348 AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC QUESTIONS 



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in their affairs, we should be free to use our own discre- 

 tion how and when to apply our recently advanced foreign 

 policy. The United States, they urged, had nothing to gain 

 and everything to lose by sending representatives to such a 

 gathering. 



In reviewing the long and particularly acrimonious debate 

 aroused by the President's special message of December 26, 

 one can hardly fail to be struck by the persistency and 

 vindictiveness of the opposition. It seems indeed to have 

 been out of all proportion to the importance of the issue. A 

 hidden cause for so much venom may be found in the fact 

 that the enemies of the measure were all from the South, and 

 represented slave-holding constituents. The Spanish- Amer- 

 ican states had abolished the institution of slavery, and were 

 desirous of conferring with the United States at Panama, as 

 intimated by Messrs. Salazar and Obregon, upon the pro- 

 priety of abolishing the slave trade. Haiti was a negro repub- 

 lic, a nation of former slaves, and these southern members 

 of Congress wished no official notice to be taken of them, and 

 they resented the suggestion of conferring with them in any 

 manner whatever. Randolph, Hayne, Van Buren, Buchanan, 

 Polk, Calhoun and Burton, led an opposition that seemed 

 invincible ; " other states will do as they please," said Hayne, 

 " but let us take the high ground that these questions belong 

 to a class which the peace and safety of a large portion of 

 our Union forbids us to discuss. Let our government direct 

 all our ministers in South America and Mexico to protest 

 against the independence of Haiti; but let us not go into 

 council on the slave trade and Haiti." White, of Tennessee, 

 exclaimed, "Let us cease to talk of slavery. in this House, 

 let us cease to negotiate upon any subject connected with 

 it." Shadows of coming events were here cast before. 

 Calhoun appointed the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and 

 he selected its members with a purpose. The committee 

 returned an unanimous report, to the effect that it was 

 not expedient for the United States to be represented at 

 Panama. The Senate then went a step farther, and passed a 

 resolution censuring the President. 



