of one REVIEW OF THE MEXICAN WAR. 29Y of the great champions of human hberty*—in the ruffian threats of assassination addressed to members of Congress for daring to present your petitions—in the surrender of the post-office to lynching law—in the murder of Lovejoy —in the burning of Pennsylvania Hall—in Southern com- mercial conventions to force the National channels of trade from North to South—in Southern railways and banking companies combined to Hnk the mammon of the Wes<to to the Moloch of the South—and in the strains of com- mendation upon all land-robbing practices of the Anglo- Saxons, and their \irtuous abhorrence of Custom-Houses, embellished by their blackleg revenue and punctuality for their debts of honor Utterly discarding the base sentiment, " Our country, right or wrong," he denounced the foreign policy of the administration, in resisting the claim made by Great Britain to visit vessels bearing the national flag, and suspected of being engaged in the African slave trade, to ascertain whether the flag was not fraudulently assumed. He as- serted that measures were systematically pursued or pro- jected to force the country into a war with England, for the protection of the slave trade. " Under the pretext of resisting the right of search, the most false principles have been advanced as the law of nations. Great Britain has never claimed the right to search American vessels. No such thing—on the contrary, she has explicitly dis- claimed any such pretension, and that to the whole extent we can possibly demand. We deny to her the right to board pirates who hoist the American flag—yes, to search British vessels, too, that have been declared pirates by the law of nations—pirates by the law of Great Britain pirates by the laws of the United States—that is the de- * In reference of the attempt of Mr. Stevenson, from Virginia, and Hamilton, of South Carolina, made in London to force Daniel O'Connell into a duel.
298 REVIEW OF THE xMEXICAN WAR.
mand of our late Minister to London. Now, bohind all this exceeding zeal against the right of search is the question not brought to view, and