifica
tion; to build, to eq'iip, or tn repair
our ships: our foreiini defence's orcu-
Executive oUiIs'pirtieiits. And
the consefU' ncc seeois' to b, what
any one might have predicted our
seabord is now defen eless, and sub-
KTnfiritivT-fifittrfr-I
that mil io-e fit to attack lisr
But the Senate of the United States
are charged here, upon iheir own floor,
and by a member, of their own biwlv.
whit-high Trfmrs-agai iwt tb,4r- eoty f
be u line of this unprotected tale of our
maritime frontier as if we were to go
in advaore of .the Executive to pro
cure f.ir him and hunt out the objects
ot necessity, and odor nun appropria
tions, and nfck him to cxpead them.
But the last session of the Senate was
the : one JtLwh
- j Yjj-jj. ,f j o have bci'il mVMiit-
ted. I n th c re fu sa I of a ppropri at fans.
The Senator lias produced here a
schedule setting out. one after another,
a list of our misdemeanors; i d first,
is our refusal to pass, last winter, a re
soTiiti h sTimVaTtoiTia"rwTiieli is"liow
under consideration, lie might have
spared himself the troQUle of enVmrrat
iTgriisjforrinil.'s8 I am deceived, he
will s ion have ano'her intaoce a
freh repetition of the same ofiViice.
Sir, anxioui as I was, and as I am,
that the necessary defences of the
country should be duly and promptly
attended to, I did not and I will not
vote for this crud., unformed, and
shapeless proposition, nor any othrr
leiiut io. .ins I'necJii'g oi a oesiraoie qu-
ject. I require something more not
merely that the object be a good one,
but that the means of elTecting it be
appropriate. -But I let this go for
what it is- worth, and proceed tuT the
next specification. '1 he Senate is
charged with having put down an a
mendment which the Senator from
Missouri nronosed last winter to the
fortificaion bill,-containing an addi
tional appropriation of R500.000.
This matter is one of which I have no
recollection whatever. It appears
that the proposition was made by the
honorable Senator from Missouri' bv
Anairs; and my honorable friend from
t Delaware iMr, Claytom) has already
put that matter at rest, in the brief but
'f'Tcible expositjon which he gave us f
Missouri, gave up, the point, and ad-
see, on inspection of the paper of that
day, was the fact. It is reported
- shortly thusr
"Mr. Bssito moved to amend the bill by
! 'n,ertin ,
. , ,
additional appropriation . of
"At thio uririrt,im - of Mr. WaasTsfc, tho
conAi jratron of this amendment was waived by
Mr. B(NTO!f ftr tho proncnl." ' v
So that, oh-aLcouversatiohBjbefween
the Senator f.irm Missouri and the
Cniairmanof the Committee on Finance;
the honorabki Snat6r, in effect, with
drew his proposition; and he has now
charged this Senate with a dereliction
of duty and a want of patriotism be
cause Ve di4 no adopt the measur
which he presented, it is true, but
put out of our power by virtually with
drawing it. What did
we know of
the necessity or the propriety of hi
proposition? He who presented it did
not explain it, did not press it, did not
ask for it adoption, but expressly de
clared that he would not press "if,
which on this floor is equivalent to say
ing that he did not wish it to b. adopt
ed. It is most unfortunate that the
Senator from Missouri did not recol
lect the actual state or things before he
advanced this among the other grave
charges against tie Senate. - It i true,
a I have already said, that when this
special matter was Commented upon
by the Senator frm Delaware, the gen
tleman from Missouri gave it up, and
admitted that it wts he', and not the
Senate, that had disposed of that prop,
osition. But all who understand the
tactic of the party press know that hl
t'tnrgt will lie sent abroad thnvighnut
the wh de land, so far a a newspaper
circulate, but the rejula'ion of the
charge, an I the admusion tha it was
:acrfoin4d:iidriniaak
lexisied .which did not in Tact exist.
and be led to an uniust.nd imurioi
censure 01 me conuuci ui mime hi ineir
riublic agents. It is, therefore, on
ortunate that the lHiooralile Senator
had not better refreshed his recollec
tion before lie made this ai cuatinn.
