Webster  could  fairly  pride  himself  upon  the  result
of  the  negotiations ;  and  the  approval  of  the  Senate
seems  very  complimentary  to  his  efforts,  if  one
considers  his  anomalous  condition.  Even  before  a
treaty  was  signed,  there  were  clamorous  demands
for  his  resignation  by  the  Whig  newspapers  ;  for  it
was  hard  to  bear  with  equanimity  that  their  own
giant  should  be  used  to  sustain  the  renegade  Whig
who  occupied  the  presidential  chair.  Yet  Tyler's
own  self-satisfied  suavity,  it  may  be  said,  had  aided
not  a  little  in  smoothing  out  the  "  wrinkles  of  ne
gotiation."  2  Virginian  though  he  was,  he  first
suggested  that  each  nation  should  keep  a  squadron
on  the  coast  of  Africa  to  suppress  the  slave-trade,3
a  stipulation  which  forms  article  eight  of  the  treaty.
The  squadrons  were  to  be  independent  of  each
other,  but  the  two  governments  agreed,  neverthe-

1  American  Diplomacy  and  the  Furtherance  of  Commerce,  p.  252.
2  Schouler's  History  of  the  United  States,  vol.  iv.  p.  403.
8  Letters  and  Times  of  the  Tylers,  vol.  ii.  p.  219.
MINISTER  TO  FRANCE.  185

less,  to  give  such  orders  to  the  officers  commanding
the  respective  forces  as  should  enable  them  "  most
effectually  to  act  in  concert  and  cooperation,  upon
mutual  consultation,"  as  exigencies  might  arise,  for
the  execution  of  all  such  orders.
A  copy  of  the  treaty,  and  the  news  of  its  ratifi
cation,  reached  Paris  September  17th,  and  Cass
immediately  sent  word  to  his  government  that  he
could  no  longer  be  useful  in  his  position,  and  that
his  private  affairs  demanded  his  attention  at  home.
