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Indiana University Studies 
had it that the new minister to England had summoned Mr. 
Cambreleng — ^destined to be chairman of the Committee on 
Commerce in the House — ^to come in post haste to Wilming- 
ton whither the Secretary of State was also to repair, and 
that there the subject of the commercial treaty would be han- 
dled by the distinguished trio. A meeting of some sort actu- 
ally did take place, and what was later ridiculed by the Ad- 
ministration prints as the “Wilmington Conspiracy” was the 
surmise on the part of the Opposition that the conference had 
been held to deliberate to what extent it would be safe for 
the Jackson party to surrender a portion of the American 
tariff in return for the right to trade directly with the British 
colonies.^ 
Considerable hostile discussion had been based on the mere 
suspicion or surmise of what McLane’s instructions contained. 
Had his actual instructions been known at the time, there is 
reason to believe that the outcry would have been deafening. 
These instructions were based to a great extent, it is said, on 
McLane’s personal belief that the only way to reopen the 
case after England’s summary decision in 1826 was to urge 
that there had been a change in American opinion.® He asked 
permission to proceed on that basis. Jackson himself saw 
“nothing derogatory, and surely nothing wrong, in conduct- 
ing the negotiation upon the common and established prin- 
ciple that in a change of administration there may be a cor- 
responding change in the policy and counsels of the govern- 
ment”. The fact that the British West India question had 
played a part in the previous election, was, he believed, “as 
notorious as the circulation of the American press could make 
it”. According to his sense of duty, therefore, it was natural, 
reasonable, and proper to avow it frankly if the interests of 
the people of the United States should so require.® He there- 
fore gave McLane permission to proceed on that basis, and, 
it is said, McLane wrote his own instructions to that intent.^ 
Whether he wrote them or not. Van Buren’s name was of 
^ Niles’ Register, XXXVIII, 2, 3. Neiv York Commercial Advertiser in Niles’ Regis- 
ter, XXXVIII, 201. National Intelligencer, July 18, 22, 25, 1829. Neiv York Commercial 
Advertiser in National Intelligencer, July 15, 17, 25, 1829. Neiv York American, July 
27, 1829, in National Intelligencer, Aug. 1, 1829. 
® Bassett, Life of Andreiv Jackson, II, 660, 661. 
® Letter from Jackson to Republican members of the New York legislature, in 
Niles’ Register, XLII, 39. 
’’ Bassett, Life of Andreiv Jackson, II, 661. 