This is the second specification in his
bill of indictment against the Senate;
the loss of the
l r . .T . -if rf ..-,, ,. ,
blame of which he very liberally and
generously takes Un this body. Let
us look to it; it is easy to make
charge with or witliout foundation;
and in this case, fortunately, the proof
is at liaid. and it is direct, clear, and
conclusive. 'This is the history of the
transaction. The fortification bill was
passed in the House on the 21st day
of January, and on the same dav sent
to the Senate. The relations of our
country with France, were npoti that
lay precisely the same as they were
on the Sd of Man h at the close of the
session. The billat that time rontain
ed no aptiroiinaiioii of ihree millions
for the general purple of defence;
and if it had been deemed necessary.
con any one doubt that it would have
Ikr-tViScW
eiio'fiJe'nc
Hous" devoteil to his iriterests? But
no such thing. The bill came to this
IxkIv containing app'ropiialions for for
Mncatonatowe-auiountoL about
430,000, an amount evidently too
small for the energetic proseiuiion of
the works on hand. The Committee
on Finance, to whom this bill was re
ferred, detained it for some time, that
information might be obtained, Vhi h
would enable them to supply the defi
ciencies ol the bill, and make it what
a v'f liein wheirlt t to t
us from the House. I ran say, sir. for
I was thch a member of that commit
tee, that it appeared to be the anxious
wish ot the chairman as well as ot all
the other members to do every thing
that could be done to supply the defi
ciency arising from the neglect or in
action of the othpr branch jif.Congrei's
and make un to the public ervice
what they had left deficient. The bill
was reported back with various amend
ment, increasing the appiopnations
about S.200.000. With these amend
ments it was returned to the House on
the 24ih day of February, where it
slumbered until just at the close of the
session, at a late hour of the last even
ing. Until that hour We had supposed
the amendments of the Senate had
been agreed to'hy me ;"lIons'e.;aHd'lhat'
the bill had become, or was about to
become, a law. without any further
artion on our part; but on the evening
of the 3d of March", after the Senate
had taken its recess, and after the
chamber was lighted op fr the n'tght,
in the midst of multifarious and
pressing business, both legislative
an4xecutiveT -whiH- waa-14heo-
rowded upon us. this bill was relum
ed to us from the House, with an
amendment to one of the amendments
of the Senate, appropriating the round
sum of three milliont of dollars, "to be
expended in whole or-in-partrnnder
th direction of the President of the
United States, for the military and
naval service, including fortification.
aL ordnance, and increase of, th
navv".
tinamendment giving g3.000.i
000, attached to. ai amendment mak
ing art appropriation-of perhap In"
000 -thrust in upon u here in the
rejaBtm
time left for deliberation," none for re
referrenre. none to enable u to modi-
J fjLW.a-nwidiit Inyulveil,' in the' very
nature ol things, immediate acceptance
or immediate rejertion. Waiving for
a moment the d-cisive objection grow
ing out of a solemn requisition of the
Constitution, what was there a a mat
ter of expediency, which could per
mit u to accept it? It was not recom
mended' to n or asked for by Jhe Pre
sident j he had sent us no message -in.
formed us of no public necessity that
required it expressed no.ish that it
should be ma le. It was not an ordi
nary appropriation; for all that was
nrtiinary ai.d in the usual course or tne
Government had been already hunted
up by the committee of the Senate,
and inserted in that or other bills, in
p'ace or out of place, wherever we
could put thevt, so that the wheels of
Government should not atop. I ins
amend mentwas sent- to-ua -by the
House, but on whose responsibility?
tt was first acted on there in Commit
ter of the Whole on the Sd of March.
and passed, Vnh little examination or
discussion.: vve had not i ventln-au
thority ol that bodv, such as it would
have been had iheir yote passed upon
d liberation, wilh time for disiussion.
Under these cirrumstanres, I say with
outhesitation.it i my firm belief that
those who eaused that amendment to
he inserted ew that it would not 1t
tin body, and did not intend that H
mm " - .
iiu'ii pas it. ine very sum tpprn-
. T , ... W...T m. j
pnateu - in time wnicn iva ttioten to
send it to the Senate the re essitv of
passinz it, if at all, out of all the rules
and without the application of any of
the guards winch legislative bodi
neviiiocaarjpfnperfyi-jlfspjisew
the appropriation "of public money,
must have satisfied those who control!-
ed this matter, and who gave it move-
went and direction, that it must be
rejected by the Senate. But, lrt
tlwt .khoud,be any 4"u
ject, lest it miglit have taken it with world. The nature of tho act which
all the objection to which it was other- France requires from this Government
wise liable, it was sent to us in a form, is clearly set forth in the letter of tU -.-and
-in substance toe, violatory of the French Mini.ter, marked N 4. We
spirit of the Constitution. It would will pay the money. ay he. when
have been an appropriation in form, the Government of the C'nited States
but not in fart. It would hate been i ready on it part to declare to u.
