Seeing their
opportunity, however, the opposition brought in a report strongly
antagonizing the recommendation of this congress, on the ground that
it involved a departure from our time-honored policy of avoiding
entangling alliances, that the congress would really constitute a
government, and that the topics of discussion might better be
handled by negotiation with the respective states. The opposition
considered rather the purposes of the congress as contemplated by
the South American promoters than the propositions which the United
States was willing to discuss in the purely consultative body which
Adams and Clay had in mind.
The knowledge, ignored in the executive message, that the congress
proposed to deal with the problem of the slave-trade and of the
destiny of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Haiti, kindled southern
indignation at the idea of submitting the subject of slavery to the
discussion of an international tribunal. In a notable speech, Hayne
declared this an entirely "domestic question.
Pages:
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406