DESPATCHES, REPORTS, CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 683 



it was successful. Congress, on May 29, 1830, empowered the Presi- 

 dent, whenever satisfied that England would open to us her West 

 Indian ports, to proclaim our own ports opened to British vessels, 

 and the repeal or suspension of the laws of 1818, 1820, and 1823. On 

 October 5, 1830, President Jackson issued his proclamation admitting 

 British vessels and their cargoes to an entry into our ports from all 

 British colonial ports on or near the American continent. From that 

 beginning came the " privileges " of our vessels in Canadian ports, 

 and it will be observed that the British and the American laws, and 

 President Jackson's proclamation, all used the word "vessels" with- 

 out any qualifying adjective excluding our fishing vessels. 



Few of the incidents of our peaceful commercial diplomacy and 

 legislation are more striking, as it has always seemed to me, than the 

 incidents of this successful effort by President Jackson to promote 

 our carrying trade. Near the end of the first term of that great sol- 

 dier and ruler of men the mission to London was filled, during the 

 recess of the Senate, by the appointment thereto of Mr. Van Buren. 

 When his nomination came before the Senate its confirmation was 

 resisted by the personal and party opponents of President Jackson, on 

 the ground that the instructions to Mr. McLane, personally dictated 

 by the President (as has since been proven), and which accomplished 

 the recovery .of our West India trade, had asked of England as a 

 favor what was due to us as a right, had espoused the British side 

 against the American side as theretofore represented by President 

 Adams, and had imported the result of our Presidential struggle into 

 a diplomatic negotiation with a foreign country. Avowedly on that 

 ground the nomination of Mr. Van Buren was rejected in February 

 of 1832, which rejection aided to lead up to his election to be Vice- 

 President in the autumn of that year, and to be President for four 

 years later. 



But that is not all. Mr. Gallatin, on September 22, 1826, wrote 

 from London to Mr. Clay, then Secretary of State, that one of the 

 three points on which we were " vulnerable " was : 



3. Too long an adherence to the opposition of her (England's) right of laying 

 protective duties. This might have been given up as soon as the act of 1825 was 

 passed. 



In the debate in the Senate on Mr. Van Buren's confirmation, those 

 (including Mr. Webster and Mr. Clay) who condemned the nomina- 

 tion contended that President Adams was right in rejecting the Brit- 

 ish offer of 1825, because it only covered the carrying trade, as well 

 as our vessels, but left our products subject to protective duties levied 

 by England at her West India Ports ! 



THE TREATY OF 1815. 



A full appreciation of political, diplomatic, and party events 

 from the beginning of our history down to President Jackson's 

 beneficent achievement will make it plain why we have not a treaty 

 with Great Britain to regulate commerce with her Colonies on this 

 continent as we have with British ports and territories " in Europe" 

 There will be found in our Statute-books some thirty treaties be- 

 tween ourselves and foreign Governments stipulating that the vessels 

 of each and their cargoes, shall have free access to all the ports of 