voting monev renerailv into the hand
might think fit, provided it were ap
plied (o the purjmse of ; national tie- the two countries; that this misunder
lenrr. And it would have been put-Vending i founded on a mistake; that
lling.Ui.aJbe.powe
ratteanarmy, to make and to carry rail in question the good Taith ot ihe
on w ar without the further aid or infer- French Government, nor to take a
ftosition of Congress. I do not he- menaring attitude towards France.'
ieve. sir, that any man hu reasoned and he adds, if the Government of the
could think for a moment that that , United State des not gieihias
measure ,'ould or ought to pass this sura tire, t e shall be obliged to think
body; ami I am vet to be convinced that this misunderstanding is out the
that the friends of the Administration .result of an error,' ' v
here would have given it their yotesVirl In the letter maiked No 6, the
ther had believed their vote would French Minister also, remarks-that "the
have made it a law.- They would at
leOiavelt
mucn ueuer man iney count nave-,
eijihed it during the hour that it wast
neiidioir here, before they would have
passage oi tnaif nesnre,niruj-3it;:.
. . r .1. .. . . I I
Uut, sir, it was reiected. 1 do ;not
stand here to defend myself for the pa it
i loon iii iis r j.M iioo.-nor io -i.e
fiirthe; .actj2..tlajid jivady ' now, and
at all times, to proclaim the participa
tion win. h 1 had in it to claim it a
oi. e of the good work which I have
heIH'd to perform; and to avow that
lie like, come when it wili,rwnere it
will, before me a ubjecl for my
action, will -meet a like immediate and
indignant rejection.
HiiTirTthe" TiTTf TfihiritilVU 'ttrce
inillioiM is. an amendment, was also
Iwfi How, sir, and where? Not in
the Senate. The bill was perfectly
sale if the fnnse chore that it should
be so. after tin' rejection of thisameiid
menfrlrvvarTetttrned to-them muth
better than when they first eut it to
the S.-natewiih much more extensive
approp iations for our national defence;
and that body had nothing to -do in
order to make it a law, but pas the
bill when" returned to them, without
the amendment whoh the S na'e had
rejected, '' Tlii tiiey d d tn-t do.
I bey asked ' Tor a conferrnre, winch
was at once conceded. The confer
ees met. and the chairman of the Com
mittee nn Finance-returned in a few
moment, and reported an agreement
t V strt k e on t t he- three m'A 1 ions, a od
appropriate $,500,000 for the increase
of the navy, and 8300.000 additional
or the repairing and n ming our forti
fications. The bill wa lill - in the
bauds of the House of Representative j
and tt was in their power still l nav
wade it a law in a lew moments' time
a law with the addition of &800.000
tothe . ord Lna ry .appropi ta t ion s, a ml
with a lull million added to the ori
ginal bill as they had sent it to the
Senate. We waited until late at
night, and the bill wa not named in
their b idy again. Message after me-
sage-came to-uSr-butthiaamenoL
Before the session closed, a message
was sent by this bmty to the House, re-
spectfully reminding them of the bill,
and the agreement of the committee of
con ference. It wa read in the House.
but no answer was returned. r""TTiefe
sleeps ihe-biM, and there let it sleep;
lorever. nd U any evil has happen
ed, or altaU happen to thcouotry for
uie want oi ine approprianona wnicn n
contained, let the censure of the na
tion fall, I care not how heavily, on
those'who contrived and produced its
loss.." ".r r";
THE "SPECIAL, MESSAGE."
MK8SAC.K KKOM TlfK PKF.SIDKN f I O
uai u nouses or cxt;uKs.v;i
Received, and read, and referred to Ike
Vemmdfee on Jvnn'n- iietuitom in
both Home; .vv..4-i':;.;.',t.L-.ii-
S M os o a y. Jam iu at 11 8..
To the Senate and Home of Itepreten-
irfi,
Gr.KTLKMKN In my message at the
opening oi your esnni, i iniormen
yon that our Charge d'Affairc at Pa
ris nao n-en insiiucien 10 aK ior tne
. .1 . K J ..
final determioation of the French Gov.
ernment, in relation to the payment of
Lheindenini atmn secured hy the
treaty of lheitirorjulyn83fraiid
that, when advice of the result should
be received, it would b' made the sub
ject of a special communication.
