SPEECH IN THE SENATE, ON THE BILL TO AUTHORIZE THE APPOINTMENT OF
DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATIVES TO THE REPUBLICS OF HAYTI AND LIBERIA, APRIL
23, 1862.
Thereupon Zeus, fearing for the safety of our race, sent Hermes
with self-respect and justice, that their presence among men
might establish order and knit together the bonds of friendship
in society. “Must I distribute them,” said Hermes, “as the
various arts have been distributed aforetime, only to certain
individuals, or must I dispense them to all?” “_To all_,” said
Zeus, “_and let all partake of them_.”--PLATO, _Protagoras_, p.
322 C.
_Resolved_, That the independence of Texas [Hayti and Liberia]
ought to be acknowledged by the United States, whenever
satisfactory information shall be received that it has in
successful operation a civil government capable of performing
the duties and fulfilling the obligations of an independent
power.--RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES, _Journal
of the Senate_, July 1, 1836.
_Resolved_, That the State of Texas [Hayti and Liberia] having
established and maintained an independent government capable of
performing those duties, foreign and domestic, which appertain
to independent governments, … it is expedient and proper, and
in conformity with the Laws of Nations and the practice of
this Government in like cases, that the independent political
existence of said State be acknowledged by the Government of
the United States.--RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE OF THE UNITED
STATES, _Journal of the Senate_, January 12 and March 1, 1837.
Every nation that governs itself, under what form soever,
without any dependence on a foreign power, is a sovereign
state. Its rights are naturally the same as those of any other
state.… To give a nation a right to make an immediate figure in
this grand society, it is sufficient if it be really sovereign
and independent; that is, it must govern itself by its own
authority and laws.--VATTEL, _Law of Nations_, Book I. ch. 1, §
4.
* * * * *
In his Annual Message at the beginning of this session of
Congress, December, 1861, the President said: “If any good
reason exists why we should persevere longer in withholding
our recognition of the independence and sovereignty of Hayti
and Liberia, I am unable to discern it. Unwilling, however,
to inaugurate a novel policy in regard to them without the
approbation of Congress, I submit for your consideration
the expediency of an appropriation for maintaining a Chargé
d’Affaires near each of those new states. It does not admit of
doubt that important commercial advantages might be secured by
favorable treaties with them.”
Until this recommendation, Hayti and Liberia had borne the ban
of the colored race. The National Government, so long as it was
ruled by Slavery, could not tolerate a Black Republic. A few
extracts exhibit the indecency of the opposition. Mr. Hayne,
of South Carolina, announced: “Our policy with regard to Hayti
is plain: we never can acknowledge her independence. Let our
Government direct all our ministers in South America and Mexico
to _protest_ against the independence of Hayti.” Mr. Hamilton,
of South Carolina, declared the sentiments of the Southern
people to be, “that Haytien independence is not to be tolerated
in any form.” Mr. Berrien, of Georgia, said: “Consistently
with their own safety, can the people of the South permit the
intercourse which would result from establishing relations of
any sort with Hayti?” Even Mr. Benton, of Missouri, joined
with the rest: “The peace of eleven States in this Union will
not permit the fruits of a successful negro insurrection to be
exhibited among them.”[278] On the presentation of a petition
in the House of Representatives, December 18, 1838, praying
for the establishment of international relations with the
Republic of Hayti, there was an outburst. Mr. Legaré, of South
Carolina, known as an accomplished scholar, exclaimed: “The
memorial originates in a design to revolutionize the South and
to convulse the Union, and ought, therefore, to be rejected
with reprobation. As sure as you live, Sir, if this course is
permitted to go on, the sun of this Union will go down,--it
will go down in blood, and go down to rise no more. I will vote
unhesitatingly against nefarious designs like these. They are
treason.” Mr. Wise, of Virginia, spoke in the same tone.[279]
Such was the prevailing spirit. The time had come for a change.
December 4, 1861, on motion of Mr. Sumner, so much of the
President’s Message as related to the establishment of
diplomatic relations with the Governments of Hayti and Liberia
was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
December 9th, on motion of Mr. Sumner, all memorials,
resolutions of Legislatures, and other papers on the files of
the Senate, relating to the recognition of Hayti and Liberia,
were taken from the files and referred to the Committee on
Foreign Relations. Mr. Sumner stated, that he wished to reach
papers as far back as 1852,--that among these was a very
important paper, which at the time passed under the eye of Mr.
Webster, from the mercantile interest of New England, strongly
in favor of the recognition of Hayti.
The subject was carefully considered in committee.
February 4, 1862, Mr. Sumner reported from the Committee
a bill, which was read and passed to a second reading, to
authorize the President of the United States to appoint
diplomatic representatives to the Republics of Hayti and
Liberia respectively, each representative so appointed
to be accredited as Commissioner and Consul-General, the
representative in Hayti to receive the compensation of
Commissioner according to the Act of Congress of August 18,
1856, being $7,500, and the representative in Liberia not more
than $4,000.
April 23d, on motion of Mr. Sumner, the Senate proceeded to
consider the bill, when Mr. Sumner spoke as follows.