In exei utioii ot tin des gn. I now finm the rrein h Minister of Fieign
tra .mil to you the papers numSeredj Affaire. He was aked whether ' be
from I to 13. inelti.ive, containing, a- was instructed or directed lo make aoy
moog other things, the correspoi denee offici.il cominunication, and replied,
on tl is subject between our I'harge that he was only authoiUed' to rad
d'AfTaires and the Fren h, Minister of ( th letter,' and furni-b a ropy if re-''
Foreign A ffiirs, fmm which it will bet quested. The subs'ance if its con
seen that France requires, as a condi-j tents, it i presumed, may b" gathered ,
tiou precedent to' lh execution of a j from No. 4 and 6V herewith tran
treaiy unconditionally ratified, and to mitted. It wa an attempt to nako
the payment of r eor acKnowTeitged'ltnown to thr O-ivemmeot of the v
by all the branches of her Govern
ment to be due, that certain etplana
tions shall be made, of which she dic
tate ihiteims, Thet term are such
that-Goveenment ha -already bu,nUibtainpaymeut.o.: the twenty- fiv
officially Informed can b ot "be" t (M f I U4 '"mi ttioBio franca. --Noexceptioa w
with; and, if persisted in, they must
be considered as a delib-rate refual
on the part of France to fulfil engage.
nient binding by the law of nations,
civilized --
by addressing its claim to us nlbiiullv
'derttahtring whtcK tia arisen between'
into its intention to
Governoient of (he U. States 'know
rnp rsecunon oi in arratyoi juiV4.
If SI."
O.diaed.' by the nrecie langnaga
ilvtUM41yihe Fjfenc1tiiiniter, lo
Ttew u as a peremptory rclusal exe-
cute the Tieaty7 exce'pt on terms in-' '
compatible with the honor and inde
pendence of the United States, and
persuaded that on considering the
correspondence no w Sobmittrvf to too,
you ran regard it in no other liglit, it
tteromrs my duty to call your attrntion
to audi measures a the exigency of
the case demands, if the claim of in- L
terfering in the communication be
tween the dilferent branches of our
Government shall be persisted in..
Tii pretenston-is-trntleml the .tnore -unreasonable
by the fact, that the tub
stance id the required explanation ha -b
en repeatedly and voluntarily given
before it wa insisted on a a condition
a condition the more humiliating be '
cause it is demanded a the equiv alent "
of a pecuniary consideration. Does
France deire"on' y-a dec larat ion-tha t
we had no intention to obtain our right
by an address to her fear rather than
toher justice? . She has already had it. -
fraiikly lfrid explicitly given by our
Minister accredited to her Govern
ment, his art ratifi d 4y me, and my
e e m-;ii r
buiiiirniniiun oi 11 onicianj communi
cated by him, in his , letter to the
French Klinister of Foreign Affairs of
the 3lh i.f April, 1833, and repeated
by my published approval of that let
ter alter the passage of the bill 1f in-.
demnification. Does France want a
degrading, servile repetition ot this
act in term which she al.all dictate,
a nd: hieh wr".l inrolve . an- ac know,
ledgment of her assumed right to inter
fere in our domestic, council?"? She
will never obta' n it. The spirit of the
American People, the dignity of the
Legislature, and the firm resolve of
rlieirErerutivw Government fiobid it.
As the answer of the French Min
ister to our Charge d'Afl'aire at Pari
contains an allusion to a letter address
ed by him ' to the Representative of
rraove i mia pi criiniwuecome.
proper to lay before you the corres
pondence had between that functions- .
ry and the Secretary id Slate lelative "
to that Utter, and to arcyonpaay the
same with such explanations as will
enTWrforrr of,
the Eircu tiv e io rrpard t if. Ilccur
ring to the historical statement made
M be commencement of ynor sesiioi,
of the origin and progies of our diffi- -
cultie with r ranee, it will be recol
lecteil that, on the return of our Min
ister to the United $ta'es,Traused my
official approval of the explanations
he had given to the Frenrh Mimster of
Foreign affair to be made public, A
theVFrench Government had. nmiced
the nK Ssagivwithout itsb- ing uftu tajly .
cntnmunicafeil, it was m t'oobitHl that,' -if
they were disposed to pay the money '
due lo us, they wiml.r norice any pub- "
IkTex p anatioii of the Got ennn'en t "of -the
Uoit4 Stales in tW sa oie wsy -But,
contrary to these well-founded
rXpert4tions, the French Ministry did
not lake this fair opportunity to relieve
themselves Irom their unltx-tunate o
sition, and to do justice to the United
States.' "-..'.''"'.-, ;: ":':-.. '''"; ;:: ...y?
r -Whilst, however, tte GoTemment
of the United. States was awaiting the
oioveo'ntof tlie French Govrrunwot, '
in peifect rtifideiirr that inedilhculiy
, was at an end, the SeiTe'ary of S ale
rerrWd a rail from the French Charge
d'AB'aircs in Washington, ybodesirvd
ta read in him a friti r he had received '
nited States, privately, in what o-an-nei
itiould make etplanatioos, appa
rently voluntary but really dictated
by France, acceptable to her. and thus
V